Quick answer
- The Massachusetts minimum wage is $15.00 an hour for 2026. It has been $15.00 since January 1, 2023, and it is the same for every employer, with no city rates above it.
- No increase is scheduled for January 1, 2027. Massachusetts does not index the rate to inflation, so it changes only if the legislature passes a new law. None had passed as of November 12, 2026.
- The tipped cash wage is $6.75 an hour, but tips must bring the employee to $15.00 an hour or the employer pays the gap.
The Massachusetts minimum wage is $15.00 an hour in 2026, and the minimum wage in Massachusetts will still be $15.00 on January 1, 2027. That number was the last step of a five-year schedule set by the 2018 "grand bargain" law, and nothing was written in to replace it. For employers, that means no January rate change to build into payroll this year. It does not mean a quiet compliance calendar: Massachusetts has some of the strictest wage-payment rules in the country, including mandatory triple damages for late pay, paid Earned Sick Time for most employers, and a PFML contribution split that changes on January 1. This guide covers the rate and its history, how the tipped wage works, worked pay examples, and the rules that cost Massachusetts employers money when missed.
Massachusetts minimum wage 2026 and the outlook for 2027
The Massachusetts Attorney General's Fair Labor Division enforces the state minimum wage, which is set in Chapter 151 of the General Laws. The rate has been $15.00 an hour since January 1, 2023. The 2018 law stepped the wage up each January from $12.00 in 2019 to $15.00 in 2023, and it phased out the Sunday and holiday premium pay over the same years.
| Item | Rate in 2026 | January 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard minimum wage | $15.00 | $15.00 (no increase scheduled) |
| Tipped cash wage (tips must bring total to $15.00) | $6.75 | $6.75 |
| Maximum tip credit | $8.25 | $8.25 |
| Overtime (over 40 hours in a workweek) at minimum wage | $22.50 | $22.50 |
Is anything likely to change? Bills in the 2025-2026 session of the legislature, including S.1349 and H.2107, would raise the minimum wage from $15.00 toward $20.00 and the tipped wage from $6.75 toward $12.00 over several years. Neither had become law as of November 12, 2026. In November 2024, voters rejected Question 5, which would have raised the tipped cash wage to the full minimum wage over five years. Check the Attorney General's minimum wage page or malegislature.gov for new laws before you set 2027 budgets, but plan on $15.00 for now.
The federal minimum wage is still $7.25, so it plays no part in Massachusetts pay. For how the Massachusetts minimum wage compares with other states, see our minimum wage by state table. Massachusetts overtime follows the same weekly rule as federal law: time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek, as our overtime calculation guide explains.
Weekly pay examples at the Massachusetts minimum wage
These examples show gross pay before taxes for a non-exempt employee paid only by the hour. The business is illustrative: Harbor Street Cafe, a made-up cafe in Worcester.
| Schedule | At $15.00 | At $18.00 |
|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week | $300.00 | $360.00 |
| 32 hours a week | $480.00 | $576.00 |
| 40 hours a week | $600.00 | $720.00 |
| 40 hours a week, 52 weeks | $31,200.00 | $37,440.00 |
Example with overtime. Nora Phelan, a prep cook at Harbor Street Cafe, earns the $15.00 minimum and works 44 hours in one workweek. The overtime rate is $22.50 ($15.00 × 1.5).
- Regular pay: 40 hours × $15.00 = $600.00.
- Overtime pay: 4 hours × $22.50 = $90.00.
- Total for the week: $600.00 + $90.00 = $690.00.
If Nora also earns a night premium, add it to the regular rate before multiplying; our shift differential guide shows how, and time and a half covers two-rate weeks.
Example with paid family leave deductions. Ben Okafor earns $18.00 an hour and works 40 hours, for $720.00 gross. Harbor Street Cafe has 25 or more employees, so it pays the full PFML structure. In 2026 the total contribution is 0.88% of wages, or $6.34 on $720.00. If the employer deducts the maximum employee share of 0.46%, Ben sees $3.31 withheld ($720.00 × 0.0046 = $3.312) and the employer pays the remaining 0.42%, $3.02. The split is explained below.
