2026 Tennessee Minimum Wage
The 2026 Tennessee Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2026-01-01Source: State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)Verified 2026-09-01
Who it applies to
Employers and employees in Tennessee who are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act. Because the Department of Labor's table records no minimum wage law for Tennessee, the rate on this page is the federal one reaching the state through that statute rather than a rate set in Nashville. The entry has no coverage line, no premium pay line and no adjustment sentence, which is the shortest shape an entry in this table takes. The table also does not display subminimum rates for minors, students or trainees.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, records that Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, and that employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Those are the only two sentences the entry contains, and no earlier year of this record is published here, so this page states no year-over-year change.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Tennessee in 2026?
- It is $7.25 per hour. The U.S. Department of Labor's State Minimum Wage Laws table, updated July 1, 2026, states that Tennessee has no state minimum wage law and that employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The figure on this page is read from that entry alone.
- Does Tennessee have a state minimum wage law?
- No. The first line of the Department of Labor's Tennessee entry reads that there is no state minimum wage law. The table therefore gives Tennessee no basic minimum rate of its own, no coverage line and no exemption list, and the amount published here is the federal rate the second line of the entry names.
- Is the Tennessee minimum wage the same as the federal minimum wage?
- The entry treats them as the same thing. It gives no state amount and instead states that employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Because the state figure and the federal one are not separate numbers in this entry, a change to the federal rate is what would change the amount shown here.
- Which employers in Tennessee have to pay $7.25 per hour?
- The entry names employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, and stops there. Whether a particular employer is subject to that statute is settled by federal coverage rules that the Department of Labor's minimum wage table does not reproduce. The entry attaches no employer-size condition of its own, since there is no state law for one to sit in.
- Does the Tennessee minimum wage rise on an annual schedule?
- The table states an annual adjustment formula inside the entry itself for several jurisdictions. The Tennessee entry contains no such statement and no dated step. This page publishes what the table listed as of July 1, 2026, and makes no claim about a later rate; a change would appear here only after the department republishes the table and this record is verified against it again.
- Does Tennessee set an overtime threshold of its own?
- The Department of Labor's table records premium pay after designated hours for the jurisdictions whose own laws set a daily or weekly threshold. The Tennessee entry carries no premium pay line, which follows from its statement that there is no state minimum wage law. Overtime duties owed by employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act are not set out in this table.
- Does the table show a tipped or training wage for Tennessee?
- No. The Tennessee entry names one hourly amount and nothing else, and the table states that differential provisions are not displayed in it, naming subminimum rates for minors and students and training wages for new hires as examples. This page therefore publishes no tipped cash wage and no training rate for Tennessee, because the source does not publish one.
- Where does the $7.25 figure on this page come from?
- From the Wage and Hour Division's State Minimum Wage Laws table at dol.gov, in the snapshot captured for this record, where the Tennessee entry states that employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The division notes on the same page that individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
Every amount on this page is a published figure rather than yours. The Minimum wage pay calculator takes the number you enter and works it out against them, showing which published figure it used.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour applies to covered employers under the Fair Labor Standards Act, but certain workers may be paid less. Some states establish subminimum wage rates for minors, such as youth workers under a specified age, and for students employed in certain roles. States may also create a training wage for newly hired employees, allowing employers to pay a lower rate during an initial training period. In some cases, minors or students are exempt entirely from minimum wage coverage. These special rates and exemptions vary by state and are not reflected in the federal rate shown on this page. Employers must follow both federal and applicable state rules, paying whichever rate provides greater protection to the worker. Workers or employers with questions about whether a subminimum rate applies should contact their state labor office for guidance specific to their situation.
Some states set subminimum rates for minors and/or students or exempt them from coverage or have a training wage for new hires.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, but that is only the floor. Some state and local governments set a higher minimum wage within their borders, and where they do, employers must pay the higher rate instead. A city or county may adopt its own minimum wage that exceeds the state or federal minimum, and in those places the local rate controls for workers covered by it. If an employer is subject to both the federal minimum wage and a higher state or local rate, the worker must be paid the higher of the three amounts. Workers in cities with a local minimum wage ordinance often receive more per hour than the federal figure. The table on this page does not list local rates that differ from the state minimum, so workers should check with their city or county government and their state labor office to determine the exact rate that applies where they work.
Some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage. Such differential provisions are not displayed in this table.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, covered employers must pay overtime to non-exempt employees who work beyond the designated weekly threshold. The footnote on this page clarifies the standard used: the overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified. This means that for each overtime hour, the worker earns at least time and a half of their normal pay. Some states set a lower threshold or also require daily overtime, and those state rules are not superseded by the federal standard. Where a state provides a more generous overtime calculation, the employee is entitled to the higher benefit. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour for all covered non-exempt workers, and the overtime multiplier is applied to whatever the employee's regular rate of pay is, whether that regular rate equals the minimum or exceeds it. Employers should review their state's labor agency guidance to determine the exact overtime threshold that applies in their jurisdiction.
The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, but the exact rate that applies to a worker depends on the state and locality where the work is performed. Some states set subminimum rates for certain workers, and some local governments set rates higher than the state minimum. Because the rules vary so widely, anyone with questions about which rate applies to them should consult the relevant state labor office for official information. The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor maintains the federal table on this page, but it cannot answer questions about state or local rates. State labor offices can provide guidance on state minimum wages, subminimum wage rules for minors or students, training wages, overtime requirements that exceed the federal standard, and how to file a wage complaint if a worker believes they have been underpaid.
The Wage and Hour Division tries to ensure that the information on this page is accurate, but individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
Tennessee has no minimum wage law of its own, which does not mean there is no minimum wage in Tennessee. The Fair Labor Standards Act reaches most employment directly, and an employer subject to it must pay the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour whatever the state does. That is the rate on this page, and it is federal law rather than Tennessee law that puts it there. The practical difference shows up at the edges. A worker whose employer is genuinely outside the FLSA has no state floor to fall back on, where a worker in a state with its own law would. And a complaint about it is a federal complaint: the Wage and Hour Division enforces it, because there is no Tennessee statute to enforce.
Tennessee No state minimum wage law. Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
- Hourly
Tennessee No state minimum wage law. Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Other years
- 2026
Every Tennessee Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state