Maine minimum wage 2027: $15.70 an hour

Maine minimum wage 2027: $15.70 per hour from January 1, 2027 (Maine DOL labor law FAQ; Maine DOL news release, Sep. 18, 2026). Verified Nov 12, 2026 on two official pages.

“What is the minimum wage? Effective January 1, 2027, Minimum wage is $15.70 per hour.”

Second official source: “The Maine Department of Labor announced today that, effective January 1, 2027, the state minimum wage will increase from $15.10 to $15.70 per hour” (Maine DOL news release, Sep. 18, 2026).

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What changes for Maine employers in 2027

Rate in force now: Maine's state minimum wage is $15.10 per hour. (Maine minimum wage law (DOL WHD state minimum wage table, updated July 1, 2026); Maine Department of Labor news release (26 M.R.S. §664); verified Sep 27, 2026).

Other Maine minimum rates

• Service (tipped) employees: “Effective January 1, 2027, the State Minimum Wage is $15.70 per hour and the direct service or “tip” wage cannot be less than $7.85 per hour.” (Maine DOL wage FAQ)

Paying the minimum wage in Maine: paydays, final pay and breaks

• Paydays: Employers must pay wages at regular intervals not to exceed 16 days; this does not apply to members of the employer's family or to salaried employees. (Maine payday law (DOL WHD State Payday Requirements, footnote 8); 26 M.R.S. §621-A(1); verified Sep 27, 2026)
• Final pay after a firing: A discharged employee must be paid in full no later than the employee's next established (regularly scheduled) payday. (26 M.R.S. § 626; Maine Department of Labor, Labor Laws FAQ; verified Sep 24, 2026)
• Final pay after a resignation: An employee who quits must be paid in full no later than the employee's next established (regularly scheduled) payday. (26 M.R.S. § 626; Maine Department of Labor, Labor Laws FAQ; verified Sep 24, 2026)
• Meal breaks: Unless a collective bargaining or other written employer-employee agreement provides otherwise, an employee may not work more than 6 consecutive hours without the opportunity to take at least 30 consecutive minutes of rest time, except in emergencies; it may be unpaid only if the employee is completely relieved of duty. Some small workplaces are exempt. (Maine statute (DOL WHD meal period table); 26 M.R.S. §601; verified Sep 27, 2026)
• Rest breaks: No state requirement for separate paid rest periods for adult private-sector employees (Maine's statutory 'rest break' is the unpaid-if-relieved break covered under meal_break). (DOL WHD Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements table, footnote 1; Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards FAQ; verified Sep 27, 2026)

Every verified rule for the state, with the law cited: Maine employer rulebook.

The salary threshold for the overtime exemption is $47,101.08 a year from January 1, 2027 (Maine DOL news release; 26 M.R.S. §663(3)(K)). Verified Oct 21, 2026.

Other Maine changes with a 2027 date, from the 2027 list:

• Maine: Salary threshold for overtime exemption: $905.79/week ($47,101.08/year) from January 1, 2027 (confirmed; maine.gov)
• Maine: Tipped minimum wage: $7.85/hour from January 1, 2027 (confirmed; maine.gov)

Each change with its official text: Maine rules.

Maine minimum wage rates: now, 2027 and next

How the next Maine rate is set

“MDOL is required under Maine law (Maine statute Title 26, chapter 7, section 664) to make annual adjustments to the minimum wage based on the cost-of-living index (CPI-W) for the Northeast Region, after Maine voters amended the law by referendum in 2016.” (26 M.R.S. § 664; Maine Department of Labor news release)

2027 minimum wage: Maine and neighboring states

Each state links to its rulebook, and to its own 2027 minimum wage page where we have one. The same rows, for every state, are in the 2027 table by state.

How to act on it

Full-time pay at the 2027 rate (computed: hourly rate × 40 hours a week and × 2,080 hours a year, before taxes): $15.70 = $628.00 a week, $32,656 a year.

Questions about the Maine minimum wage in 2027

Sources (16)

• Maine DOL labor law FAQ
• Maine DOL news release, Sep. 18, 2026
• 26 M.R.S. §663(3)(K)
• Maine minimum wage law (DOL WHD state minimum wage table, updated July 1, 2026)
• Maine Department of Labor news release (26 M.R.S. §664)
• Maine payday law (DOL WHD State Payday Requirements, footnote 8)
• 26 M.R.S. §621-A(1)
• 26 M.R.S. § 626
• Maine statute (DOL WHD meal period table)
• 26 M.R.S. §601
• DOL WHD Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements table, footnote 1
• Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards FAQ
• U.S. DOL minimum wage page
• 29 U.S.C. §206 (govinfo)
• Mass. DLS Minimum Wage Program
• Vermont DOL Rights and Wages page

Checked Nov 12, 2026 · How we verify every rule · Report an error

Where this goes next

StateMaine employer rulebookAll 51 statesMinimum wage by state 20272027Every Maine change in 2027ToolHourly to salary calculator