Final pay · MA

Massachusetts — Final Paycheck & Wage Rules

Statutory final-paycheck deadline, waiting-time penalty, overtime overlay, and PTO-payout rule for Massachusetts. Each row primary-source-cited.

Verification pendingLast verified May 8, 2026

We have not finished primary-source verification of Massachusetts statutes. Cells below show our schema; figures will populate once the reviewer signs off. Treat anything you see here as indeterminate until then. Federal floor (FLSA) still applies — see /federal.

Final paycheck — discharged

Same day

Verification pending — primary-source check in progress.

M.G.L. ch. 149 §148

Final paycheck — voluntary quit

Next regular payday

Verification pending — primary-source check in progress.

M.G.L. ch. 149 §148

Waiting-time penalty

Formula verification pending.

M.G.L. ch. 149 §150

Minimum wage (2026)

Verification pending

Our researcher is verifying the Massachusetts 2026 minimum-wage figure with a primary government source. We do not display unverified figures.

Overtime rules

40-hour workweek @ 1.5×

Massachusetts follows the federal FLSA 40-hour weekly threshold. No state-specific daily overtime overlay.

M.G.L. ch. 151 §1A

PTO payout

policy dependent

Depends on employer policy

State law does not require PTO payout, but if the employer's written policy promises payout (or is silent), accrued PTO may still be owed. Read your handbook.

Massachusetts Final-Paycheck Decoder

Enter your separation date + hourly rate. The decoder computes your statutory deadline and an estimated maximum waiting-time penalty.

Final-Paycheck Decoder

Privacy-first — your inputs never leave your browser

State, termination type, hours, willful-failure standard. Get your statutory deadline + waiting-time-penalty estimate with primary-source statute cite. Informational, not legal advice.

Your state

Termination type

Date of separation

Hourly rate (USD)For salaried, divide annual by 2,080Typical hours per day

Did your employer dispute the wages owed in good faith?In CA-class states, the waiting-time penalty applies only if the employer willfully fails to pay. A good-faith dispute over the amount may waive the penalty.

I'm not sureYes, they had a real disputeNo — they just didn't pay

If your wages are unpaid past the deadline

File a wage claim — start here

Federal: DOL Wage & Hour Division (1-866-487-9243). Free, no attorney needed.
State: MA state labor agency claim form. Often faster than federal for in-state employers.
Larger or willful claims: consult a licensed employment-law attorney. State-bar lawyer-referral services are the standard starting point. How to choose.

Some links above are referral-partner affiliate links once vetted; the federal and state government links are not. Lawyer referrals are subject to state-bar advertising rules in your jurisdiction.

Legal review

Pending

Reviewer credential verification in progress

We are retaining a US employment-law attorney to review every state page on this site before it leaves the dev preview. Once retained, the reviewer's name, bar number, state of admission, and signoff date will appear on every state page and on /about. Until then, treat statute citations as informational, not legal advice. Last data verification: May 8, 2026.

File a Massachusetts wage claim

Send a written demand to your employer with the amount owed, statute cite, and a 7-day deadline.
File with Massachusetts state labor agency (no attorney needed).
Or file federal: DOL Wage & Hour Division (1-866-487-9243).
Your civil-suit deadline (statute of limitations) in Massachusetts: 3 years from the date wages first became due. source

Disclaimer: This page is informational and is not legal advice. Massachusetts statutes are amended over time; we re-verify quarterly and annually for January 1 minimum-wage updates. Specific applications depend on facts your employer may dispute. For advice on your specific situation, consult a licensed Massachusetts employment-law attorney. WageTheftMap is a Desymphony portfolio property.