Maine Minimum Wage 2026
The minimum wage in Maine is $15.10 per hour in 2026, effective January 1, 2026. Tipped employees can be paid a cash wage of $7.55 per hour, as long as tips bring them to the full minimum.
What is the minimum wage in Maine in 2026?
The Maine minimum wage is $15.10 per hour as of January 1, 2026, up from $14.65 through the state's annual cost-of-living adjustment. Maine indexes its rate to the Consumer Price Index every January, a system in place since the voter-approved increases of 2017 to 2020 finished phasing in.
Maine crossed the $15.00 line this year, a threshold many larger states are still legislating toward. One wrinkle sets Maine apart from most of New England: it allows local minimum wages, and Portland has used that power to set a city rate above the state's.
Tipped minimum wage in Maine
Maine ties its tipped wage directly to the full minimum: the cash wage is always 50 percent of the state rate, which makes it $7.55 per hour in 2026. Because the ratio is fixed, the tipped wage rises automatically every January alongside the indexed minimum.
The tip credit only applies to service employees who regularly receive more than $185 a month in tips. Tips must bring each of them to the full $15.10 per hour, with the employer covering any shortfall. Employees below the $185 monthly threshold must simply be paid the full minimum in cash.
Maine minimum wage history: 2020 to 2026
| Year | Minimum wage | Tipped wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $12.00 | $6.00 |
| 2021 | $12.15 | $6.08 |
| 2022 | $12.75 | $6.38 |
| 2023 | $13.80 | $6.90 |
| 2024 | $14.15 | $7.08 |
| 2025 | $14.65 | $7.33 |
| 2026 | $15.10 | $7.55 |
Upcoming minimum wage increases in Maine
Maine adjusts its minimum wage every January 1 based on the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast region, with the Maine Department of Labor announcing the new rate each fall. The tipped wage moves with it automatically at the fixed 50 percent ratio.
No legislative steps are pending, so expect steady indexed increases rather than jumps. Portland and Rockland adjust their own local rates on separate schedules, so employers in those cities effectively track two annual announcements.
Minimum wage by city in Maine
Unlike most New England states, Maine permits local minimum wages, and two municipalities have used the option. Portland sets a city minimum above the state rate that adjusts on its own schedule, and Rockland has adopted a local ordinance as well.
Everywhere else in Maine, the $15.10 state rate applies. Employers with locations or remote workers inside Portland or Rockland city limits should confirm the current local figure each year, since the city and state adjustments do not move in lockstep.
City ordinance sets a minimum above the state rate, adjusted separately; confirm the current figure
State rate applies
State rate applies
Local ordinance in effect; confirm the current figure
What Maine employers need to know
Tipped employees
The cash wage is 50 percent of the minimum, $7.55 in 2026, and only applies to service employees who regularly receive more than $185 a month in tips. Tips must bring pay to $15.10 per hour every week.
Local ordinances
Check whether any work location falls inside Portland or Rockland city limits. Local minimums there exceed the state rate and adjust on their own schedules.
Overtime
Maine requires 1.5x pay after 40 hours in a workweek and sets its own salary threshold for overtime-exempt employees, which is tied to the minimum wage and rises with it each January.
Posting and records
Display the current Maine Department of Labor wage poster and keep records of hours, wages, and monthly tip amounts for any employee paid under the tip credit.
How other states compare
See how Maine's $15.10 rate stacks up against other state minimum wages in 2026, or browse the full minimum wage index for all 50 states.
Last verified:
Sources: the US Department of Labor's state minimum wage table and official announcements from the Maine labor department. Minimum wage laws change frequently; confirm current rates with those sources or legal counsel before setting pay.
Hiring hourly workers in Maine?
Post your job for free.
Hirex helps you post jobs, screen applicants, and hire faster in one dashboard, so staying compliant on pay is the only hard part you handle alone. No credit card needed.
