Minimum Wage Increases in the Mid-Atlantic (Including a New Increase in Howard County)

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Although the federal minimum wage remains $7.25, with a tipped wage rate of $2.13, most states in the mid-Atlantic region have implemented higher minimum wage rates. (The tipped wage rate for tipped employees, together with any tip credit, must meet the minimum wage. Employers are responsible for making up any shortfall.) Increases for Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia, as well as for certain federal contractors took effect on January 1, 2022, as discussed in our December 2021 E-Update, while other increases are occurring now, as follows:

  • In Montgomery County, Maryland, effective July 1, 2022, the rate is $15.65 per hour for employers with more than 50 employees, $14.50 for those with 11-50 employees, and $14.00 for the remaining smallest employers, with scheduled annual increases. The tipped employee rate is $4.00 per hour. Employers must also display the current minimum wage poster, which is available here.
  • Howard County, Maryland, recently passed a law raising its minimum wage in scheduled annual increases to $16.00. Effective April 1, 2022, the rate is $14.00 per hour for employers with 15 or more employees, and $12.50 per hour for those with under 15 employees. The next increase is scheduled to occur on January 1, 2023, at which time the rates will rise to $15.00 per hour for larger employers and $13.25 for smaller ones. Like Maryland, the county tipped rate is $3.63 per hour. The required poster is available here.
  • In D.C. the minimum wage rate will rise on July 1, 2022 to $16.10 per hour, up from $15.20. The tipped employee rate will increase from $5.05 to $5.35 per hour. The required poster is available here.