Minimum Wage in Massachusetts – weekly, monthly, annually

In Massachusetts, the minimum hourly wage is $14.25, which is $6.00 higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. The Massachusetts rate will go up to $15 in January 2023.

In Massachusetts, tipped workers like waitstaff and bartenders may earn $6.15 per hour, a rate that will go up to $6.75 in January 2023.

Massachusetts law requires employers to register a tipped worker’s shift hours, and if the total earnings do not reach the minimum wage level ($14.25), the employer must compensate for the difference.

Wait staff employees work in restaurants, bars, banquet facilities, or other places where beverages and/or food are directly served to customers. Their tasks include clearing tables, but they have no managerial responsibilities.

Service employees are those working in occupations in which tips are received. Service employees provide direct services to customers other than food or beverage without any managerial responsibilities.

In Massachusetts, agricultural and farm workers may also earn less ($8.00/hour) than the state’s minimum wage rate, but there are more categories that hold exempt status (read more below).

Massachusetts Paycheck Calculator

Our Massachusetts Paycheck Calculator converts your hourly pay instantly to earnings per week, month, or year.

How to use our Massachusetts paycheck calculator

1. First, enter your hourly pay.
2. Second, enter how many hours you work a week.
3. Then, our paycheck calculator transforms your hourly wage into weekly, monthly, or annual earnings.

How does the Massachusetts paycheck calculator work?

For many employees, understanding their income and paychecks is a rather uncomplicated process. Usually, they will get their paychecks by the end of the month or per week, or biweekly. Then, at the end of the year, they will receive their tax forms as well.

If you get paid on an hourly basis, however, things are different, and it might get somewhat complicated. So, to help you figure out how your hourly wage translates to weekly, biweekly, or annual earnings, we designed this free paycheck calculator.

When you simply enter your hourly wage and the number of hours you work in a week, our paycheck calculator will show you how your hourly wage translates to periodical earnings per week, month, or year.

These results are generated by multiplying your base hourly salary by the number of hours, weeks, or months you work yearly, assuming that you’re working 40 hours per week.

Minimum Wage in Massachusetts

So the Massachusetts minimum wage is $14.25 per hour, which translates to $114 per day, $570 per week (at 40 hours), $2470 per month, and $29,640 per year.

Not every Massachusetts worker is entitled to the state’s minimum wage rate of $14.25 because there are quite a few categories of exempt employees. The minimum wage does, for instance, not apply to tipped workers, some high school and college students, and some more groups.

Massachusetts minimum wage exemptions

The following listing is not a full overview of worker categories that are exempt from Massachusetts’ minimum hourly wage rate of $14.25, but it includes the main categories.

• The Massachusetts minimum wage rate for tipped workers making over $20 a month in tips is currently $6.15 per hour. Their combined earnings, however, must at all times be at least at the level of the state minimum rate (14.25). If not, the employer must pay the difference. Additionally, the employee is allowed to retain all tips, or these must be distributed through a valid tip-pool system.
• Massachusetts also exempts employees being rehabilitated or trained in an educational, religious, or charitable institution from the state’s minimum wage requirements.
• Hospitals and laboratories can obtain special licenses that allow them to pay 80% ($12.11) of Massachusetts’ minimum wage to students participating in formal training programs.
• Employees with disabilities may earn less than Massachusetts’ minimum wage if the employer holds a certificate from the state’s Labor and Workforce Development Department to do so.
• Employers may be licensed to pay apprentices and employees engaged as camp counselors under the state’s minimum wage rate.
• Student learners must be paid the state’s minimum rate, but Massachusetts law allows schools, colleges, and universities to pay students engaged in work-learn programs a subminimum wage of 80% of the state’s minimum wage rate.
• New workers younger than 20 years of age may get a trainee compensation of only $4.25 per hour, but only for the initial 90 days of employment.
• Some agricultural or seasonal workers, external salesmen, and professional service employees may also be exempt from Massachusetts’ minimum wage standards.

Massachusetts overtime wage

Massachusetts employees will receive overtime pay for worked hours in excess of 40 hours per week unless they are specifically exempt. The overtime pay rate is 150% of their regular pay, so 1.5 times that rate. Since Massachusetts’ minimum hourly wage is $14.25, the minimum overtime rate is $21.37. Overtime hours are registered on a weekly basis. not on a daily basis.

Not all employees will have to receive 1.5 times their usual hourly rate for hours in excess of 40 hours per week. Executives, business professionals, or some seasonal workers, for example, are exempt from overtime.

Please bear in mind that even if an employee may be exempt from overtime pay under Massachusetts’ labor laws, it is key to check whether federal law would perhaps still require overtime payments. Employers and employees can never make agreements to violate Massachusetts’ overtime law.

Overtime hours are based on actually worked hours in a given week. If an employee works 40 hours in a week, for example, and gets 8 hours of additional holiday pay (totaling 48 hours of pay for that work week), the employer is not required to pay overtime hours compensation.

All Massachusetts employers must display state-designated minimum wage posters in highly visible locations to inform their workers about Massachusetts’ minimum wage laws and regulations and other labor rights under federal and state law.

What is work time?

Work time includes those hours in which workers are performing duties and tasks for employers. If the job involves visiting suppliers or clients, then those travel hours are, of course, considered work time, but time spent commuting from home to work or vice versa is not seen as work time.

We might also say that work time hours are all those hours that an employee receives payment or is entitled to do so for performing activities initiated and/or controlled by an employer and that benefit the employer.

Please note that this post doesn’t contain legal advice. If you have any questions about Massachusetts’ minimum wage policies or minimum wage compliance, consult a tax professional or a tax attorney.