Massachusetts minimum wage history
Massachusetts raised the wage in annual steps under a 2014 law that took it to $11.00 by 2017 and the 2018 grand bargain that took it to $15.00 by 2023. Confirm any older date with the Attorney General if you need it for a back-pay calculation.
| Effective date | Minimum wage | Tipped cash wage |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2017 | $11.00 | $3.75 |
| January 1, 2019 | $12.00 | $4.95 |
| January 1, 2020 | $12.75 | $5.55 |
| January 1, 2021 | $13.50 | $6.15 |
| January 1, 2022 | $14.25 | $6.75 |
| January 1, 2023 | $15.00 | $6.75 |
| 2024, 2025 and 2026 | $15.00 | $6.75 |
| January 1, 2027 | $15.00 (no change scheduled) | $6.75 |
Massachusetts tipped minimum wage: how the $6.75 rule works
The Massachusetts tipped minimum wage is $6.75 an hour, but it is a floor for the cash portion only. A "service employee" is one who customarily receives more than $20 a month in tips, such as a server or bartender. An employer may pay that person $6.75 an hour in cash only if the employee has been told in writing, and only if tips bring the total to at least $15.00 an hour. The maximum tip credit is therefore $8.25.
- The employer makes up any shortfall. If tips plus $6.75 fall below $15.00 an hour, the employer pays the difference. The Attorney General's guidance looks at each shift, so a busy Saturday does not cancel out a slow Tuesday.
- Tips belong to the staff. Under the Massachusetts Tips Act, owners, managers and supervisors may not keep any part of the tip pool.
- Voters kept the system in 2024. Question 5 would have phased the tip credit out and was rejected, so $6.75 remains the cash wage.
Example. Keisha Monroe works two six-hour server shifts at Harbor Street Cafe. At $15.00 an hour each shift needs to reach $90.00. At the $6.75 cash wage she earns $40.50 per shift before tips.
- Tuesday: tips of $30.00. $40.50 + $30.00 = $70.50, which is $19.50 short of $90.00. The cafe adds $19.50.
- Saturday: tips of $110.00. $40.50 + $110.00 = $150.50, above $90.00. No top-up.
- Averaged over the week, $221.00 total is above the $180.00 minimum, but the Tuesday shortfall is still owed.
That is why tipped employers keep an accurate record of hours worked and tips reported for every shift, and check the shortfall before a payroll run rather than after a complaint.
Who is covered, minors and Sunday pay
- Every employer, every size. The $15.00 rate applies to businesses of all sizes, including a one-person shop. No Massachusetts city sets its own higher minimum wage.
- Agricultural work. The Attorney General lists a separate $8.00 an hour minimum wage for agricultural employees. Check the Fair Labor Division's agricultural guidance before relying on it.
- Minors and learners. The standard rate generally applies to workers under 18, and the Division issues limited permits for some learner and training situations. Do not pay below $15.00 because of age alone; ask the Fair Labor Division first.
- Sunday and holiday premium pay is gone. Retail employers once paid a premium on Sundays and holidays. The 2018 law stepped it down each year and ended it entirely on January 1, 2023. Holiday pay is now a matter of policy, not statute, as our holiday pay guide explains. A contract or handbook may still promise a premium.
- Exempt employees. A salaried executive, administrative or professional employee must meet the duties test and the salary test. See our exempt vs non-exempt guide for the federal weekly threshold and the duties.
Earned Sick Time and paid family leave in Massachusetts
Earned Sick Time. Under Chapter 149, Section 148C, employees earn one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked, with use capped at 40 hours in a calendar year, and may use it after 90 days of employment. Employers with 11 or more employees must pay it at the employee's regular rate, on the same schedule as regular wages. Smaller employers must still provide the time but can make it unpaid. Unused earned sick time is not paid out at termination, unlike earned vacation, which counts as wages. Our paid time off guide covers how sick time fits with vacation, and PTO tracking keeps balances and accruals in one place.
Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). The Department of Family and Medical Leave administers PFML. The total contribution rate for employers with 25 or more covered individuals is 0.88% of wages up to the Social Security wage base ($184,500 in 2026 and $192,300 in 2027). Smaller employers pay no employer share, and their effective rate is 0.46%. The total rate does not change on January 1, 2027, but the split does, under Chapter 101 of the Acts of 2026.
| Employers with 25 or more employees | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Total rate | 0.88% | 0.88% |
| Medical leave (total) | 0.70% | 0.18% |
| Family leave (total) | 0.18% | 0.70% |
| Required employer share | At least 60% of medical (0.42%) | At least 60% of family (0.42%) |
| Employee share, at most | 0.46% | 0.46% |
| Maximum weekly benefit | $1,230.39 | $1,284.61 |
Payroll systems coded to the 2026 split need updating before the first 2027 payroll. Our payroll deductions guide covers where state items sit on a pay stub.
