Tennessee has no state minimum wage or overtime law, so those rules come from federal law. The state does regulate meal breaks, paydays, final paychecks and youth employment through the Wage Regulations Act and Child Labor Act, enforced by the Labor Standards Unit of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
EZTime labor rule alerts flag overtime and missed rest periods before payroll.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Minimum wage | No state law; FLSA-covered employers pay the federal $7.25 (TDLWD) |
| Tipped employees | No state rule; federal tip credit rules apply |
| Overtime | No state law; federal FLSA overtime over 40 hours a week |
| Meal break | 30 minutes unpaid if scheduled 6 consecutive hours (T.C.A. § 50-2-103(h)) |
| Rest breaks | No state requirement for additional breaks |
| Paid leave | No Tennessee law regulates vacation, sick or holiday pay |
| Payday | At least once a month, with deadlines set by statute |
| Final pay | Next regular payday or 21 days after separation, whichever is later |
| Minors | Hour limits for ages 14-17 and a 6-hour break rule (Child Labor Act) |
Tennessee has no state minimum wage law. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development's support page states plainly that there are no state laws regulating minimum wage and directs minimum wage questions to the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. DOL state table confirms that employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Because there is no state rate, there is no scheduled 2027 increase at the state level.
The same is true for tipped employees and youth wages: Tennessee has no separate rules, so covered employers follow the FLSA. What Tennessee does require is that employers tell employees the amount of their wages before employing them or allowing them to work, under T.C.A. § 50-2-101. Pay may be reduced only if the employer tells the employee before the work is done.
Tennessee law prohibits paying employees of one sex less than the other for comparable work requiring comparable skill, effort and responsibility under similar working conditions. Differences based on seniority, merit, quality or quantity of production, or another reasonable factor other than sex are allowed. If a pay gap must be fixed, the lower wage has to be raised; you may not cut the higher one. Employers also cannot make deductions from a paycheck without the employee's consent, and an offset for money owed requires a signed written agreement kept on file.
Tennessee has no state overtime statute. Employers covered by the FLSA pay non-exempt employees at least one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime rule. For the details on who is exempt and how to calculate the regular rate, see our FLSA overtime guide and the overtime calculator.
Under T.C.A. § 50-2-103(h), every employee scheduled to work six consecutive hours must receive a 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period. According to the state wage poster, the break may not be scheduled during or before the first hour of work. Failing to provide it is a violation of state law.
Workplaces where the nature of the business gives employees ample opportunity to rest or take an appropriate break are exempt. The U.S. DOL meal break table also notes that an employer may waive the 30-minute unpaid break at the voluntary written request of an employee who mainly serves food or beverages to customers, receives tips, and reports them to the employer. Beyond the meal period, there are no state requirements for additional breaks.
Minors: Employees under 18 who are scheduled for six consecutive hours must also get a 30-minute unpaid break or meal period that is not scheduled during or before the first hour. For minors, the ample-opportunity exemption and the tipped-worker waiver do not apply.
Tennessee does not require private employers to provide paid sick leave, vacation or holiday pay. The Wages and Breaks page explains that no Tennessee law regulates fringe benefits such as PTO, vacation or sick pay, holiday pay, severance or health insurance. These are set by company policy or a labor agreement. Unused accrued benefits are generally not payable at separation unless your policy or agreement says they are, so state your payout rule clearly in writing. The PTO accrual calculator can help you design a policy. For questions about other leave types, check with the Labor Standards Unit.
Private employers with five or more employees must set regular paydays, and the wage regulations poster requires posting notice of those paydays in at least two conspicuous places. Wages are due at least once a month:
Final pay. When an employee is discharged or quits, final wages are due by the next regular payday or 21 days after separation, whichever is later, under T.C.A. § 50-2-103(g). The state notes there is no exemption from this rule. An employer may hold final pay for items such as uniforms only if the employee signed a written policy or agreement allowing it.
Tennessee's Child Labor Act sets these hour limits, and employers must follow whichever state or federal rule is stricter.
Minors under 18 may not work in hazardous occupations listed in T.C.A. § 50-5-106, such as roofing, excavation, coal mining and motor vehicle driving. Minors 15 and under cannot work where alcohol sales exceed 25% of gross receipts, and no minor may take orders for or serve alcohol. Keep a separate file for each minor with an application, proof of age and accurate daily time records.
Tennessee requires employers of minors to keep the minor's file described above and to allow Department inspections. Display the TN Wage Regulation/Child Labor poster, available in English and Spanish, along with your payday notice. The Labor Standards Unit also enforces the Tennessee Lawful Employment Act; starting January 1, 2027, that law covers private employers reporting pay for at least one employee, down from six. The time card calculator makes it easier to keep accurate daily records for every worker.
EZTime gives Tennessee teams one place to track hours and stay on top of the rules above. Employees clock in with the GPS mobile time clock and geofencing, NFC tags, a shared tablet kiosk, or biometric clocks. Managers build schedules with shift templates and approve shift swaps in the scheduling software, get overtime and break alerts before a problem shows up on a paycheck, and track PTO and sick-leave balances. At the end of each period, payroll-ready Excel and PDF exports work with any payroll software. Plans start from $2 per employee per month, with a 14-day trial; see pricing.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Labor Standards Unit or an employment attorney. Last reviewed November 2026.
Tennessee has no state minimum wage law. Employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay at least $7.25 per hour.
Employees scheduled to work six consecutive hours must get a 30-minute unpaid meal or rest break, not scheduled during or before the first hour. There are no state requirements for additional breaks.
Final wages are due by the next regular payday or 21 days after the employee is discharged or quits, whichever is later.
No Tennessee law regulates fringe benefits, so unused vacation or PTO is generally not payable at separation unless your company policy or a labor agreement requires it.
On Sunday through Thursday nights before a school day, 16- and 17-year-olds may not work between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. With signed parental consent on file, they may work until midnight up to three of those nights a week.