Tennessee minimum wage
Minimum wage in Tennessee, in effect since July 24, 2009
$7.25 an hour
Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Next increase: none announced as of October 8, 2026.
Tipped employees
Employers in Tennessee can pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.13 an hour, taking a tip credit of up to $5.12, as long as tips bring the employee to at least $7.25 for every hour worked. If they don't, the employer makes up the difference.
Exceptions and details
- Tennessee has no state minimum wage law. Employers covered by the FLSA must pay the federal $7.25 (in effect since July 24, 2009); the federal $2.13 tipped cash wage applies.
- TDLWD refers minimum wage questions to the U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Tennessee?
- $7.25 an hour, in effect since July 24, 2009.
- What is the tipped minimum wage in Tennessee?
- $2.13 an hour in cash wages, provided tips bring the employee up to $7.25 an hour.
- When does the Tennessee minimum wage go up?
- No increase had been announced as of October 8, 2026.
Running payroll in Tennessee?
Recent changes
Last verified against the official source on October 8, 2026.
No changes recorded since we started tracking this page.
Sources
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development · data as of July 24, 2009 · last checked October 8, 2026
We copy figures from official sources and re-check them against the source before every update. See our methodology. This is general information, not legal advice.