Pay frequency, final pay and pay transparency
- Pay frequency. Under Chapter 149, Section 148, hourly employees must be paid weekly or biweekly, within six days after the end of the pay period (seven days for employees who work seven days a week). Monthly pay is not allowed for hourly staff.
- Final pay. Per the Attorney General, an employee who is fired or laid off must be paid in full on the day of discharge. An employee who quits must be paid by the next regular payday, or the following Saturday if there is no regular payday. The final check includes earned vacation time. See our PTO payout laws by state.
- Triple damages. The Wage Act (Chapter 149, Section 150) treats unpaid or late wages, including minimum wage shortfalls, as a claim for three times the amount owed plus attorney's fees, and good faith is not a defense. A $19.50 shortfall is cheap; a systematic one across a year of shifts is not.
- Pay transparency. Since October 29, 2025, employers with 25 or more employees must put a pay range in job postings. The range is the annual salary or hourly rate the employer reasonably and in good faith expects to pay. Until October 29, 2027, an employer that receives a notice from the Attorney General has two business days to cure.
- Records. Keep payroll and time records for at least three years.
Because Massachusetts treats late pay as a violation, approving hours on time matters. A time clock with GPS and geofencing and approved timesheets mean payroll never waits on a missing punch.
What Massachusetts employers should do
- Confirm no one is paid under $15.00. Check hourly rates, including minors and part-time staff, and pay only the $6.75 cash wage to employees who meet the tipped-service definition.
- Give tipped employees written notice of the tip credit and check each shift against the $15.00 guarantee.
- Update PFML settings for the January 1, 2027 family and medical split.
- Set up Earned Sick Time. Track one hour per 30 worked, the 40-hour cap and the 90-day waiting period. Pay it if you have 11 or more employees.
- Check pay timing. Pay hourly staff weekly or biweekly within six days, and build a same-day final check process for terminations.
- Add pay ranges to postings if you have 25 or more employees, and keep postings consistent with actual pay.
- Post the current Attorney General notices and keep records for three years.
- Watch the legislature. A bill that raises the wage could pass with a short effective date. If you also have staff in New York, compare our New York minimum wage guide.
Questions about a specific case can go to the Attorney General's Fair Labor Division.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Massachusetts right now?
The Massachusetts minimum wage is $15.00 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2023, when the last step of the 2018 grand bargain law took effect. It applies to every employer in the state regardless of size, and no Massachusetts city or county sets a higher local minimum wage. The tipped cash wage is $6.75 an hour.
Is the Massachusetts minimum wage going up in 2027?
No increase is scheduled. Massachusetts does not index its minimum wage to inflation, so the rate stays at $15.00 on January 1, 2027, unless the legislature passes a new law. Bills to raise it toward $20.00 have been filed but had not become law as of November 12, 2026.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Massachusetts?
Employers may pay tipped service employees a cash wage of $6.75 an hour, but tips must bring the employee to at least $15.00 an hour. If they fall short, the employer must pay the difference. Employees must be told in writing, and managers cannot share in the tip pool. Voters rejected Question 5, which would have phased out the tip credit, in November 2024.
How often must Massachusetts employers pay hourly workers?
Hourly workers must be paid weekly or biweekly, within six days after the end of the pay period for employees who work five or six days a week, and seven days if they work seven. Late wages trigger the Wage Act's mandatory triple damages, so a late paycheck is far more expensive than the wages themselves.
When must a Massachusetts employer pay final wages?
An employee who is fired or laid off must be paid in full on the day of discharge. An employee who quits must be paid in full on the next regular payday, or by the following Saturday if there is no regular payday. Earned vacation time counts as wages and is included, while unused earned sick time is not paid out.
Do Massachusetts employers have to pay for sick time?
Yes if they have 11 or more employees. Earned Sick Time lets employees earn and use up to 40 hours of paid sick time a calendar year, accruing one hour for every 30 worked. Employers with fewer than 11 employees must still provide the time but may make it unpaid. New hires can use it after 90 days.