Minimum wage in Massachusetts
$15.00 per hour1
per hourGeneral rate since January 1, 2023
No scheduled increase on record.
1 rate in force
Rates by worker type, industry and employer size
The highest rate that fits the job applies.
| Applies to | Rate | Cash wage | Max tip credit | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tipped employees · service employee receiving more than $20 a month in tips; employer gives written notice of MGL c151 s7SourceEffective January 1, 2023, minimum wage has increased to $15.00. Tipped employees will also get a raise on Jan.1, 2023, and must be paid a minimum of $6.75 per hour provided that their tips bring them up to at least $15 per hour.
Verified September 26, 2026 | $15.00January 1, 2023 | $6.75 | — | January 1, 2023 |
BLS · May 2025
How the minimum compares with typical pay in Massachusetts
49%of the median hourly wage
The median hourly wage across all occupations in Massachusetts is $30.57 and the mean is $41.16 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates). The minimum wage of $15.00 is 49% of the median; the 10th-percentile wage is $17.47, so roughly the lowest-paid tenth of workers earn within $2.47 of the minimum. BLS
| Applies to | Rate |
|---|---|
| Minimum wage | $15.00 |
| 10th percentile | $17.47 |
| 25th percentile | $21.51 |
| Median | $30.57 |
| Mean | $41.16 |
6 rules · September 27, 2026
Labor law basics in Massachusetts
What the law adds on top of the hourly rate. Follow the citation for exceptions.
Overtime
Most employees must be paid 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for hours over 40 in a work week; Massachusetts has no daily overtime, and restaurant employees are exempt from state (not federal) overtime. (non-exempt employees)
Source
Overtime compensation Most employees must be paid 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a given work week. State law does not call for overtime after 8 hours in a day.
- Source
- agency page
- snapshot
- September 26, 2026
- Notes
- M.G.L. c. 151 § 1A. Quote from the mass.gov page.
Verified September 27, 2026
Tips
Employers may pay tipped employees who earn more than $20 a month in tips a service rate of $6.75 an hour only after written notice of M.G.L. c. 151 § 7, tips plus wages must reach the minimum wage each day, and all tips go to service employees or a valid proportional tip pool. (tipped service employees)
Source
The service rate for tipped employees who make more than $20 a month will increase from $5.55 to $6.75 per hour as of January 1, 2022. To pay tipped employees this rate, the employer must notify the employee in writing of MGL c151 §7(3). Tipped restaurant employees must make at least minimum wage for all hours worked when they combine tips and wages for hours worked each day. Employers must pay service employees all their tips, or they may use a tip-pooling arrangement that distributes tips in equal proportions to their time pursuant to MGL c149 s 152A. Restaurant employees are exempt from overtime under the state law, but not under federal law.
- Source
- agency page
- snapshot
- September 26, 2026
- Notes
- Tip pooling under M.G.L. c. 149 § 152A. Quote from the mass.gov page.
Verified September 27, 2026
Other
Under the Massachusetts minimum fair wage law, an employer does not have to pay extra for weekend, holiday or night work.
Source
Extra pay for weekend, holiday, or night work Under the minimum fair wage law, an employer does not have to pay extra for weekend, holiday, or night work.
- Source
- agency page
- snapshot
- September 26, 2026
- Notes
- The retail Sunday and holiday premium under M.G.L. c. 136 was phased out by Chapter 121 of the Acts of 2018 (ended January 1, 2023).
Verified September 27, 2026
Overtime-exempt salary threshold
Executive, administrative and professional employees are exempt from minimum wage and overtime only if they meet the duties tests and are paid a salary of at least $684 per week ($35,568 a year). (executive, administrative, professional and outside sales employees)
Source: 29 C.F.R. Part 541
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.
- Source
- agency page
- snapshot
- 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
Young workers' hours
14- and 15-year-olds may work at most 3 hours on a school day, 8 hours on a non-school day, 18 hours in a school week and 40 hours in a non-school week, outside school hours. (14- and 15-year-olds in non-agricultural jobs)
Source: 29 C.F.R. Part 570
no more than 3 hours on a school day , including Fridays; no more than 8 hours on a nonschool day; no more than 18 hours during a week when school is in session; no more than 40 hours during a week when school is not in session;
- Source
- agency page
- snapshot
- September 26, 2026
Verified September 26, 2026
Required poster
Employers whose employees are covered by the FLSA minimum wage provisions must post, and keep posted, a notice explaining the Act in a conspicuous place in all of their establishments. (employers covered by the FLSA)
Source: 29 U.S.C. § 207
Every employer of employees subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage provisions must post, and keep posted, a notice explaining the Act in a conspicuous place in all of their establishments.
- Source
- agency page
- snapshot
- September 26, 2026
- Notes
- The notice DOL publishes for this purpose is the FLSA minimum wage poster (WH-1088), free from the WHD posters page.
Verified September 26, 2026
$15.00 / hour
Calculators
Estimates before tax at this rate. Nothing you type leaves this page.
What this wage pays
| Weekly | $600.00 |
|---|---|
| Monthly52 weeks ÷ 12 | $2,600.00 |
| Annual52 weeks | $31,200.00 |
| Overtime rate1.5× where overtime applies | $22.50 |
4 questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Massachusetts?
$15.00 per hour since January 1, 2023. For a 40-hour week that is about $600.00 a week or $31,200.00 a year before tax.
Is the minimum wage in Massachusetts increasing?
No increase is scheduled on record as of October 1, 2026. Inflation-indexed jurisdictions announce the next figure a few months before it takes effect.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Massachusetts?
Employers may pay tipped employees a cash wage of $6.75 per hour as long as tips bring them to $15.00.
How does Massachusetts compare with other states?
Massachusetts's $15.00 ranks 12 of 51 state general rates, against a federal floor of $7.25.
2 levels of law
How this rate is resolved
The highest minimum that covers the work location applies.
Employers must pay the highest minimum that covers the work location. WageTable checks each level in turn:
- United States
- Massachusetts
Massachusetts sets 2 rules of its own. Year pages: 2026, 2027.
Notes on this jurisdiction's rules and sources
Standard and tipped rows come from us-ma-ago-mw-overtime (2026-09-26). The agricultural rate is $8 (M.G.L. c. 151, § 2A); its effective date is not stated in the source. Governing law: standard minimum wage (M.G.L. c. 151, § 1), tipped service rate (c. 151, § 7) and the 2019-2023 schedule (St. 2018, c. 121).
Massachusetts
Enforcement
Enforced by Office of the Attorney General, Fair Labor Division. Employers must display the official minimum wage poster.
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