The State of Maine Department of Labor's (DOL’s) Bureau of Labor Standards (BLS) recently released a revised minimum wage poster for 2026. Effective January 1st, 2026, the Maine state minimum wage will increase from $14.65 per hour to $15.10 per hour. Employers with service employees must pay such workers a cash wage of at least $7.55 per hour, up from $7.33 per hour. All Maine employers must include and display this revised Maine labor law poster in the workplace to remain compliant with the state’s workplace regulations.
What Is the Minimum Wage in Maine in 2026?
Since 2021, under Maine Law (Title 26 M.R.S.A., statute 42-B, section 664), the Maine minimum wage rate has been adjusted annually to reflect the cost of living. In 202, the minimum wage will increase to $15.10 per hour on January 1, reflecting year-over-year changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Since Maine has chosen to adjust the minimum wage each year to keep pace with inflation, employers can expect yearly increases.
Maine law defines a “service employee” as anyone who regularly receives more than $191 in tips per month. This is an increase from the previous amount of $185 a month and is effective on January 1st, 2026. Employers must pay service employees a direct wage of at least $7.55 per hour (an increase from the previous year's required $7.33 per hour). Employers must make up the difference when tips and service wages do not equal the new statewide minimum wage of $15.10 per hour.
What Other Information Has Changed on the Minimum Wage Notice?
In addition to updates to the minimum wage amounts for regular employees and service employees, the Maine Minimum Wage poster also includes updates to the notice’s audience information and significant changes to overtime exemptions.
First, in previous versions of the poster, there was no mention of the minimum wage provisions for agricultural employees. Now, on the latest version of the Minimum Wage notice, the line, ”Agriculture and Non-Agriculture Minimum Wage is $15.10 per hour effective January 1, 2026,” has been added to the top of the middle section.
Additionally, in the “Exemptions from Overtime” section, the poster states that beginning January 1st, 2026, the minimum salary requirement for granting overtime exemptions will be $871.16 per week. This is an increase from the previous amount of $845.21 per week.
Employer Takeaways
Maine employers must post the revised 2026 Maine Minimum Wage poster on or before January 1st, 2026. Employers can check whether they have the latest version of the notice by scanning the lower-right corner of the posting. It should state, “Rev. 10/25.” Additionally, any employers who pay employees at a rate below the 2026 minimum must adjust that employee compensation to comply with the latest increase.
The updated 2026 State of Maine labor law posters from Labor Law Posters Online now feature the revised Maine Minimum Wage notice, ensuring complete compliance. Our all-on-one compliance solution is guaranteed to include all recent updates to any required state and federal posters. Customers who have purchased an annual subscription for labor law posters will be provided with any updated Maine labor posters free of charge, as part of their ongoing poster update service.