Pay stub requirements in Maryland

01 — The law

What Maryland law requires

1. 01

   Eight items on the stub for each pay period

   For each pay period the employer gives a written statement, on the physical pay stub or the online pay statement, showing the employer’s name registered with the State, address and telephone number; the date of payment and the beginning and ending dates of the pay period; the hours worked unless the employee is exempt from overtime; the rates of pay; gross and net pay; the amount and name of all deductions; a list of additional bases of pay such as bonuses or commissions; and, for piece work, the applicable piece rates and the number of pieces completed at each.

   Md. Code, Labor and Employment § 3-504 — Notice and pay stub requirements →
2. 02

   Written notice at hiring, and before anything changes

   At the time of hiring the employer gives written notice of the rate of pay, the regular paydays it sets, and leave benefits. Any change in a payday or a wage requires notice at least one pay period in advance, although the section does not stop an employer from raising a wage without advance notice.

   Md. Code, Labor and Employment § 3-504 — Notice and pay stub requirements →
3. 03

   The state publishes a free pay stub template

   The Commissioner of Labor and Industry is required to create and make available to employers, at no charge, a pay stub template that may be used to comply with § 3-504. That is unusual: most states describe the required fields and leave the format entirely to the employer.

   Md. Code, Labor and Employment § 3-504 — Notice and pay stub requirements →
4. 04

   No Social Security numbers on wage payments

   An employer may not print, or cause to be printed, an employee’s Social Security number on the wage payment check, on an attachment to that check, on a notice of direct deposit, or on a notice of credit to a debit card or card account. The prohibition covers governmental units as employers as well.

   Md. Code, Labor and Employment § 3-502 — Payment of wage →
5. 05

   Pay at least every two weeks or twice a month

   Each employer sets regular pay periods and pays every employee at least once in every two weeks or twice in each month; administrative, executive and professional employees may be paid less frequently. Where a regular payday falls on a nonworkday, payment moves to the preceding workday.

   Md. Code, Labor and Employment § 3-502 — Payment of wage →
6. 06

   $15.00 statewide, whatever the employer’s size

   Since January 1, 2024 the State minimum wage rate has been $15.00 per hour for every employer, ending the earlier split between small employers of fourteen or fewer employees and everyone else. An employer may pay 85 percent of the State minimum wage to an employee under the age of eighteen.

   Md. Code, Labor and Employment § 3-413 — Minimum wage rate →

02 — Local rates

Local rates above the Maryland minimum

• Montgomery County

  Montgomery County adjusts its rate every July 1 by the Washington-Arlington CPI-W. From July 1, 2026 it is $18.00 per hour at employers with 51 or more employees, $16.50 at employers with 11 to 50, and $15.95 at employers with 10 or fewer.

  Montgomery County Office of Human Rights — Minimum wage increase →

• Howard County

  Howard County phased in its own schedule under Council Bill 82-2021. Larger employers reached $16.00 per hour on January 1, 2025; smaller employers moved to $15.50 on January 1, 2026 and to $16.00 on July 1, 2026, after which the rate follows CPI-U from January 2027.

  Howard County — Minimum wage increase →

03 — What we calculate

What this generator calculates for Maryland

State withholding for Maryland is calculated from the 2026 figures the state publishes, and our test suite holds those figures against the state's own published calculation rather than against arithmetic of ours.

04 — Questions

Frequently asked questions

What changed on Maryland pay stubs in 2024?

Section 3-504 went from a short deductions rule to an itemised list of eight required fields, including the employer’s registered name, address and telephone number, the pay period start and end dates, the rates of pay, gross and net pay, and piece rates with piece counts where they apply.

Is an online pay statement acceptable in Maryland?

Yes. The statute puts the physical pay stub and the online pay statement side by side as the two places the required written statement may appear, so an employer that runs an electronic payroll portal is complying as long as every listed item is present.

Can my Maryland pay stub show my Social Security number?

No. Section 3-502 forbids printing an employee’s Social Security number on the wage payment check, on an attachment to it, or on a notice of direct deposit or of credit to a debit card account. This generator follows the same rule and accepts only the last four digits.

Do I get more than $15.00 an hour anywhere in Maryland?

In two counties. Montgomery County pays $18.00, $16.50 or $15.95 depending on employer size from July 1, 2026, and Howard County reaches $16.00 for all covered employers on July 1, 2026. Elsewhere the statewide $15.00 applies, with 85 percent permitted for employees under eighteen.

How much notice do I get before my Maryland pay changes?

At least one pay period in advance for any change in a payday or a wage. The one exception written into the section is that an employer may increase a wage without giving advance notice, which is the only direction the rule does not need to protect against.