The county’s minimum wage workers will start the new workweek with a three-tiered increase in the hourly rates that went into effect July 1.
The rate increase is the result of a law that went into effect in 2017 under legislation sponsored by then-County Council member, and current County Executive, Marc Elrich.
“We were the first county in Maryland to raise the rate to $15, and we were again the first to index rate to inflation so that it does not lose its purchasing power over time, Elrich said in a press release. “Raising the minimum wage is about dignity and justice for hardworking individuals who deserve to be paid a decent wage for their work.”
The new rates, based on the number of employees a business has, are:
- $16.70 per hour for large employers (51 workers or more), which also takes into account a 6.8% increase in the consumer price index during 2022 for all urban wage earners and clerical workers in the Washington, D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria area
- $15 per hour for mid-sized employers (11-50 employees), which also will be indexed to inflation in next year, and
- $14.50 per hour for small employers (10 or fewer workers). A state law calls for the rate to increase again in January 2024, and inflation indexing for these employers will begin July 1, 2025.
Montgomery County graphic