Employees To See Minimum Wage Increase In Howard County Starting April 1

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Starting April 1, the minimum wage in Howard County will increase to $14 for employers and $12.50 for small business employers, the county has announced.

Council Bill No. 82-2021 establishes a series of local minimum wage increases that take effect April 1. The bill was signed off by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball Dec. 13, 2021. The bill calls for the minimum wage in Howard County to rise to $16.00 per hour by July 1, 2026, with increases set after that by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers starting in January 2027.

Howard County Government will raise its minimum wage to $15 on July 1 and to $16 on July 1, 2024.

This wage increase applies to any employer, meaning any person, individual, proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, corporation, limited liability company, trust, association or other entity that is operating and doing business in Howard County and employs one or more persons, in addition to the owners. This includes Howard County Government and the Howard County Public School System; however, it does not apply to the United States, any state or any other local government operating in Howard County.

For employees, this increase applies to any person permitted or instructed to work or be present by an employer in Howard County and who is subject to the minimum wage requirements of the Federal or State act. The wage increase, however, does not apply to individuals:

• Under the age of 18. However, an employer must pay employees under 18 a wage that is equal to at least 85 percent of the county minimum wage established by CB82-2021.
• Under the age of 16 and employed no more than 20 hours a week.
• Employed as part of training in a special education program for emotionally, mentally or physically handicapped students under HCPSS.
• Employed as hand-harvest laborers and are paid on a piece-rate basis.
• Employed in agriculture if, during each quarter of the preceding calendar year, the employer used no more than 500 agricultural worker days.
• Who is the child, parent, spouse or other member of the immediate family of the employer.
• Employed in a non-administrative capacity at an organized camp, including a resident or day camp.
• Engaged in activities of a charitable, educational, nonprofit or religious organization if the service is provided gratuitously and there is, in fact, no employer-employee relationship.
• Tipped employees who regularly received more than $30 each month in tips.

The Maryland Department of Labor will enforce the minimum wage ordinance.