Tennessee Minimum Wage Calculator
Tennessee has no separate state minimum-wage law. The ordinary federal floor for covered employment is $7.25 per hour. Eligible tipped work can use $2.13 cash plus tips, with the employer responsible for any shortfall.
Time card Calculate pay for a covered hourly job
Weekly gross including tips—
Confirm coverage to calculate.
- Hourly floor—
- Per workday—
- Weekly gross—
- Monthly average—
- Yearly gross—
- Employer cash before shortfall
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- Weekly tips retained
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- Employer shortfall payment
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- Total employer cash
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Overtime uses the full regular rate before subtracting a permitted tip credit. The employer must cover a weekly tip shortfall within the selected scope. This floor scenario does not calculate pay at a higher agreed rate. Per-workday pay divides the week by the days with hours. Annual figures repeat the rounded weekly result.
Reviewed rate period: 2026-01-01 through 2027-12-31. Gross earnings before taxes or deductions. Annual figures repeat this weekly scenario; they do not combine different rate periods.
Reviewed October 3, 2026. Federal state comparison · FLSA coverage.
Enter working time before comparing the paycheck
Tennessee generally requires a 30-minute meal or rest period when an employee is scheduled for six consecutive hours, with exceptions for certain workplaces and arrangements. The state rule does not mean that payroll may deduct 30 minutes regardless of what happened. Federal rules distinguish compensable short breaks from bona fide unpaid meals. Tennessee break requirements · Federal paid and unpaid breaks.
Suppose an employee actually works seven hours on each of six days, including work through the entire supposed meal period. The week contains 42 worked hours. At the full floor, gross is $311.75. Deducting a half-hour each day would incorrectly reduce that to 39 hours and $282.75, losing $29. The example assumes continuous work, not a borderline interrupted-meal dispute.
Tipped overtime keeps the full regular-rate premium
| Eligible tipped week | Initial employer cash | Shortfall | Gross with tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42 hours, $30 tips | $96.71 | $185.04 | $311.75 |
| 42 hours, $260 tips | $96.71 | $0 | $356.71 |
| 28 hours, $200 tips | $59.64 | $0 | $259.64 |
The first two rows include two overtime hours. The $5.12 credit does not increase during overtime, and the premium cannot be based only on $2.13 cash. A low-tip week can still qualify for tipped treatment if the occupation’s monthly eligibility and all other conditions are satisfied; the employer must then cover that week’s shortfall. Federal tip-credit calculation.
Under federal rules, compulsory service charges are not tips; distributions to employees must be included in the regular rate for overtime. Keep voluntary customer tips separate from service charges and retain tip-pool records. The calculator excludes service-charge distributions, mixed pay rates and bonuses because they can change the regular rate. DOL Fact Sheet 15: service charges and recordkeeping.
The wage promised at hiring still matters
Tennessee’s Wage Regulations Act requires employers to inform employees of their wages before work begins. This tool calculates a minimum-floor scenario, not a replacement for an agreed $13 or $15 rate. Compare the employer’s stated rate, recorded hours and deductions before treating any result as a paycheck discrepancy. State wage-regulation poster.
Final pay uses the later of two deadlines
The state’s detailed guidance says earned wages must be paid by the next regular payday following separation or 21 days after separation, whichever is later. Vacation, sick or holiday amounts depend on the employer’s policy or agreement. Save the separation date, normal payday and policy when checking a final check; a weekly earnings estimate cannot determine those dates or benefits. Final pay and fringe-benefit rules.
Match the question to the enforcement route
The Tennessee wage process addresses state pay and break requirements. Federal minimum wage, tip credit and overtime questions go to the Wage and Hour Division. Federal coverage can attach to an enterprise or an individual employee’s interstate-commerce work; the calculator requires coverage to be confirmed.
A 28-hour schedule for 50 weeks produces $10,150 at full cash before tips. Forty hours for 52 weeks produces $15,080. Neither includes tax withholding or unpaid gaps beyond the weeks entered. Compare neighboring Kentucky minimum wage, Arkansas minimum wage, North Carolina minimum wage and Georgia minimum wage by workplace. Methodology · Sources.
Updated First published