Tennessee Mimimum Wage & Wage Claims

    
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Minimum Wage in TennesseeTennessee Minimum Wage Finder
  
Cordova, Tennessee 38016
Tennessee Counties

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For detailed information about the minimum wage in your county, please enter your ZIP code. This will direct you to a page providing tailored information about the minimum wage in your area.
Tennessee Minimum Wage
     
                   Shelby County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Memphis)  FIPS: 47157                 - pop.929,744               
             
                   Davidson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Nashville)  FIPS: 47037                 - pop.715,884               
             
                   Knox County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Knoxville)  FIPS: 47093                 - pop.478,971               
             
                   Hamilton County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Chattanooga)  FIPS: 47065                 - pop.366,207               
             
                   Rutherford County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Murfreesboro)  FIPS: 47149                 - pop.341,486               
             
                   Williamson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Franklin)  FIPS: 47187                 - pop.247,726               
             
                   Montgomery County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Clarksville)  FIPS: 47125                 - pop.220,069               
             
                   Sumner County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Gallatin)  FIPS: 47165                 - pop.196,281               
             
                   Sullivan County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Blountville)  FIPS: 47163                 - pop.158,163               
             
                   Wilson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Lebanon)  FIPS: 47189                 - pop.147,737               
             
                   Blount County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Maryville)  FIPS: 47009                 - pop.135,280               
             
                   Washington County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Jonesborough)  FIPS: 47179                 - pop.133,001               
             
                   Bradley County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Cleveland)  FIPS: 47011                 - pop.108,620               
             
                   Maury County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Columbia)  FIPS: 47119                 - pop.100,974               
             
                   Madison County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Jackson)  FIPS: 47113                 - pop.98,823               
             
                   Sevier County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Sevierville)  FIPS: 47155                 - pop.98,380               
             
                   Putnam County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Cookeville)  FIPS: 47141                 - pop.79,854               
             
                   Anderson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Clinton)  FIPS: 47001                 - pop.77,123               
             
                   Robertson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Springfield)  FIPS: 47147                 - pop.72,803               
             
                   Greene County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Greeneville)  FIPS: 47059                 - pop.70,152               
             
                   Hamblen County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Morristown)  FIPS: 47063                 - pop.64,499               
             
                   Cumberland County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Crossville)  FIPS: 47035                 - pop.61,145               
             
                   Tipton County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Covington)  FIPS: 47167                 - pop.60,970               
             
                   Coffee County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Manchester)  FIPS: 47031                 - pop.57,889               
             
                   Hawkins County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Rogersville)  FIPS: 47073                 - pop.56,721               
             
                   Carter County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Elizabethton)  FIPS: 47019                 - pop.56,356               
             
                   Loudon County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Loudon)  FIPS: 47105                 - pop.54,886               
             
                   Jefferson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Dandridge)  FIPS: 47089                 - pop.54,683               
             
                   Dickson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Charlotte)  FIPS: 47043                 - pop.54,315               
             
                   Roane County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Kingston)  FIPS: 47145                 - pop.53,404               
             
                   McMinn County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Athens)  FIPS: 47107                 - pop.53,276               
             
                   Gibson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Trenton)  FIPS: 47053                 - pop.50,429               
             
                   Bedford County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Shelbyville)  FIPS: 47003                 - pop.50,237               
             
                   Monroe County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Madisonville)  FIPS: 47123                 - pop.46,250               
             
                   Lawrence County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Lawrenceburg)  FIPS: 47099                 - pop.44,159               
             
                   Franklin County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Winchester)  FIPS: 47051                 - pop.42,774               
             
                   Fayette County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Somerville)  FIPS: 47047                 - pop.41,990               
             
                   Cheatham County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Ashland City)  FIPS: 47021                 - pop.41,072               
             
                   Warren County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (McMinnville)  FIPS: 47177                 - pop.40,953               
             
                   Campbell County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Jacksboro)  FIPS: 47013                 - pop.39,272               
             
                   Dyer County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Dyersburg)  FIPS: 47045                 - pop.36,801               
             
                   Cocke County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Newport)  FIPS: 47029                 - pop.35,999               
             
                   Lincoln County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Fayetteville)  FIPS: 47103                 - pop.35,319               
             
                   Marshall County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Lewisburg)  FIPS: 47117                 - pop.34,318               
             
                   Weakley County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Dresden)  FIPS: 47183                 - pop.32,902               
             
                   Rhea County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Dayton)  FIPS: 47143                 - pop.32,870               
             
                   Henry County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Paris)  FIPS: 47079                 - pop.32,199               
             
                   Claiborne County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Tazewell)  FIPS: 47025                 - pop.32,043               
             
                   Obion County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Union City)  FIPS: 47131                 - pop.30,787               
             
                   Giles County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Pulaski)  FIPS: 47055                 - pop.30,346               
             
                   Marion County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Jasper)  FIPS: 47115                 - pop.28,837               
             
                   Carroll County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Huntingdon)  FIPS: 47017                 - pop.28,440               
             
