Three months after the signing of a law doubling the farm labor wage minimum in Maine, implementation began on September 11, 2025.
On June 11, Governor Janet Mills signed a law that rescued agricultural workers from the federal minimum of $7.25/hr to the state’s 2025 all-sector minimum of $14.65/hr.
In 2026, the basic wage including for farm labor in Maine will increase again by 45 cents, to $15.10/hr.
Paid labor channels to the top agricultural niches, namely dairy, pork, egg, blueberry, potato, flower and maple syrup production.
Farmers Have their Say
Farmers airing their views since the September 11 implementation date have had divergent views.
Regarding seasoned employees, it is apparent that about 99% of state farms actually offer their teams kickbacks above the minimum wage.
Cape Elizabeth-based farmer Penny Jordan told News Center Maine that she pays seasoned workers $18 while some farms even offer $25.
Some, however, argue that youthful hires do not deserve to earn this full wage due to inexeperience.
To circumvent that, the argument is to extend skill training to young workers after which they can directly reap their new allocation.
According to Jordan, this moot point might cause fewer chances for teenagers and equally lesser opportunities for next generation hirers.
The President of the Maine Farm Bureau David Kent in his part suggests either a training wage provision or changing the wages law.
Otherwise, family farms or 96% of all state agricultural ownership could increase the rate of unpaid farm labor. “Unpaid” means family laborers who work for the farm and expect no wages if external workers are unavailable. As the data below shows, in 2017 there were around 9,807 unpaid farm laborers in Maine, according to the state government.
Maine Farm Labor Statistics
Maine on the northeastern coast of the United States maybe famous for its seafood, but its agricultural heritage is unquestionaby as prominent. There are 7,036 farms in the state, per the 2022 Agricultural Census. By 2023, the number had upped to 7,600, 96% of which family-run. Earlier in 2017, over 4,000 of family farms had 9,807 family laborers who expected no payment.
Of all small farms, 41% average below $2,500 a year in sales while 9% over $100,000, as of 2017. In the same year, the net revenue per farm was $16.598. Since costs guide on the payable wages, majority farms cap their labor costs to 25% of all expenditure.
This brings the issue of farm laborers and their wages to the fore: in 2017, 29% of farms in the state hired workers. 1/6th of the labor pool were foreign migrants under the H-2A program. This program allows such workers to receive no less than $16.95/hr, plus housing costs.
Local workers, on the other hand, had up to September 11, 2025 been earning a federal minimum of $7.25/hr. Although this rate was governed by the law, individual farmers often exceeded the pay to up to $25/hr for their seasoned workers. In 2026, farm laborer earnings in the state finally caught up with the state’s new blue sector minimum of $15.10.