![[US] Maine’s hourly minimum wage will rise in 2027](http://gpa.net/cdn/shop/articles/iStock-695425536_f6e0ac34-aa39-4f8a-a22c-203e5774a2a8_1200x.jpg?v=1790045194)
In the US, the Maine Department of Labour (MDOL) has announced that the state minimum wage will rise from $15.10 to $15.70 per hour on January 1, 2027, based on data recently made available by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bar Harbor Story reports.
Under Maine law (Maine statute Title 26, chapter 7, section 664), MDOL must 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. Between August 2025 and August 2026, the CPI-W increased by 4.1 per cent.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey for 2025 shows that 28,000 hourly workers were paid less than $15.00 per hour. These workers represent about 4 per cent of all wage and salary workers (paid at hourly rates and otherwise) and about 8 per cent of wage and salary workers paid at hourly rates.
Since 2025, agricultural workers in Maine have also reportedly been entitled to the state minimum wage, after the Legislature enacted and Governor Mills signed An Act to Establish a State Minimum Hourly Wage for Agricultural Workers.
The “tip wage,” or service employee minimum wage, is set to go up from $7.55 to $7.85 per hour, meaning that service employees must receive a direct cash wage of at least $7.85 per hour from their employer.
According to MDOL, employers must be able to demonstrate that their employees receive at least the minimum wage of $15.70 per hour when the direct wage and tips are combined at the end of the week. The tips total necessary to qualify as a service employee will increase from $191 to $199 per month.
The minimum salary threshold for exempting a worker from overtime pay must exceed 3,000 times the State’s minimum wage or the annualised rate established by the U.S. Department of Labor (whichever is higher). From January 1, 2027, the new minimum salary threshold for salaried workers exempt from overtime will reportedly be $905.79 per week, or $47,101.08 per year.
This is just one factor used in determining whether a worker is exempt from overtime pay under federal or state law. An individual may earn more than the minimum salary threshold and still be eligible for overtime. A worker’s duties must be considered as part of this analysis.
Source: Bar Harbor Story
(Link via original reporting)
In the US, the Maine Department of Labour (MDOL) has announced that the state minimum wage will rise from $15.10 to $15.70 per hour on January 1, 2027, based on data recently made available by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bar Harbor Story reports.
Under Maine law (Maine statute Title 26, chapter 7, section 664), MDOL must 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. Between August 2025 and August 2026, the CPI-W increased by 4.1 per cent.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey for 2025 shows that 28,000 hourly workers were paid less than $15.00 per hour. These workers represent about 4 per cent of all wage and salary workers (paid at hourly rates and otherwise) and about 8 per cent of wage and salary workers paid at hourly rates.
Since 2025, agricultural workers in Maine have also reportedly been entitled to the state minimum wage, after the Legislature enacted and Governor Mills signed An Act to Establish a State Minimum Hourly Wage for Agricultural Workers.
The “tip wage,” or service employee minimum wage, is set to go up from $7.55 to $7.85 per hour, meaning that service employees must receive a direct cash wage of at least $7.85 per hour from their employer.
According to MDOL, employers must be able to demonstrate that their employees receive at least the minimum wage of $15.70 per hour when the direct wage and tips are combined at the end of the week. The tips total necessary to qualify as a service employee will increase from $191 to $199 per month.
The minimum salary threshold for exempting a worker from overtime pay must exceed 3,000 times the State’s minimum wage or the annualised rate established by the U.S. Department of Labor (whichever is higher). From January 1, 2027, the new minimum salary threshold for salaried workers exempt from overtime will reportedly be $905.79 per week, or $47,101.08 per year.
This is just one factor used in determining whether a worker is exempt from overtime pay under federal or state law. An individual may earn more than the minimum salary threshold and still be eligible for overtime. A worker’s duties must be considered as part of this analysis.
Source: Bar Harbor Story
(Link via original reporting)