                   Henderson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Lexington)  FIPS: 47077                 - pop.27,842               
             
                   White County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Sparta)  FIPS: 47185                 - pop.27,351               
             
                   Hardin County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Savannah)  FIPS: 47071                 - pop.26,831               
             
                   McNairy County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Selmer)  FIPS: 47109                 - pop.25,866               
             
                   Hardeman County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Bolivar)  FIPS: 47069                 - pop.25,462               
             
                   Macon County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Lafayette)  FIPS: 47111                 - pop.25,216               
             
                   Lauderdale County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Ripley)  FIPS: 47097                 - pop.25,143               
             
                   Hickman County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Centerville)  FIPS: 47081                 - pop.24,925               
             
                   Grainger County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Rutledge)  FIPS: 47057                 - pop.23,527               
             
                   Overton County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Livingston)  FIPS: 47133                 - pop.22,511               
             
                   Scott County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Huntsville)  FIPS: 47151                 - pop.21,850               
             
                   Morgan County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Wartburg)  FIPS: 47129                 - pop.21,035               
             
                   DeKalb County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Smithville)  FIPS: 47041                 - pop.20,080               
             
                   Smith County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Carthage)  FIPS: 47159                 - pop.19,904               
             
                   Union County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Maynardville)  FIPS: 47173                 - pop.19,802               
             
                   Humphreys County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Waverly)  FIPS: 47085                 - pop.18,990               
             
                   Fentress County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Jamestown)  FIPS: 47049                 - pop.18,489               
             
                   Johnson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Mountain City)  FIPS: 47091                 - pop.17,948               
             
                   Unicoi County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Erwin)  FIPS: 47171                 - pop.17,928               
             
                   Haywood County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Brownsville)  FIPS: 47075                 - pop.17,864               
             
                   Polk County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Benton)  FIPS: 47139                 - pop.17,544               
             
                   Chester County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Henderson)  FIPS: 47023                 - pop.17,341               
             
                   Wayne County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Waynesboro)  FIPS: 47181                 - pop.16,232               
             
                   Benton County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Camden)  FIPS: 47005                 - pop.15,864               
             
                   Sequatchie County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Dunlap)  FIPS: 47153                 - pop.15,826               
             
                   Bledsoe County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Pikeville)  FIPS: 47007                 - pop.14,913               
             
                   Cannon County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Woodbury)  FIPS: 47015                 - pop.14,506               
             
                   Crockett County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Alamo)  FIPS: 47033                 - pop.13,911               
             
                   Stewart County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Dover)  FIPS: 47161                 - pop.13,657               
             
                   Grundy County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Altamont)  FIPS: 47061                 - pop.13,529               
             
                   Meigs County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Decatur)  FIPS: 47121                 - pop.12,758               
             
                   Lewis County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Hohenwald)  FIPS: 47101                 - pop.12,582               
             
                   Jackson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Gainesboro)  FIPS: 47087                 - pop.11,617               
             
                   Trousdale County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Hartsville)  FIPS: 47169                 - pop.11,615               
             
                   Decatur County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Decaturville)  FIPS: 47039                 - pop.11,435               
             
                   Perry County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Linden)  FIPS: 47135                 - pop.8,366               
             
                   Houston County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Erin)  FIPS: 47083                 - pop.8,283               
             
                   Clay County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Celina)  FIPS: 47027                 - pop.7,581               
             
                   Lake County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Tiptonville)  FIPS: 47095                 - pop.7,005               
             
                   Hancock County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Sneedville)  FIPS: 47067                 - pop.6,662               
             
                   Moore County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Lynchburg)  FIPS: 47127                 - pop.6,461               
             
                   Van Buren County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Spencer)  FIPS: 47175                 - pop.6,168               
             
                   Pickett County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Byrdstown)  FIPS: 47137                 - pop.5,001

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Tennessee Wage & Hour Resources

Minimum Wage In Tennessee

Tennessee does not have its own minimum wage law. Therefore, employees in The Volunteer State are entitled to earn at least the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour.

Tennessee Wage & Hour Law

Overtime

Tips

Nearby States

Shelby County Resources

Wage & Hour Law Minimum Wage ▼

What Is the Minimum Wage in Tennessee?

What Is the Minimum Wage in Tennessee?

Tennessee does not have its own minimum wage law. Therefore, employees in The Volunteer State are entitled to earn at least the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour.

The minimum wage is the least you can be paid per hour, by law. You are entitled to earn at least the highest minimum wage that applies to you, whether the standard is federal, state, or local. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25. If your city or state has passed a law setting a higher minimum wage, your employer must pay you at least that higher amount per hour; it cannot pay you the lower federal minimum wage instead.

The minimum wage represents gross earnings: earnings before deductions, such as tax withholding, are taken. Your actual take-home pay may be less than the minimum wage.
Who Earns Overtime in Tennessee?
Who Earns Overtime in Tennessee?
You qualify for overtime pay if:
- you are paid by the hour
- you are not exempt (for example, because you hold a “white collar” job), and
- you work over 40 hours in a workweek (or 8 hours in a workday in some states).
If you are eligible for overtime, you are entitled to 1-1/2 times your regular hourly rate for each overtime hour worked. Check the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development for the overtime standards in Tennessee.

