Minimum wage in Montgomery County, MD

Most employees must be paid 1.5 times their usual hourly rate for all hours worked over 40 per week. Under Maryland law, employees of bowling alleys, and those who work for non-hospital residential care institutions (such as certain nursing homes, assisted living, or group homes for individuals with mental or intellectual disabilities who live at the institution) must be paid 1.5 times their usual hourly rate for all hours worked over 48 per week. Federal law may require such employers to pay employees 1.5 times their usual hourly rate after 40 hours per week even when Maryland law requires it only after 48 hours. Agricultural workers who are not otherwise exempt from Maryland law must be paid 1.5 times their usual hourly rate for all hours worked over 60 per week.

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September 26, 2026

Verified September 27, 2026

All Minors: May not be employed or permitted to work more than five hours continuously without a non-working period of at least ½ hour.

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September 27, 2026

Notes

Adults have no general state break right; Maryland Labor says breaks are required only for minors and for employees of certain retail establishments (Healthy Retail Employee Act), see us-md-dol-wp-breaks.

Verified September 27, 2026

Employees in Maryland must be paid at least once every two weeks or twice in a month. However, Executive, Professional and Administrative employees may be paid less frequently

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September 27, 2026

Verified September 27, 2026

Each employer shall pay an employee, or the authorized representative of an employee, all wages due for work that the employee performed before the termination of employment, on or before the day on which the employee would have been paid the wages if the employment had not terminated.

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September 27, 2026

Verified September 27, 2026

The Maryland Healthy Working Families Act (MHWFA – often referred to as “Sick and Safe Leave”) took effect February 11, 2018. The MHWFA requires all employers with employees whose primary work location is in Maryland to provide earned sick and safe leave, regardless of where the employer is located. Employers who employ 15 or more employees are required to provide paid earned safe and sick leave. Employers with less than 15 employees are required to provide unpaid earned sick and safe leave. Certain employees are exempt from the requirements of the law. All employees whose primary work location is in Maryland are entitled to accrue sick and safe leave unless they are exempt from coverage under the law. Leave accrues at the rate of one hour for every thirty hours that an employee works.

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September 27, 2026

Notes

Maryland Healthy Working Families Act (LE § 3-1301 et seq.); annual caps (40 hours used, 64 accrued) are in the statute and FAQ, not on this page.

Verified September 27, 2026

Tipped Employees (earning more than $30 per month in tips) must still earn at least the State Minimum Wage Rate per hour. Employers must pay at least $3.63 per hour. This amount plus tips must equal at least the State Minimum Wage Rate, and employers must cover any gap. Restaurants that rely on tips to reach minimum wage must give employees a written or electronic wage statement for each pay period showing the employee’s effective hourly rate of pay, including employer-paid cash wages plus tips. This is called a Tip Credit Wage Statement.

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September 26, 2026

Verified September 27, 2026

All Minors: May not be employed or permitted to work more than five hours continuously without a non-working period of at least ½ hour. Minors 14—15: • *Non-school hours; • *3 hours on any day when school is in session; • 8 hours on any day when school is not in session • *18 hours in a school week; • 40 hours in any week when school is not in session; • *May only work between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. • *May work until 9:00 pm from June 1 until Labor Day. • The hours worked by a minor enrolled in a bona fide work- study or student-learner program when school is normally in session may not be counted towards the permissible hours of work prescribed above. *This is based upon a more restrictive Federal law. Minors 16—17: May spend no more than 12 hours in a combination of school hours and work hours each day. Must be allowed at least eight consecutive hours of non-work, non-school time in each 24-hour period.

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September 27, 2026

Verified September 27, 2026

Minimum Wage Rev. 12/23 EMPLOYERS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO POST THIS INFORMATION CONSPICUOUSLY. THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE LAW. TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE, CONSULT A LEGAL ADVISOR. PENALTIES ARE PRESCRIBED FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW. (Labor and Employment Article, Title 3, Subtitle 4, Annotated Code of Maryland)

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September 26, 2026

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Montgomery County employers must also post the county rate information.

Verified September 27, 2026

You may file if your claim pertains to the following: Incorrect rate of pay or non-payment of wages Commission Failure to be compensated for a working break. Fringe not paid upon termination of the employment relationship, e.g., a quit, discharge, or layoff. (including unused vacation time or other promised benefit. Please note that reimbursement for these fringe benefits is contingent upon employers policy.) Liquidated damages for failure to receive minimum wage for each hour worked. Paycheck(s) not received within two weeks after scheduled pay date. Overtime Tips Remuneration (compensation) promised for work performed (i.e., room and board, materials and inventory, etc.). Unauthorized deductions from paychecks. Wages paid by check issued with insufficient funds. Failure to be paid for training. Failure to be paid for travel time. Need to file a claim? To request a claim form be mailed, call 410-767-2357 or you may download the claim form below. Be sure to answer all questions and follow directions when completing the claim form. The claim form must include your signature and be sent to ESS before an investigation is initiated.

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September 27, 2026

Verified September 27, 2026

To qualify for exemption, employees generally must meet certain tests regarding their job duties and be paid on a salary basis at not less than $684 per week.

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September 26, 2026

Notes

The 2024 rule raising the level to $844/$1,128 was vacated in November 2024; DOL enforces the 2019 level of $684.

Verified September 26, 2026