Minimum wage in Portland, ME

An employer may not require an employee to work more than 40 hours in any one week unless 1 1/2 times the regular hourly rate is paid for all hours actually worked in excess of 40 hours in that week. The regular hourly rate includes all earnings, bonuses, commissions and other compensation that is paid or due based on actual work performed

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Notes

26 M.R.S. § 664(3).

Verified September 26, 2026

In the absence of a collective bargaining agreement or other written employer-employee agreement providing otherwise, an employee, as defined in section 663, may be employed or permitted to work for no more than 6 consecutive hours at one time unless the employee is given the opportunity to take at least 30 consecutive minutes of rest time, except in cases of emergency in which there is danger to property, life, public safety or public health. This rest time may be used by the employee as unpaid mealtime, but only if the employee is completely relieved of duty.

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Notes

The statute calls this a rest break (26 M.R.S. § 601); it is listed as a meal break because it may be taken as unpaid mealtime.

Verified September 26, 2026

At regular intervals not to exceed 16 days, every employer must pay in full all wages earned by each employee, except members of the family of the employer and salaried employees. Each payment must include all wages earned to within 8 days of the payment date.

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Verified September 26, 2026

An employee leaving employment must be paid in full no later than the employee's next established payday. Any overcompensation may be withheld if authorized under section 635 and any loan or advance against future earnings or wages may be deducted if evidenced by a statement in writing signed by the employee. Whenever the terms of employment or the employer's established practice includes provisions for paid vacations, vacation pay on cessation of employment has the same status as wages earned. All unused paid vacation accrued pursuant to the employer's vacation policy on and after January 1, 2023 must be paid to the employee on cessation of employment unless the employee is employed by an employer with 10 or fewer employees or by a public employer.

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Verified September 26, 2026

An employer that employs more than 10 employees in the usual and regular course of business for more than 120 days in any calendar year shall permit each employee to earn paid leave based on the employee's base pay as provided in this section. [PL 2019, c. 156, §3 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 156, §4 (AFF).] 3. Accrual. An employee is entitled to earn one hour of paid leave from a single employer for every 40 hours worked, up to 40 hours in one year of employment. Accrual of leave begins at the start of employment, but the employer is not required to permit use of the leave before the employee has been employed by that employer for 120 days during a one-year period.

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Notes

Maine's Earned Paid Leave law (26 M.R.S. § 637) is general paid leave, not limited to sickness.

Verified September 26, 2026

An employer may consider tips as part of the wages of a service employee, but such a tip credit may not exceed 50% of the minimum hourly wage established in this section except that from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017, the minimum cash wage paid directly to a tipped service employee may not be less than $5.00 per hour. An employer who elects to use the tip credit must inform the affected employee in advance, as provided for in this subsection, and must be able to show that the employee receives at least the minimum hourly wage when direct wages and the tip credit are combined within the established 7-day workweek. Upon a satisfactory showing by the employee or the employee's representative that the actual tips received were less than the tip credit, the employer shall increase the direct wages by the difference. The tips received by a service employee become the property of the employee and may not be shared with the employer. Tips that are automatically included in the customer's bill or that are charged to a credit card must be treated like tips given to the service employee. A tip that is charged to a credit card must be paid by the employer to the employee by the next regular payday and may not be held while the employer is awaiting reimbursement from a credit card company. The employer may not deduct any amount from employee tips charged to a credit card, including, but not limited to, service fees assessed to the employer in connection with the credit card transaction.

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Notes

Tip pools are allowed among service employees when the tip credit is used, or among a wider group when all are paid the full minimum wage; employers, supervisors and managers may not share (§ 664(2-A)).

Verified September 26, 2026

A salaried employee who works in a bona fide executive, administrative or professional capacity and whose regular compensation, when converted to an annual rate, exceeds 3000 times the State's minimum hourly wage or the annualized rate established by the United States Department of Labor under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, whichever is higher

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Notes

26 M.R.S. § 663(3)(K). At the 2026 minimum wage of $15.10 this is $45,300 a year ($871.15 a week).

Verified September 26, 2026

A minor 16 years of age or older and under 18 years of age, enrolled in school, may not be employed as follows: A. More than 50 hours in any week when the minor's school is not in session; [PL 2003, c. 53, §1 (AMD).] B. More than 24 hours in any week when the minor's school is in session. In addition, the maximum weekly hours a minor may work is 50 hours during any week that the approved school calendar for the minor's school is less than 3 days or during the first or last week of the school calendar, regardless of how many days the minor's school is in session for the week. If requested, a school must provide verification of its closings to the minor's employer or the Department of Labor; [PL 2011, c. 174, §1 (AMD).] C. More than 10 hours in any day when the minor's school is not in session; [PL 2003, c. 53, §1 (AMD).] D. More than 6 hours in any day when the minor's school is in session, except that the minor may work up to 8 hours on the last scheduled day of the school week; [PL 2011, c. 174, §2 (AMD).] E. More than 6 consecutive days; [PL 1993, c. 434, §3 (AMD).] F. After 10:15 p.m. on a day preceding a day on which the minor's school is in session or after 12 midnight on a day that does not precede such a school day; or [PL 2011, c. 174, §3 (AMD).] G. Before 7 a.m. on a day on which the minor's school is in session or before 5 a.m. on any other day. [PL 2003, c. 53, §1 (AMD).] [PL 2017, c. 286, §5 (AMD).] 2. Minors under 16 years of age. A minor under 16 years of age may not be employed as follows: A. More than 40 hours in any week when school is not in session; [PL 1991, c. 544, §5 (NEW).] B. More than 18 hours in any week when school is in session; [PL 1991, c. 544, §5 (NEW).] C. More than 8 hours in any day when school is not in session; [PL 1991, c. 544, §5 (NEW).] D. More than 3 hours in any day when school is in session;

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Verified September 26, 2026

An employer subject to the laws outlined in the poster or notice issued by the bureau pursuant to subsection 1 shall post and keep posted in a place accessible to the employer's employees a copy of the poster or notice furnished by the bureau. An employer who violates this section may be assessed a fine by the department payable to the State as follows: A. For the first violation, a fine of up to $25 per day after being notified by the bureau of the violation, not to exceed $1,000;

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Notes

26 M.R.S. § 42-B(3). Current posters are free from the Maine DOL posters page (us-me-dol-posters).

Verified September 26, 2026

Any employer is liable to the employee or employees for the amount of unpaid wages and health benefits. Upon a judgment being rendered in favor of any employee or employees, in any action brought to recover unpaid wages or health benefits under this subchapter, such judgment includes, in addition to the unpaid wages or health benefits adjudged to be due, a reasonable rate of interest, costs of suit including a reasonable attorney's fee, and an additional amount equal to twice the amount of unpaid wages as liquidated damages. [PL 1993, c. 648, §1 (AMD).] Remedies for unpaid wages do not become available to the employee except as follows. If the wages are clearly due without a bona fide dispute, remedies are available to the employee 8 days after the due date for payment. If there is a bona fide dispute at the time payment is due, remedies become available to the employee 8 days after demand when the wages are, in fact, due and remain unpaid. [PL 1999, c. 465, §5 (NEW).] The action for unpaid wages or health benefits may be brought by either the affected employee or employees or by the Department of Labor.

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statute

snapshot

September 26, 2026

Verified September 26, 2026