BALTIMORE _ Sinclair Broadcast Group will increase its minimum wage for hourly workers to $15 starting Dec. 29, the Hunt Valley-based TV station owner said Wednesday.
The change will affect about 15% of Sinclair's 9,500 employees nationwide, those whose minimum wage had been tied to state and federal laws. Sinclair has about 800 employees based in Maryland.
Maryland's minimum wage is $10.10 per hour. Under legislation passed in March, businesses with 15 or more employees will follow a schedule that reaches $15 in 2025. Smaller companies will be required to pay $15 an hour starting in 2026.
"At Sinclair, we recognize that we would be nothing without our hardworking and dedicated employees," Chris Ripley, Sinclair's president and CEO, said in an announcement. "With this latest change, we hope to make a meaningful impact on the professional and personal lives of so many valuable members of our team."
Sinclair owns and/or operates 23 regional sports network brands and 191 television stations in 89 markets, including stations affiliated with major broadcast networks. In Baltimore, it operates WBFF Fox 45.
The broadcaster also said Wednesday that it will increase its company match for employee 401(k) funds and improve its paid-time-off benefits.
