Maine does not require daily overtime. Unlike a handful of states, Maine has no rule paying extra for working more than 8 hours in a single day. Instead, Maine follows a weekly standard: under 26 M.R.S. § 664(3), a covered employee must be paid at least one and one-half times (1.5x) the regular hourly rate for all hours actually worked over 40 in a workweek. That mirrors the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) weekly-40 baseline. So if you work four 11-hour days in Maine (44 hours), you are owed 4 hours of overtime at time-and-a-half because you crossed 40 for the week, not because any single day was long.
How overtime is calculated in Maine
Overtime in Maine is figured on the workweek, a fixed and recurring 168-hour (seven consecutive 24-hour day) period your employer designates. Hours from two different workweeks cannot be averaged together to avoid overtime. Once your hours worked exceed 40 in that single week, every additional hour must be paid at 1.5x your regular rate.
Your "regular rate" is not always just your base hourly wage. It generally includes most forms of compensation for the week, such as nondiscretionary bonuses, shift differentials, and commissions, divided across the hours worked. For tipped employees, Maine allows a tip credit, but the overtime rate is calculated on the full minimum wage, not the lower direct cash wage.
For context on the floor: the federal FLSA sets a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, but Maine's minimum wage is much higher and is adjusted annually for inflation. The state minimum wage was $14.65 in 2025; for the current 2026 figure, confirm the exact rate with the Maine Department of Labor before relying on it, because it changes every January 1. Overtime is always calculated off your actual regular rate, which must be at least the applicable Maine minimum wage.
Maine has no daily overtime, but it does cap mandatory overtime
Because Maine uses the weekly-40 standard, there is no premium simply for long days, weekends, or holidays unless your employer or a union contract promises it. However, Maine law contains a feature many states lack: a limit on how much overtime an employer can force you to work.
Under 26 M.R.S. § 603, an employer generally cannot require an employee to work more than 80 hours of overtime in any consecutive two-week period. This is a workplace-safety and scheduling protection, separate from the pay rule. There are exceptions, including certain emergencies, salaried exempt workers, agriculture, and specific industries, but the cap is a real Maine-specific safeguard. If your employer disciplines you for refusing mandatory overtime beyond that limit, that may be unlawful retaliation.
Who is exempt from Maine overtime
Not every worker earns overtime. Maine's overtime exemptions, listed in 26 M.R.S. § 664(3), overlap heavily with the FLSA but are interpreted under Maine law. Common exemptions include:
- Executive, administrative, and professional ("white-collar") employees who are paid on a salary basis and whose actual job duties meet the legal tests for the exemption. A title alone never makes you exempt.
- Outside salespeople and certain commissioned employees of retail and service establishments.
- Automobile, truck, and farm-equipment mechanics and salespeople at dealerships.
- Agricultural and certain seasonal workers, and some employees of specific seasonal businesses.
- Certain transportation and other categories covered by separate federal or state rules.
For the white-collar exemptions, Maine sets its own salary threshold tied to the state minimum wage. Under 26 M.R.S. § 663(3)(K), the minimum salary to qualify is 3,000 times the state minimum hourly wage (an annualized amount). Because the minimum wage rises each year, that salary floor rises too, and it is higher than the federal threshold. Confirm the current annual figure with the Maine Department of Labor, since it updates with the minimum wage. If you are paid less than that salary floor, you generally cannot be treated as exempt, no matter your duties.