Minimum wage in Tennessee
Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, so employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Employers may pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.13 and count tips toward the rest, with a tip credit of up to $5.12. Against Tennessee's $7.25 floor for FLSA-covered employers, among its 8 neighbors Missouri ($15.00), Virginia ($12.77) and Arkansas ($11.00) are higher and Kentucky ($7.25), North Carolina ($7.25), Georgia ($7.25 floor; state rate $5.15), Alabama ($7.25 floor; no state law) and Mississippi ($7.25 floor; no state law) are the same.
Verified against the U.S. Department of Labor on (DOL's state table updated ). Source: State Minimum Wage Laws, Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees.
At a glance
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| State minimum wage | No state minimum wage law |
| Against the federal $7.25 | no state rate (federal applies to FLSA-covered employers) |
| Floor for FLSA-covered employers | $7.25 (the higher of the state and federal rates) |
| Scheduled change | None listed by DOL |
| Overtime threshold in state law | None listed by DOL (the FLSA's 40-hour rule applies to covered employers) |
| Tipped cash wage | $2.13 |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12 |
Rates as DOL lists them
DOL lists no state rate for Tennessee: Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Scheduled increases
DOL lists no scheduled increase and no indexing formula for Tennessee. A change would require new legislation or a ballot measure.
Tipped employees
Tennessee's required cash wage for tipped employees is the federal $2.13; tips may make up the rest of the applicable minimum wage.
| Row | Combined cash and tip minimum | Maximum tip credit | Minimum cash wage | Tipped employee defined by monthly tips of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $7.25 | $5.12 | $2.13 | More than $30 |
- DOL footnote 11: The following states do not have state minimum wage laws: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Georgia has a state minimum wage law, but it does not apply to tipped employees. Employers in these states must pay employees covered by the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act at least the federal minimum wage.
A dash means DOL left the cell blank. DOL's general footnote 1: Other additional deductions are permitted, for example for meals and lodging.
What DOL also notes
- Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Neighbors and the federal floor
| State | State rate | Floor for FLSA-covered employers |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | none | $7.25 |
| Missouri | $15.00 | $15.00 |
| Virginia | $12.77 | $12.77 |
| Arkansas | $11.00 | $11.00 |
| Kentucky | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| North Carolina | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Georgia | $5.15 | $7.25 |
| Alabama | none | $7.25 |
| Mississippi | none | $7.25 |
| Federal (FLSA) | $7.25 | $7.25 |
More than one law can apply
DOL states that where federal, state and local minimum wage laws all cover an employer, the employer must pay the highest applicable rate. Whether a particular job is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, by Tennessee's law, or by a city or county ordinance depends on facts this site does not assess. City and county rates are not in DOL's table and are not shown here. This page describes published rates and is not legal advice; for how to raise an underpayment, see FastGuide.
Take-home pay and benefits calculators for Tennessee
FastCalc, a sister site, has these calculators for Tennessee. Each takes your own figures; this site computes nothing.
Related
- Tennessee wage profile: what occupations actually pay in Tennessee, from BLS data.
- Minimum wage by state and the federal minimum wage.
- Federal versus state minimum wage and tipped wages and tip credits.
- Take-home pay calculator on FastCalc for what $7.25 an hour leaves after withholding; this site computes nothing.