Maine’s minimum wage has just risen 35 cents
With the start of the new year, the minimum wage requirement in Maine has increased from $13.80 an hour to $14.15.
In addition, the minimum for employees who receive tips increased to $7.08 per hour. That means employers must pay service workers at least that much in direct cash wages, and must be able to show that the workers receive at least $14.15 per hour when the wages and tips are combined at the end of the week.
Maine law, amended by a citizens referendum in 2016, requires annual adjustments to the minimum wage based on a federal cost-of-living index for the Northeast region. Between August 2022 and August 2023, the index climbed 2.4%.
Maine's 35-cent increase for 2024 is considerably less than the hike a year ago, when the minimum wage rose from the 2022 level of $12.75 per hour to $13.80.
The statewide minimum wage is one of the factors that determine whether workers receive overtime pay. As of Monday, the minimum salary threshold at which workers can be exempted from overtime is $816.35 per week, or $42,450.20 per year. However, an individual can earn more than the minimum salary threshold and still be eligible for overtime.
In Portland, which has its own minimum wage requirement, the lowest permissible pay increased Jan. 1 from $14 per hour to $15.
Many employers say minimum wage rules have little impact, since the statewide shortage of workers keeps pay well above the legal requirement.
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