What Maryland Teens Get Paid: The 85% Youth Wage and How County Rates Change It
The same 16 year old, doing the same job, can have a legal minimum of $12.75 an hour in Baltimore, $16.00 in Columbia, and $15.30 at a large store in Rockville. It depends on the county, how many hours the teen works, and sometimes how big the employer is.
Maryland's minimum wage for minors is $12.75 an hour, which is 85% of the $15 state minimum, and the state sets no time limit on it. Montgomery and Howard counties change that. Howard County's $16.00 rate has no youth discount. In Montgomery, most teens' minimum runs from the state's $12.75 to the county's $18.00, depending on hours, employer size and time on the job.
Here's how to figure out what you should be getting paid, with every number tied to the law that sets it.
Key Takeaways
Maryland law lets employers pay workers under 18 at least 85% of the $15 state minimum wage, or $12.75 an hour, under Labor and Employment Article § 3-413(d), with no time limit on that rate.
Maryland's minimum wage law doesn't cover workers under 16 who work less than 20 hours a week, according to the Maryland Department of Labor, so only the $7.25 federal minimum may apply to them.
Montgomery County's minimum wage, $18.00 an hour at employers with 51 or more workers as of July 1, 2026, doesn't apply to workers under 19 who work 20 hours a week or less, under Montgomery County Code § 27-68.
Montgomery County employers may pay workers under 20 85% of the county rate for their first six months, which works out to $15.30, $14.03 or $13.56 depending on employer size.
Howard County's minimum wage, $16.00 for all employers as of July 1, 2026, contains no youth or training wage, and rises to $16.45 on January 1, 2027.
What's the minimum wage for minors in Maryland?
Maryland's minimum wage for minors is $12.75 an hour. State law lets employers pay workers under 18 at least 85% of the $15.00 state minimum. Once you turn 18, the floor is $15.00. The youth rate lasts until your 18th birthday, not for a set number of months, and being a student doesn't lower it further.
The rule is Labor and Employment Article § 3-413(d). It says an employer may pay 85% of the state minimum wage if the employee is under 18. That's the only condition.
Some sites say the 85% rate only lasts for a teen's "first six months" on the job. That's not the state rule. A six-month limit exists only in Montgomery County's law, covered below.
The Maryland Department of Labor's minimum wage page lists the state's exemptions, and there's no general one for students. An employer can't pay you less than $12.75 just because you're in school.
Most of Maryland follows the state rate. The Maryland Department of Labor lists only two counties with their own minimum wage, Montgomery and Howard. Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Prince George's County and the rest of the state use $15.00 and $12.75.
Teen minimum wage by county: the lookup table
Three things set a Maryland teen's minimum wage: age, weekly hours, and county. In Montgomery County, employer size and time on the job matter too. Most of Maryland pays $12.75 under 18 and $15.00 at 18. Howard County pays $16.00 regardless of age. Montgomery has four different youth outcomes.
Start here for most of Maryland and Howard County:
Worker | Most of Maryland | Howard County |
|---|---|---|
Under 16, working less than 20 hours a week | State minimum doesn't apply; the federal $7.25 may | $16.00 (no youth exception in county law) |
Under 18 (all other cases) | $12.75 | $16.00 |
18 and 19 | $15.00 | $16.00 |
Montgomery County splits by employer size. These are the July 1, 2026 rates:
Worker | Large employer (51 or more) | Mid-size (11 to 50) | Small (10 or fewer) |
|---|---|---|---|
Under 19, working 20 hours a week or less | State rules apply (see the first table) | State rules apply | State rules apply |
Under 18, first six months, over 20 hours a week | $15.30 | $14.03 | $13.56 |
18 or 19, first six months (other than the first row) | $15.30 | $15.00 | $15.00 |
Under 20 after six months, or 20 and older | $18.00 | $16.50 | $15.95 |
To find your row, answer three questions:
How old are you? Under 16, under 18, 18 or 19 change the answer.
How many hours a week do you work? The 20-hour line matters for under-16s statewide and for under-19s in Montgomery.
Where is the job? The county where you work sets the local rate, not the county where you live.
Montgomery County minimum wage for teens
The Montgomery County minimum wage in 2026 is $18.00 at large employers, $16.50 at mid-size employers and $15.95 at small ones. Two youth rules lower it. Workers under 19 on 20 hours a week or less fall back to the state rate. Workers under 20 can be paid 85% of the county rate for their first six months.
Both rules are in Montgomery County Code § 27-68. The county's own minimum wage page lists the size tiers: 51 or more employees is large, 11 to 50 is mid-size, and 10 or fewer is small.
The part-time exclusion
Montgomery County's minimum wage doesn't apply to an employee who is under 19 and works no more than 20 hours a week. That's a lot of high school jobs. A 17 year old working 15 hours a week at a Bethesda restaurant is covered by the state rate, $12.75, not the county's.
