New federal labor data has prompted the state to set the minimum wage for Maine at $14.15 starting in January. The current rate is $13.80.
In 2016, Maine passed a referendum laying out a schedule to increase minimum wages for four years, and then pegging future increases to the federal cost-of-living index. Between August of 2022 and August of this year, that index rose 2.4% for the Northeast.
Additionally, the new “tip wage,” or service employee minimum wage, in 2024 will be $7.08 per hour. This means that service employees must receive at least a direct cash wage of $7.08 per hour from the employer. The employer must be able to show that the employee received at least the minimum wage of $14.15 per hour when the direct wage and tips are combined at the end of the week, the Maine Department of Labor said in a statement.
The minimum salary threshold for exempting a worker from overtime pay also changes. Starting Jan. 1, the new minimum salary threshold is $816.35 per week or $42,450.20 per year. The salary threshold is only one of several factors an employer can consider when determining whether an employee is exempt from overtime pay.
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