Confirmed absence of a state minimum wage
Tennessee's labor department does not administer a state minimum wage — this is the state's own position, not an inference. The TDLWD Referrals page at tn.gov/workforce explicitly lists minimum wage under USDOL jurisdiction: "U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) regulates overtime, 1099 employees, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), minimum wage, Interstate Commerce…" The Labor Standards Unit enforces six Tennessee labor laws — the Child Labor Act, Wage Regulations Act, Prevailing Wage Act, Illegal Alien Act, TLEA, and NSPA — and none is a minimum wage law.
Multiple bills introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly — including HB 1399, SB 2495, SB 2670, and HB 0819 in the 114th General Assembly — would have established a state minimum wage but none became law, confirmed from capitol.tn.gov as of August 2026.
What applies instead: the federal FLSA
Because Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, the only applicable floor is the federal Fair Labor Standards Act minimum of $7.25 per hour under 29 U.S.C. § 206. This applies to all FLSA-covered employers and employees in Tennessee — which covers most private employers meeting the enterprise or individual-worker thresholds. Tennessee also has no state overtime law; the FLSA overtime rule (1.5× after 40 hours/week, 29 U.S.C. § 207) is the only standard.
Enforcement: federal only
Minimum wage complaints in Tennessee must be filed with the federal Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division at dol.gov/agencies/whd. The TDLWD does not have jurisdiction over minimum wage and does not accept minimum wage complaints. This is a concrete enforcement difference from neighboring Kentucky, where a worker can file a state claim with the Kentucky Labor Cabinet in addition to a federal FLSA claim.
Tennessee Wage Regulation Act — T.C.A. § 50-2-103
While Tennessee has no minimum wage statute, it does have the Tennessee Wage Regulation Act at T.C.A. § 50-2-103, which governs the timing of wage payments including final paychecks. This statute is separate from a minimum wage law; it sets payment timing requirements, not wage floors. The specific deadline for final paychecks under T.C.A. § 50-2-103 was not confirmed from a directly-read primary source in the research session — workers with final paycheck disputes should contact the TDLWD Labor Standards Unit.
Tennessee compared to neighboring Kentucky
Kentucky directly borders Tennessee to the north. Kentucky has KRS 337.275, which adopts the federal minimum wage by reference — creating a state statute for the $7.25 floor. Kentucky also has KRS 337.050, which adds a 7th-consecutive-day overtime rule (time-and-a-half when an employer permits all 7 days of a workweek and total hours exceed 40). A Kentucky worker has both federal FLSA rights and a state cause of action enforceable in state court. A Tennessee worker in a border county has only the federal channel. This practical difference matters most when FLSA exemptions apply to the employer but state law might not.
What this page does not determine
- Whether a specific employer or employee is covered by the federal FLSA.
- FLSA overtime calculations — Tennessee follows pure 29 U.S.C. § 207; no state overtime law exists.
- Tennessee Wage Regulation Act final paycheck deadlines — contact the TDLWD Labor Standards Unit.
- Whether the Tennessee General Assembly has enacted a minimum wage law after August 2026.
- Federal FLSA exemptions for specific occupations, industries, or employer types.
Sources and verification
The absence of a state minimum wage statute is confirmed from the TDLWD Referrals page at tn.gov/workforce, which explicitly lists minimum wage under federal USDOL jurisdiction. The legislative status of proposed minimum wage bills is confirmed from capitol.tn.gov. The FLSA reference ($7.25/hr, 29 U.S.C. § 206) is the applicable floor. Verification date: August 2026. See the site's methodology for source standards.