Push For MD Minimum Wage Increase, Plus 2 Counties Will Raise Pay In 2026

Two counties raised their minimum wage in 2025, the Maryland Department of Labor said, and have increases coming in 2026. Meanwhile, a fresh push to raise the statewide minimum wage made news in November.

Maryland's statewide minimum wage has been $15 since Jan. 1, 2024, but individual jurisdictions can set higher minimum wages locally.

The effort to raise Maryland’s minimum wage to $25 an hour is led by the national advocacy group One Fair Wage. Their proposal would amend Maryland’s constitution and eliminate exceptions for tipped and youth workers, making it the highest statewide minimum wage in the country, WJLA reported.

Those supporting a higher minimum pay rate say Maryland’s current minimum wage fails to keep up with the cost of living. If the group gathers enough signatures, lawmakers would then put the issue on the 2026 ballot or pass the increase themselves.

Howard County upped its minimum wage to $16 per hour on Jan. 1 for businesses with at least 15 employees. Howard County companies with fewer than 15 employees must start paying $15.50 on Jan. 1, 2026, and $16 on July 1, 2026.

In Montgomery County, a pay hike went into effect on July 1, 2025. The county's minimum wage is now:

• $17.65 for businesses with 51 or more employees.
• $16 for businesses with 11 to 50 employees.
• $15.50 for businesses with 10 or fewer employees.

The wage is tied to the Consumer Price Index for the Washington metro area. The minimum wage will be adjusted each year on July 1 and will be tied to changes in the index.

Tipped employees, those earning more than $30 per month in tips, are guaranteed earnings equaling no less than the Montgomery County minimum wage rate per hour, the county said. Employers must pay at least $4 per hour. This amount plus tips must equal or be greater than the Montgomery County minimum wage rate.

The minimum wage for tipped workers has remained contentious.

Gratuities plus hourly wages must equal at least $15 hourly for tipped workers. Employers must pay at least $3.63 per hour.

Maryland is among eight states with a minimum wage above the federal minimum of $7.25 hourly that are not expected to raise their minimum wage in 2026. The National Employment Law Project said the other states are: Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico and West Virginia. These states have all failed to adopt provisions that tie their minimum wages to inflation, the project said.

Patch contacted One Fair Wage for comment on the status of Maryland's minimum wage. The group has not yet answered our questions. We will update this article if One Fair Wage replies.

Related:

• Here's How Much Minimum Wage Will Go Up In Howard County On Jan. 1, 2025
• MoCo's Minimum Wage Is Going Up On July 1