Montgomery County minimum wage
Minimum wage in Montgomery County, Maryland, in effect since July 1, 2026
$18.00 an hour
Montgomery County sets its own minimum wage, $3.00 above the Maryland rate of $15.00. Employers in Montgomery County pay the higher local rate.
The rate differs by employer type; see the table below.
Next increase: none announced as of October 9, 2026. Adjusted each July 1 by CPI-W (Washington region), rounded to the nearest five cents; mid-sized and small rates rise by CPI-W plus up to 1% until they reach the large-employer rate.
Rates by employer
| Employer or category | Hourly minimum | Tipped cash wage |
|---|---|---|
| Large employers (51 or more employees) | $18.00 | $4.00 |
| Mid-sized employers (11 to 50 employees; also 501(c)(3) nonprofits and certain Medicaid-funded home care providers with 11 or more) | $16.50 | $4.00 |
| Small employers (10 or fewer employees) | $15.95 | $4.00 |
Tipped employees
Employers in Montgomery County can pay tipped employees a cash wage of $4.00 an hour, taking a tip credit of up to $14.00, as long as tips bring the employee to at least $18.00 for every hour worked. If they don't, the employer makes up the difference. An employee counts as tipped if they get more than $30 per month in tips.
Youth and training wages
Employers may pay 85% of the county minimum wage to employees under 20 for their first six months of employment.
How future increases are set
Adjusted each July 1 by CPI-W (Washington region), rounded to the nearest five cents; mid-sized and small rates rise by CPI-W plus up to 1% until they reach the large-employer rate.
Exceptions and details
- The county minimum wage does not apply to employees under 19 working no more than 20 hours a week (MD Labor).
- Employers of tipped employees must file a quarterly wage report with the Office of Human Rights (County Code 27-69(d)).
Other local minimum wages in Maryland
- Howard County $16.00
- Prince George's County $15.30
Running payroll in Montgomery County?
Recent changes
Last verified against the official source on October 9, 2026.
No changes recorded since we started tracking this page.
Sources
- Montgomery County Office of Human Rights · data as of July 1, 2026 · last checked October 9, 2026
We copy figures from official sources and re-check them against the source before every update. See our methodology. This is general information, not legal advice.