The Montgomery County Council today unanimously approved Bill 28-17, Human Rights and Civil Liberties – County Minimum Wage – Amount – Annual Adjustment, that will increase the County’s minimum wage to $15 per hour on July 1, 2021 for large employers with 51 or more employees. 

Mid-sized employers with between 11 and 50 employees must raise wages to at least $15 per hour on July 1, 2023.

Small employers with 10 or fewer employers must pay workers $15 per hour on July 1, 2024. 

Non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) designations and eligible service providers must raise wages to $15 per hour by July 1, 2023, unless they are considered a small employer. 

In addition, Bill 28-17 provides that the minimum wage must be adjusted annually for inflation according to the Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W), starting July 1, 2022. 

This bill also provides for an opportunity wage, which is equal to 85 percent of the County’s minimum wage for employees under the age of 20 for the first six months of employment. The County’s current minimum wage is $11.50 per hour. Today’s vote makes Montgomery County among the first jurisdictions in the nation to approve a $15 per hour minimum wage.