Updated Oct. 29, 2026. We review this page every January, when new rates take effect, and after each election.
The Massachusetts minimum wage is $15.00 an hour. It has been at that level since Jan. 1, 2023, and no increase is scheduled for 2027 under current law. This page covers the current rates, how they got here, the rules for tipped workers, and what’s changing.
Quick explainer: “Service rate” is the lower minimum employers can pay tipped workers, as long as tips bring total pay to at least $15 an hour. If they don’t, the employer makes up the gap.
Current Massachusetts wage rates
| Rate | Per hour | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | $15.00 | Most employees in Massachusetts |
| Service rate (tipped) | $6.75 | Employees who get more than $20 a month in tips, if tips bring pay to $15 |
| Agricultural | $8.00 | Farm workers |
| Federal minimum | $7.25 | Applies only where state law doesn’t; Massachusetts’ is higher |
How Massachusetts got to $15
The 2018 “Grand Bargain” law (Chapter 121 of the Acts of 2018) raised the minimum from $11 to $15 in five steps, from 2019 to 2023. It raised the tipped rate from $3.75 to $6.75 over the same years. The same law created paid family and medical leave and phased out time-and-a-half pay on Sundays and holidays for retail workers.
What the data shows
By our calculation, the minimum wage rose 67% between 2015 and 2023, from $9 to $15, while the tipped rate more than doubled, from $3 to $6.75. Since 2023 both have held flat. Unlike some states, Massachusetts doesn’t index its minimum wage to inflation. So each year at $15, a minimum-wage paycheck buys a little less. Our affordability report tracks those costs.
Did voters end the tipped minimum wage in 2024?
No. Question 5 on the November 2024 ballot would have phased the tipped rate up to the full minimum wage. It failed, with about 61% voting no (2,147,233) and 34% voting yes (1,200,966), according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Is the minimum wage going up in 2027?
Not under current law. A bill to raise it, S 1349, hadn’t advanced as of late October 2026, and the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot doesn’t include a minimum wage question, according to a secondary-source summary we haven’t yet checked against the state’s official voter guide. We’ll update this page if that changes. See our 2026 ballot questions explainer for what is on the ballot.
Rules employers must follow
- Pay at least $15 an hour for all hours worked, including training.
- Tipped workers must get at least $15 an hour once tips are counted, or the employer pays the difference.
- Most workers earn time-and-a-half after 40 hours a week. Some jobs are exempt.
- Earned sick time: one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year.
- Small employers can find more in our minimum wage and sick time guide for small businesses and the Boston small business guide.
For job and pay trends in the region, see the Boston job market tracker.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Massachusetts in 2026?
$15.00 an hour. The tipped service rate is $6.75, and the agricultural minimum is $8.00.
Will the Massachusetts minimum wage go up in 2027?
No increase is scheduled under current law. The state doesn’t index the wage to inflation, so it takes new legislation or a ballot measure to raise it.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Massachusetts?
$6.75 an hour, as long as tips bring total pay to at least $15 an hour. If they don’t, the employer must make up the difference.
When did Massachusetts reach $15?
On Jan. 1, 2023, the last step of the 2018 Grand Bargain law.
Where can I report unpaid wages?
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division takes wage complaints online or through its hotline.
Sources
- Mass. EOLWD: Minimum wage program
- Mass. General Court: Chapter 121 of the Acts of 2018
- Secretary of the Commonwealth: 2024 ballot question results
Additional sources
- FRED: State minimum wage rate for Massachusetts (STTMINWGMA)
- Mass. Attorney General: Fair Labor Division
- U.S. Department of Labor: State minimum wage laws
Featured image: Photo: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.