Minimum Wage Increases In Montgomery County, MD Took Effect July 1

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — The minimum wage payable by Montgomery County employers increased effective July 1, 2018. The size of the wage increase is determined by the number of workers a business employs; county businesses with 51 or more employees must pay workers $12.25 per hour and employers with 50 or fewer workers will be required to pay employees $12 per hour.

The new measure (County Bill 28-17 Human Rights and Civil Liberties – County Minimum Wage) was signed into law on November 17, 2017 by County Executive Ike Leggett. Under the law, the new wage payments will be:

• On July 1, 2018: Large employers will pay employees $12.25; mid-sized and small employers will pay employees $12.

• July 1, 2019: Large employers will pay employees $13; mid-sized and small employers will pay employees $12.50.

• July 1, 2020: Large employers will pay employees $14; mid-sized employers will pay employees $13.25 and small employers will pay employees $13.

• July 1, 2021: Large employers will pay employees $15; mid-sized employers will pay employees $14 and small employers will pay employees $13.50.

• July 1, 2022: Large employers will pay employees $15 plus CPI-W; mid-sized employers will pay employees $14.50 and small employers will pay employees $14.

The minimum wage does not apply to employees younger than the age of 19, who work fewer than 20 hours per week. However, an employer may pay a wage equal to 85 percent to employees under the age of 20 years for the first six months that the employee is employed.