MA youth wages: no general subminimum. School license = 80%.
Unlike many states, Massachusetts has no general youth or training subminimum wage. Workers under 18 generally earn the full $15.00/hr state minimum. The federal $4.25/hr training wage (90 days for workers under 20) does not apply in Massachusetts — state law preempts and requires full minimum wage. The narrow exceptions: schools, colleges, and universities can pay enrolled students at 80% of state minimum = $12.00/hr with a special license from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development; camp counselors and certain trainees in qualifying programs may also qualify with EOLWD approval.
Youth & Trainee Wage Configuration
Defaults all workers under 18 to $15.00/hr standard floor. Tracks school-licensed student employment at 80% with EOLWD license documentation. Surfaces minor employment status for child labor law cross-checks.
What those rules do for minors and trainees.
The hero card configuration: Flag on license verification, Block on below-floor without license.
When a worker is configured at the 80% school-licensed rate ($12.00), Teambridge requires the EOLWD license to be on file. The license expiration tracks; renewal alerts surface 30 days out.
For workers under 18 (or any worker without a documented school license), the $15.00 floor enforces. Saves below $15.00 fail unless the license is on file and current.
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Standard rate applies to all — narrow license exceptions only.
Massachusetts's no-youth-subminimum rule is unusually generous to workers under 18 compared to states that allow training wages or youth wages.
Standard rate applies to all workers under 18
Massachusetts has no general youth subminimum wage. Workers 14-15, 16-17, and 18 all earn the full $15.00/hr state minimum. This contrasts with Washington (14-15 at 85% = $14.56/hr) and federal law (which permits a $4.25/hr training wage for workers under 20 for 90 days). MA state law preempts the federal training wage.
School-licensed 80% rate (narrow)
Schools, colleges, universities, and bona fide educational institutions can pay enrolled students who work for the institution at 80% of the state minimum = $12.00/hr in 2026. The license must be obtained from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD). The 80% rate cannot apply outside the educational institution itself — it's not a general youth rate.
Teambridge defaults to $15 unless a license is on file.
Massachusetts's no-youth-subminimum rule is a default — operators must affirmatively document the license to deviate. Default-deny is the right discipline.
Standard rate for all youth.
Workers under 18 default to $15.00/hr. The default doesn't change based on age, training status, or federal eligibility. Below-floor saves fail unless license documentation is on file.
EOLWD license required.
If the employer wants to pay the 80% school-licensed rate, the EOLWD license must be uploaded with expiration date. License storage triggers renewal alerts 30 days before expiration.
Combined youth surface.
Workers under 18 simultaneously face wage rules (this policy), child labor hour rules (minor employment policies), and work permit requirements. Teambridge surfaces all three together — youth workers see a consolidated compliance view.
Federal $4.25 doesn't apply.
Multi-state operators familiar with the federal training wage cannot apply it in Massachusetts. Configuration attempts to use the federal training wage on MA workers fail with a clear explanation pointing to MGL c. 151 § 1.
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