The six-month opportunity wage
Montgomery County employers may pay a worker under 20 85% of the county minimum wage for the first six months on the job. Here's what that comes to:
Large employer: 85% of $18.00 is $15.30.
Mid-size employer: 85% of $16.50 is $14.025, so at least $14.03.
Small employer: 85% of $15.95 is $13.5575, so at least $13.56.
After six months, or once the worker turns 20, the full county rate applies.
Why 18 and 19 year olds still get $15
For 18 and 19 year olds, two laws apply at once, and the higher floor wins. Maryland requires at least $15.00 for anyone 18 or older. At a mid-size or small Montgomery employer, the county's 85% rate is below $15, so an 18 or 19 year old in their first six months is still owed $15.00. At a large employer, the county youth rate of $15.30 is higher, so it applies.
Montgomery County's rates rise every July 1 based on inflation, so check the county page each summer.
Howard County minimum wage: no youth discount
The Howard County minimum wage is $16.00 an hour for all employers as of July 1, 2026, and it rises to $16.45 on January 1, 2027. Howard County's law doesn't have a youth rate, a training wage, or an exception for part-time teens. It requires employers to pay the greater of the federal, state or county minimum.
Howard County's minimum wage page lists the schedule. Smaller employers caught up to the $16.00 rate on July 1, 2026, after paying $15.50 earlier in the year. Starting in 2027, increases follow inflation.
That gives Howard the highest floor in Maryland for most teens in their first six months on a job. A 16 year old in Columbia is owed $16.00, while the same teen across the county line in Baltimore County is owed $12.75. That's $3.25 an hour, or $65 over a 20-hour week.
One caution: neither the county nor the Maryland Department of Labor has published guidance specifically on teen pay in Howard County. The plain reading of the law is that the full $16.00 applies. If an offer says otherwise, ask the employer which rule they're using.
Can a teen under 16 be paid less than $12.75?
Possibly. Maryland's minimum wage law doesn't cover workers under 16 who work less than 20 hours a week. For those teens, the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour may be the only floor that applies, and federal law even allows $4.25 for a worker's first 90 days. Most employers pay far more, but the law allows it.
The exemption is on the Maryland Department of Labor's list. Note the wording: "less than 20 hours." A 15 year old working exactly 20 hours a week is covered by the state rate.
The federal youth wage comes from U.S. Department of Labor Fact Sheet #32. It allows $4.25 an hour for workers under 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days with an employer, unless state or local law prohibits it. It also bars employers from cutting other workers' hours to hire at the youth rate.
Federal minimum wage law covers most retail and restaurant chains, but not every small business. If you're under 16 and the offer is below $12.75, ask the employer what rule they're relying on.
Younger teens also have the tightest hour limits. D2D's guide to the Maryland work permit and hour limits covers how late and how long 14 and 15 year olds can work.
Maryland teen pay FAQ
Does the 85% youth wage end after six months in Maryland?
No. Maryland's 85% rate under § 3-413(d) lasts until the worker turns 18, with no time limit. The six-month limit belongs to Montgomery County's separate opportunity wage, which covers workers under 20.
When did Maryland's minimum wage go to $15?
Maryland's minimum wage rose to $15.00 an hour on January 1, 2024, under the Fair Wage Act of 2023. No statewide increase is scheduled after that. Montgomery and Howard counties raise their own rates on their own schedules.
Can a student be paid less than minimum wage in Maryland?
No, not just for being a student. The Maryland Department of Labor's list of minimum wage exemptions has no general student exemption. Students under 18 can be paid the $12.75 youth rate, and students under 16 working less than 20 hours a week fall outside state law.
Will the youth minimum wage be eliminated?
Not yet. A 2026 bill, SB 886, proposed a constitutional amendment that would have repealed the 85% youth rate as part of a $25 minimum wage plan, but the proposal didn't advance. The $12.75 rate remains in effect.
What if I'm paid less than the minimum?
Talk to your employer first, with your pay stub in hand. If that doesn't fix it, you can file a wage claim with the Maryland Department of Labor. Keep a record of the hours you worked and every pay stub you received.
Check your offer, then your pay stub
Maryland's minimum wage for minors starts at $12.75, but your county can change the answer by more than $3 an hour. Find your row in the tables above, compare it with your offer, and then check the hourly rate on your first pay stub.
D2D's guide to reading a pay stub shows where the rate and hours appear, and its guide to the W-4 and MW507 covers the tax forms you'll fill out on day one. Parents on benefits can check whether a teen's paycheck counts for SNAP, Medicaid or housing.
Knowing your rate is the first money skill. Diapers 2 Deposits teaches the rest (budgeting, saving and credit) in its financial literacy classes for students.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Wage rules change; confirm with the Maryland Department of Labor or your county before relying on a specific rate.
Whitney Ramirez is an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) and the Founder and CEO of Diapers 2 Deposits, Inc.
