Maryland Boosts Minimum Wage to $15 by 2025

Overriding the veto of Republican Governor Larry Hogan, the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate voted for Maryland to become the sixth state to adopt a $15 minimum wage. Governor Hogan had vetoed the bill because he claimed it would result in job losses and hurt small businesses. The House voted 96-43 for the override, while the Senate vote was 35-12.

The other states that have adopted future $15 minimum wages include California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. The District of Columbia’s minimum wage will increase to $15 on July 1, 2020

Under the bill, companies with 15 or more employees must pay workers at least $15 an hour by 2025. Smaller companies, with fewer than 15 employees have until 2026 to comply with the law. Below are tables which show the scheduled increases:

Employers with 15 or More Employees

Date Minimum Wage Per Hour
January 1, 2020 $11.00
January 1, 2021 $11.75
January 1, 2022 $12.50
January 1, 2023 $13.25
January 1, 2024 $14.00
January 1, 2025 $15.00

Employers with 14 or Fewer Employees

Date minimum wage per hour
January 1, 2020 $11.00
January 1, 2021 $11.60
January 1, 2022 $12.20
January 1, 2023 $12.80
January 1, 2024 $13.40
January 1, 2025 $14.00
January 1, 2026 $14.60
July 1, 2026 $15.00

As a result of this veto override, there will likely be increased pressure on other states to follow suit and raise the minimum wage to the $15 level.

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