ELLICOTT CITY, Md. — Those working in Howard County will officially start seeing their hourly minimum wage gradually increase over the next four years.
On Tuesday, the Howard County Council voted 4-1 to pass Council Bill 82-2021.
The legislation calls for employers in the county to raise the minimum wage from the current $11.75 per hour to $14 as of April 1, 2022.
That hourly amount will increase again to $15, come January 1, 2023 and then to $16 beginning January 1, 2025.
The breakdown is slightly different for non-profit, home health services, and restaurants.
Minimum wage pay raises will start with $13 per hour on April 1, 2022, and increase an additional $1 every January 1 through the year 2026.
For County government employees, they will begin making a minimum $15 an hour starting July 1, 2022 and then up to $16 in 2024.
According to the Maryland Center for Economic Policy, the new law will benefit one in four employees in Howard County, equating to 40,000 workers.
