Yesterday, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed legislation that will ultimately increase the state minimum wage rate to $10.10 per hour. The Maryland law phases in the increase, raising the minimum wage from its current rate of $7.25 per hour to:
- $8 an hour on Jan. 1, 2015,
- $8.25 an hour on July 1, 2015,
- $8.75 an hour on July 1, 2016,
- $9.25 an hour on July 1, 2017, and
- $10.10 an hour on July 1, 2018.
The increase comes as the topic of minimum wage is making headlines and capturing the attention of workers, businesses, activists and economists. In addition to Maryland, several other states have recently raised their minimum wage rates including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Presently, twenty-two states and the District of Columbia have set a rate above the current federal minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour. For employees of federal contractors the minimum wage rate will increase to $10.10 per hour beginning January 1, 2015. President Obama is also advocating a $10.10 per hour federal minimum wage rate applicable to all employees.
Compliance Poster Company is updating its All-On-One Labor Law posters to reflect new state minimum wage rates as soon as state labor law postings become available. We are also tracking proposals to increase the minimum wage in various other states. Stay tuned!