What is the minimum wage in Massachusetts in 2026?

Massachusetts's minimum wage is $15.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2023, under MGL c.151. There is no scheduled automatic increase under current law — legislative action would be required to raise the rate.

What is Massachusetts's tipped minimum wage?

Massachusetts allows employers to pay tipped workers (food service and service employees) a direct cash wage of $6.75 per hour, effective January 1, 2023. Tips must bring total hourly compensation to at least $15.00. This direct tipped wage is verified from the Massachusetts Minimum Wage Program at mass.gov.

Does the Massachusetts minimum wage apply to agricultural workers?

No. Agricultural workers in Massachusetts are subject to a different minimum wage of $8.00 per hour rather than the standard $15.00 rate, as of the verified data from the Massachusetts Minimum Wage Program. Verify current agricultural rates at mass.gov before relying on this figure.

What is the Massachusetts statute for minimum wage?

Massachusetts's minimum wage is established under MGL c.151 (Minimum Fair Wages). The Massachusetts Attorney General's office enforces wage payment laws. The Massachusetts Minimum Wage Program at mass.gov publishes current rates and employer requirements.

Is there a local minimum wage higher than the state rate in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts law preempts local minimum wage ordinances above the state level; cities and towns cannot set their own higher minimum wages under state law. The $15.00 statewide floor is the applicable minimum for most workers across the Commonwealth.

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Massachusetts minimum wage

Massachusetts Minimum Wage — Current Rate Under MGL c.151

Massachusetts's minimum wage is $15.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2023, under MGL c.151. Different rates apply to agricultural workers and tipped service employees — see the rate table below.

Massachusetts's minimum wage is $15.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2023, under MGL c.151.— Massachusetts Minimum Wage Program (mass.gov)

Coverage note — the headline rate may not apply to every worker: Agricultural: $8.00/hr; Tipped: $6.75/hr direct wage Do not apply the $15.00 rate to agricultural workers or tipped service employees without reviewing the applicable rates below.

Massachusetts minimum wage rates by worker category

Worker category	Rate (effective Jan 1, 2023)	Statute
Most employees	$15.00/hr	MGL c.151
Tipped service employees (direct wage)	$6.75/hr*	MGL c.151
Agricultural employees	$8.00/hr*	MGL c.151

*Tipped and agricultural rates are from the Massachusetts Minimum Wage Program (mass.gov), effective January 1, 2023. Tipped workers must receive enough in tips to reach the $15.00 standard minimum; employers must make up any shortfall. Verify current rates at mass.gov before applying to payroll.

About MGL c.151

Massachusetts's minimum wage is established under MGL c.151 (Minimum Fair Wages). The law completed a multi-year phase-in — $12.00 in 2019, $12.75 in 2020, $13.50 in 2021, $14.25 in 2022, and $15.00 on January 1, 2023. As of 2026, no automatic CPI indexing exists; legislative action would be required to raise the rate.

Restaurant employees in Massachusetts are exempt from the state overtime law under MGL c.151 § 1A but remain covered by the federal FLSA — meaning restaurant workers follow the FLSA's 40-hour overtime threshold rather than a separate state overtime calculation. This creates a two-tier analysis for Massachusetts food service employers.

Worked examples

Example 1: standard employee, full-time week

hours worked = 40 hourly rate = $15.00gross wages = 40 × $15.00 = $$600.00

Example 2: tipped service employee

hours worked = 30 direct cash wage = $6.75/hr wages before tips = 30 × $6.75 = $202.50 tips received = $250.00 total compensation = $452.50 effective hourly = $452.50 ÷ 30 = ~$15.08 (above the $15.00 floor — compliant)

What this does not determine

Whether a specific exemption (agricultural, casual, outside salesperson, domestic service) applies to a particular worker.
Whether restaurant overtime exemption (MGL c.151 § 1A) applies to a specific employer — restaurant workers are still covered by FLSA overtime.
The Sunday and holiday premium formerly required for retail — this premium was eliminated effective January 1, 2023.
Whether pending legislation has raised the minimum wage above $15.00 after the verification date of this page.

Massachusetts statute and enforcement

Massachusetts's minimum wage is codified in MGL c.151. The Massachusetts Attorney General's Fair Labor Division enforces wage payment laws. Employees who have not been paid the required minimum wage may file a complaint with the AG's office at mass.gov/minimum-wage-program. Massachusetts has a 3-year statute of limitations for wage claims.

Massachusetts vs. neighboring Rhode Island

Massachusetts's $15.00/hr floor (effective 2023, no further scheduled increases under current law) sits below neighboring Rhode Island, which has a $16.00/hr minimum wage effective January 1, 2026, with a further scheduled increase to $17.00/hr on January 1, 2027. This makes Rhode Island one of the few states where the effective minimum wage now exceeds Massachusetts's.

Sources and verification

The rate, effective date, tipped rate, and agricultural rate on this page were verified against the Massachusetts Minimum Wage Program page at mass.gov. The statute reference is MGL c.151. This page is reviewed when Massachusetts announces a legislative change to the minimum wage. See the site's methodology for how rates are verified before publication.

Common questions

What is Massachusetts's minimum wage in 2026?

Massachusetts's minimum wage is $15.00 per hour in 2026, effective January 1, 2023, under MGL c.151. The rate has not changed since the 2023 phase-in completion and is not automatically indexed — a legislative change would be needed to raise it. Tipped workers are $6.75/hr direct wage; agricultural workers are $8.00/hr.

Can Massachusetts cities and towns set a higher minimum wage?

No. Massachusetts state law preempts local minimum wage ordinances. Cities and towns cannot set their own higher minimums — the statewide $15.00/hr floor applies uniformly across the Commonwealth. This differs from states like California and Washington where local governments may exceed the state floor.

How does the Massachusetts tipped wage work?

Massachusetts allows a $6.75/hr direct cash wage for service (tipped) employees as of January 1, 2023. The employer must ensure that the employee's direct wage plus tips equals at least $15.00/hr for every hour worked. If the combined amount falls short in any workweek, the employer must pay the difference — the tip credit cannot reduce wages below the $15.00 floor.

Are restaurant workers in Massachusetts covered by state overtime?

Restaurant workers are exempt from Massachusetts's state overtime law under MGL c.151 § 1A, but they remain covered by the federal FLSA, which requires overtime after 40 hours per week. In practice, most Massachusetts restaurant workers receive overtime under FLSA; the state exemption means only that the state law doesn't add a parallel requirement.

What happened to Massachusetts's Sunday/holiday retail premium?

Massachusetts's Sunday and holiday premium pay requirement for retail workers was eliminated effective January 1, 2023. Retail employers are no longer required by state law to pay a time-and-a-half premium solely because of the day of the week. Contracts or employer policies may still require it — but the legal mandate was phased out alongside the final step of the $15.00 minimum wage schedule.