Maine to raise minimum wage to US$15.10 by 2026

Beginning January 1, 2026, Maine’s minimum wage will rise to US$15.10 per hour, up from the current US$14.65, as announced by the state’s Department of Labor on 11 September, 2025.

The adjustment was calculated from a 3.1% rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Northeast Region, based on figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This annual cost-of-living increase is required under a 2016 voter-approved amendment to state law, which mandates that the minimum wage be updated each year in line with inflation.

Federal data indicates that about 35,000 Maine workers earned under US$15 per hour in 2024, who will now see their wages rise. These workers represent about 5% of all wage and salary employees in Maine, and nearly 9% of those paid hourly.

Eligibility and Exemptions to the Minimum Wage

For the first time, Maine’s minimum wage will cover agricultural workers. Governor of Maine, Janet Mills, signed the law in June 2025, extending wage protections to a workforce that had previously been left out.

Starting in 2026, service employees will earn a base wage of US$7.55 per hour, with employers obligated to ensure that the total of tips and wages equals or exceeds the new statewide minimum of US$15.10 per hour. 

To align with this change, the monthly tip threshold that determines eligibility as a service employee will also be adjusted, rising from US$185 to US$191.

Alongside these adjustments for service employees, the minimum salary threshold for workers exempt from overtime pay will also rise in 2026, increasing to US$871.16 per week, or US$45,300.32 annually. 

The minimum wage exemption, however, is not based on salary alone, as both federal and state laws also require that an employee’s job duties meet specific criteria.

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