Maine minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Maine is $15.10 an hour in 2026, rising to $15.70 on January 1, 2027. Maine's wage follows the cost of living: a 2016 citizen referendum raised it to $12.00 by 2020 and then tied it to consumer prices in the Northeast. The Maine Department of Labor announced on September 18, 2026 that a 4.1% price rise moves the rate to $15.70 on January 1, 2027.
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At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $15.10 an hour, since January 1, 2026139 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $15.70 on January 1, 2027 (announced)21 |
| Tipped employees | $7.55 cash wage, tip credit up to $7.5512610 |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week69 · details |
| Full-time pay | $604 a week, $31,408 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards, (207) 623-7900 |
What to know about the Maine minimum wage
Maine's indexed minimum wage comes from a citizen referendum in 2016. Voters raised the wage in steps to $12.00 by 2020 and then tied it to the cost of living, so each January since 2021 the rate has moved with the consumer price index for Northeast wage earners.6 The recent increases show how sensitive the formula is to prices: $13.80 in 2023, $14.15 in 2024, $14.65 in 2025, $15.10 in 2026, and $15.70 for 2027 after a 4.1% rise in the index.2
Maine law caps the tip credit at half the minimum wage, so service employees receive at least $7.55 in cash in 2026 and $7.85 from January 1, 2027. The threshold for counting as a tipped employee rises too, from more than $191 a month in tips to more than $199.2 Overtime for a tipped employee is calculated on the full minimum wage, not the lower cash wage, and the employer cannot take a larger tip credit for overtime hours.1 Salaried employees are affected as well: the overtime exemption requires pay of at least 3,000 times the minimum wage a year, which becomes $47,101.08 in 2027.
Portland and Rockland have their own minimum wage ordinances, and the highest enforceable rate applies. Employers in those cities must keep three sets of minimum wage posters, federal, state and municipal, and the state refers complaints about a local ordinance to the city's enforcement office.1
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $7.55 an hour12610 |
| Maximum tip credit | $7.55 an hour |
Service employees who regularly receive more than $191 a month in tips ($199 from January 1, 2027) may be paid half the minimum wage in cash, $7.55 in 2026 and $7.85 from January 1, 2027, with tips covering the rest. The employer must tell employees about the tip credit in advance and may not keep any of their tips.
An employer that takes a tip credit must make up the difference whenever wages plus tips fall short of the full minimum wage for the workweek. See the tipped minimum wage guide.
Overtime and salaried staff
| Weekly overtime | After 40 hours in a workweek, at 1.5 times the regular rate69 |
|---|---|
| Daily overtime | None in state law |
| Exempt salary | $871.16 a week ($45,300.32 a year), rising to $47,101.08 a year on January 1, 20273211 |
Time and a half after 40 hours a week (26 M.R.S. 664(3)). Exemptions listed in the statute include automobile mechanics, parts clerks, service writers and salespersons.
Salary must exceed 3,000 times the state minimum wage or the federal level, whichever is higher (26 M.R.S. 663(3)(K)).
Overtime at the minimum wage of $15.10 is $22.65 an hour. Salaried managers, administrators and professionals are exempt from overtime only if they meet the duties tests and are paid at least the exempt salary. See overtime rules in every state or calculate pay with overtime.
How the rate changes
Each January 1 the rate rises by the August-to-August increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Northeast, rounded to the nearest 5 cents. It never goes down, and it rises to match the federal minimum if that is ever higher. The Maine Department of Labor announces the new rate each September.
The Maine Department of Labor announced the 2027 rate on September 18, 2026, after the Northeast CPI-W rose 4.1% from August 2025 to August 2026.
Indexed to inflation: yes. Adjusted each January 1 by the August-to-August change in Northeast CPI-W, rounded to the nearest 5 cents; never decreases.69
Rate history
Who is covered
The state minimum covers most employers and employees in Maine; exemptions and special rules are in 26 M.R.S. 663 and 664. In Portland and Rockland, which have their own minimum wage ordinances, the higher local rate applies.
- Salaried workers must earn at least 3,000 times the minimum wage a year, divided over 52 weeks, to be exempt from overtime: $871.16 a week ($45,300.32 a year) in 2026 and $905.79 a week ($47,101.08 a year) from January 1, 2027.
- The tipped cash wage was $7.33 in 2025.
- Where a city sets a higher minimum, the Maine Department of Labor says the highest applicable rate must be paid.
Local rates in Maine
No Maine statute bars local minimum wages. Towns and cities act under their home-rule ordinance power (30-A M.R.S. 3001), and Portland and Rockland have used it to set higher rates.
Places with their own rate
Each local page lists that place's tiers, next change and who is covered.
Neighboring states
If you live near a state line, the rate that applies is the one where you do the work, not where you live or where the employer is based.
| State | Per hour now |
|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $7.25 |
Compare every state on the ranked list and map.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards |
|---|---|
| Phone | (207) 623-7900 |
| The law | 26 M.R.S. 664 (Minimum wage; tip credit); 30-A M.R.S. 3001 (Municipal ordinance power) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
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- 5 Maine Department of Labor, Upcoming Labor Law Changes in 2023 Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 6 Maine Legislature, 26 M.R.S. 664 Minimum wage Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 7 Maine Legislature, 30-A M.R.S. 3001 Ordinance power Checked Oct 9, 2026
- 8 Maine Department of Labor, Contact Us Checked Oct 9, 2026
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- 11 Maine Legislature, 26 M.R.S. 663 Definitions Checked Oct 28, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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