---
title: "Server Minimum Wage in Maine (2026)"
url: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/us/answers/maine/server-wage
language: en
publisher: TipMax (Entermaurs Incorporated)
date_published: 2026-09-23
last_verified: 2026-09-23
---

# What’s the minimum wage for servers in Maine?

**Short answer:** Maine’s minimum wage is $15.10 an hour, and servers can be paid half of it, $7.55, in cash. The other 50% can come from tips through the tip credit. You only count as a tipped employee in Maine if you get more than $191 a month in tips. If tips fall short, your employer must pay you up to $15.10.

## Maine at a glance

| Rule | Maine | Federal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimum wage | $15.10 | Federal: $7.25 |
| Tipped cash wage (paid before tips) | $7.55 | Federal: $2.13 |
| Can tips count toward minimum wage? | Yes | DOL: Yes |

As of the U.S. Department of Labor table revised July 1, 2026. Your city may set a higher rate.

## What’s different in Maine

Two things set Maine apart. First, the tipped cash wage is pegged to half the state minimum, so even the tipped base of $7.55 edges past the federal $7.25 minimum. Second, the threshold to be treated as tipped is more than $191 a month, far above the federal monthly threshold.

That higher threshold protects part-time and occasional tipped workers. Make $191 or less in tips over a month and the employer can’t use the credit; you’re owed the full $15.10 for your hours.

DOL notes that some cities set their own higher rates, so your local rate may beat the state one. BLS listed a median of $20.85 an hour for Maine waiters and waitresses in May 2025. Employers estimate it, and it includes reported tips.

## Example shift

Say you work 6 hours and walk out with $120 in tips (illustrative numbers; use your own).

1. Wages: $7.55 × 6 = **$45.30**.
2. With tips: $45.30 + $120 = **$165.30**, or **$27.55 an hour**.
3. If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $15.10 an hour, federal law says your employer has to make up the difference.

**What servers earn:** BLS estimates the median hourly wage for waiters and waitresses in Maine was **$20.85** in May 2025. BLS counts tips in this figure, but the numbers come from employers’ estimates.

Check your own week: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/tools/tipped-wage-check

## Official sources

- [U.S. Department of Labor: Minimum wages for tipped employees (state table)](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped)
- [U.S. Department of Labor: State minimum wage laws](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state)
- [BLS: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, waiters and waitresses (35-3031)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes353031.htm)
- [Maine labor agency](https://www.maine.gov/labor/)

## Last verified

September 23, 2026. Checked the U.S. Department of Labor state tables (revised July 1, 2026) and BLS OEWS May 2025.

## About TipMax

Maine only treats you as tipped above $191 a month in tips, so a monthly tip total is the number that decides whether your employer can pay $7.55 or owes $15.10.

TipMax is an iPhone app for servers and bartenders that tracks tips and tip-outs and turns a restaurant menu into study flashcards.

Download TipMax free: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tipmax-study-track-earn/id6744850146

---

TipMax Answers explains public government guidance on pay and workplace rules in plain English for tipped workers. It is **not legal, tax, or accounting advice**. Rules change and local rules can add to them. Confirm with the agency linked on this page or a qualified professional. TipMax the app helps you track tips and pay; it doesn’t enforce wage law or decide disputes.