Massachusetts Minimum Wage 2026
The minimum wage in Massachusetts is $15.00 per hour in 2026, effective January 1, 2023. Tipped employees can be paid a cash wage of $6.75 per hour, as long as tips bring them to the full minimum.
What is the minimum wage in Massachusetts in 2026?
The Massachusetts minimum wage is $15.00 per hour in 2026. The rate has been unchanged since January 1, 2023, when the state completed the five-year phase-in schedule set by the 2018 Grand Bargain law.
Massachusetts was one of the first states to reach $15.00, but because the law includes no inflation indexing, the rate has now been flat for four years. With neighboring states adjusting annually, expect renewed legislative pressure to raise it again.
Tipped minimum wage in Massachusetts
The tipped minimum wage in Massachusetts is $6.75 per hour, the service rate in place since 2023. Tips must bring each tipped employee to at least $15.00 per hour.
Massachusetts applies the shortfall test at the end of each shift, not each workweek, which is stricter than most states. If tips plus the service rate fall below $15.00 for any shift, the employer must top up that shift. A 2024 ballot question that would have phased out the tip credit entirely (Question 5) was rejected by voters.
Massachusetts minimum wage history: 2020 to 2026
| Year | Minimum wage | Tipped wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $12.75 | $4.95 |
| 2021 | $13.50 | $5.55 |
| 2022 | $14.25 | $6.15 |
| 2023 | $15.00 | $6.75 |
| 2024 | $15.00 | $6.75 |
| 2025 | $15.00 | $6.75 |
| 2026 | $15.00 | $6.75 |
Upcoming minimum wage increases in Massachusetts
No increases are currently scheduled. Massachusetts does not index its minimum wage to inflation, so any change requires new legislation or a ballot measure.
Bills to raise the wage toward $16.00 or higher and to add annual indexing have been filed in recent sessions. Employers budgeting for 2027 and beyond should track the legislature, but nothing is enacted as of mid-2026.
Minimum wage by city in Massachusetts
Massachusetts sets one statewide rate. Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and every other municipality follow the $15.00 state minimum; cities cannot adopt their own wage floors.
As in other high-cost metros, actual market wages in Greater Boston run well above the legal minimum for most hourly roles, so treat $15.00 as a compliance floor rather than a competitive offer.
State rate applies
State rate applies
State rate applies
State rate applies
What Massachusetts employers need to know
Service rate rules
Pay tipped employees at least $6.75 in cash wages and make sure tips bring them to $15.00 per hour, calculated at the end of each shift. Tip pooling is allowed only among wait staff, service employees, and service bartenders.
Overtime
Pay 1.5x the regular rate over 40 hours per week. The Sunday and holiday premium pay requirement for retail was fully phased out in 2023.
Minors
Workers under 18 have the same minimum wage but stricter hour and schedule limits under Massachusetts child labor law.
Posting and records
Display the Massachusetts wage and hour poster and keep true and accurate payroll records; the Attorney General's office actively enforces wage laws, including treble damages for violations.
How other states compare
See how Massachusetts's $15.00 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 Massachusetts labor department. Minimum wage laws change frequently; confirm current rates with those sources or legal counsel before setting pay.
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