Massachusetts Overtime Laws: Threshold, Rate and Exemptions — Best Proven Guide (2026)

Under Massachusetts overtime laws you earn after 40 hours in a workweek at 1.5 times the regular rate, and no daily overtime in Massachusetts — only the weekly total counts. The minimum wage is $15.00. This guide gives the exact massachusetts overtime laws rule with the date we verified it, the statute, and what to do next.

Rules verified against Massachusetts Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division on 2026-10-08; confirm the current rule with Massachusetts Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division or an attorney before you rely on it.

Massachusetts Overtime Laws: The Rules

After 40 hours in a workweek at 1.5 times the regular rate. No daily overtime in Massachusetts — only the weekly total counts. The overtime rate is one and a half times your regular rate of pay — the regular rate includes non-discretionary bonuses and shift differentials, not just the base wage.

How to Calculate Overtime Under Massachusetts Overtime Laws

Take your total pay for the week, divide by the hours you worked to get the regular rate, and multiply the overtime hours by 1.5 times that rate. A worker paid $15.00 an hour who works 48 hours in a 40-hour state is owed 8 hours at time and a half.

Salary does not mean exempt: a salaried worker below the exemption tests still gets overtime on the hours over the threshold.

Massachusetts Overtime Laws at a Glance

Rules verified against Massachusetts Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division on 2026-10-08; confirm the current rule with Massachusetts Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division or an attorney before you rely on it. The statute row is where to check it yourself.

Who Is Exempt From Massachusetts Overtime Laws

Massachusetts law (M.G.L. c. 151, § 1A) exempts salaried executives, administrators and professionals, outside salespeople, and several job types and workplaces, including restaurants, hotels, gas stations, hospitals and nursing homes, and farm work. The state has no salary test of its own, so the federal FLSA salary test generally applies.

Someone exempt under state law may still be owed overtime under federal law, and the law that protects the worker more is the one that applies.

Daily Overtime and Massachusetts Overtime Laws

Massachusetts has no daily overtime rule: a 12-hour day in a 36-hour week earns no premium, because only the weekly total counts. Private employers in Massachusetts generally may not give comp time in place of overtime pay, so non-exempt workers must be paid in cash. Only public employers (state or local government) may offer comp time.

Is Overtime Taxed Differently Under Massachusetts Overtime Laws?

No — overtime is ordinary wages and is taxed at the same income-tax rates as the rest of your pay; it can push more of your pay into a higher withholding bracket on one check, but the annual tax rate does not change. For tipped workers paid the lower “service rate,” Massachusetts generally figures overtime on the full basic minimum wage, not the service rate.

Confirm the current calculation with the Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division.

How to Claim Unpaid Overtime Under Massachusetts Overtime Laws

A Massachusetts worker owed unpaid overtime generally files a wage complaint with the Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division using its online wage and hour complaint form. A worker can also file with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division under federal law.

Claims must be filed within the state’s look-back period, so most workers do best to file soon and keep pay stubs and records of the hours they worked.

Other Massachusetts Overtime Laws Rules to Know

Massachusetts has no daily overtime, so overtime starts only after the weekly hour limit is passed. The state’s list of exempt workplaces, such as restaurants, hotels and hospitals, is wider than the federal list, so many of these workers can still claim overtime under the federal FLSA. The old retail Sunday and holiday premium pay requirement has been phased out.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I get overtime under Massachusetts overtime laws?

After 40 hours in a workweek at 1.5 times the regular rate. No daily overtime in Massachusetts — only the weekly total counts.

What is the overtime rate in Massachusetts?

One and a half times your regular rate of pay, which includes non-discretionary bonuses and shift pay.

Does Massachusetts have daily overtime?

No daily overtime in massachusetts — only the weekly total counts.

Can my employer give comp time instead of overtime pay in Massachusetts?

Private employers in Massachusetts generally may not give comp time in place of overtime pay, so non-exempt workers must be paid in cash. Only public employers (state or local government) may offer comp time.

How do I claim unpaid overtime in Massachusetts?

A Massachusetts worker owed unpaid overtime generally files a wage complaint with the Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division using its online wage and hour complaint form. A worker can also file with the U.S.

Official Massachusetts Sources & Resources

• Massachusetts Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division: https://www.mass.gov/the-attorney-generals-fair-labor-division
• Massachusetts statute: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXI/Chapter151/Section1A
• Verified source: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state
• U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division — state payday requirements: dol.gov

This massachusetts overtime laws guide was last verified against official Massachusetts sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current figure with the state agency or a licensed attorney.

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Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. My Unemployment Rights is an independent educational resource, not a government agency and not a law firm. Final-paycheck deadlines, penalties and non compete rules change — every figure here carries the date we verified it. Confirm the current rule with your state labor department or a licensed attorney before you act.