For more information about overtime eligibility, see Am I Entitled to Overtime Pay in Tennessee?
How Do I Calculate My Hourly Wage?

How Do I Calculate My Hourly Wage?

To calculate your hourly wage, take the total amount you are paid (whether by the hour, as a salary, by piece rate, or on commission) in a pay period, such as one workweek. Divide that total amount by the total number of regular time (not overtime) hours you worked to earn that money. Be sure to count every hour you worked, including time spent working from home (if allowed by your employer) and any break time for which you should be paid, including breaks that lasted 20 minutes or less and breaks during which you had to work. The hourly rate that you come up with must be at least the minimum wage in Tennessee.

For more information about your pay rights, see What Are My Rights to Pay for Work in Tennessee?
What Is a Tip Credit?

What Is a Tip Credit?

A tip credit is the amount of tips you earn that your employer can count towards its obligation to pay you the minimum wage.

An employer that is allowed to take a tip credit can pay you less than the regular minimum wage, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your hourly compensation up to at least the minimum wage. Under federal law, for example, the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but employers may pay tipped employees as little as $2.13 an hour, as long as the employee earns at least the rest in tips. An employer taking advantage of this lower minimum wage is taking a tip credit of $5.12 an hour.

Not all states allow employers to take a tip credit. Some states that allow a tip credit set the minimum tipped wage amount at $2.13 an hour, like federal law; others have established a higher tipped minimum wage.
In Tennessee, your employer may pay you a minimum wage of $2.13 an hour, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your total hourly pay up to the full minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. If you don’t earn enough in tips to bring your compensation to the full minimum wage, your employer must make up the difference.
Are Tip Pools Legal?
Are Tip Pools Legal?
Does your employer require you to pool tips? Tip pooling, sometimes called tip sharing or tipping out, is a common practice in establishments where only some employees receive tips directly from customers, especially restaurants.

In a tip pool, tipped employees put a certain amount or percentage of their tips into a pot, which is then shared among a group of employees. Whether a tip pool is legal depends on who shares in the pool, among other things.

The general rule is that tips belong to the employee who received them. However, employees can be required to pay part of their tips into a tip sharing arrangement, as long as it meets these legal requirements:
- The employer may not share in the tip pool. This includes managers and supervisors. If managers and supervisors receive their own tips for services they directly and solely provide to customers, they may contribute a portion of those tips to the tip pool, but they may not take any money from the pool.
- If the employer takes a tip credit, then only employees who regularly and customarily receive tips may share in the tip pool. For example, wait staff, bussers, and bartenders may be part of the tip pool, but "back of the house" employees -- like cooks and dishwashers -- may not. (Employers that don't take a tip credit may allow back of the house employees to take a share of the tip pool, but only if state law allows it.)
- Only the amount of tips an employee actually takes home counts towards any employer tip credit. In other words, if an employee has to share tips, the employee's hourly wage includes only what the employee got back from the tip pool, not what the employee had to put into the pot.
Am I Entitled to Breaks?

Am I Entitled to Breaks?

Believe it or not, employers in many states have no legal obligation to give their employees any breaks during the work day. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employers to provide any breaks, and many states follow the same rule. Other states require employers to provide rest breaks, meal breaks, or both.

A small number of states require employers to provide paid rest breaks during the work day.
In Tennessee, employees who are scheduled to work a shift of at least six hours are entitled to a 30-minute meal break, unpaid. The employer may not schedule this break during the employee's first hour of work. Employers don't have to provide meal breaks if the nature of the work allows for frequent breaks throughout the work day.

Certain tipped employees may voluntarily waive their right to take a meal break.
Tennessee law does not require employers to provide rest breaks. If your employer chooses to let employees take rest breaks, it must pay you for breaks that last for 20 minutes or less.
How Can I Enforce My Wage and Hour Rights?
How Can I Enforce My Wage and Hour Rights?
If your employer hasn't paid you overtime, hasn't given you legally required breaks, didn't give you a final paycheck, or has otherwise not paid you everything you are owed, you should take steps to assert your rights. There are three things you can do:
- Complain within your company. Use your company's internal complaint process to raise your concerns. Ask the company to investigate and make the situation right. The law protects you from employer retaliation for asserting your wage and hour rights.
- File a wage claim. If your company doesn't resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, find out whether your state has an administrative wage claim procedure. In most states, you can file a claim with the state agency that enforces wage and hour laws. Your claim may be investigated, settled, or sent to an administrative hearing, where you can present evidence that you were not paid properly. It's a good idea to talk to an employment lawyer if you are considering filing a wage claim. A lawyer can help you word the complaint properly, present your best evidence persuasively, and reach the best possible outcome -- all while preserving your arguments for court, if things don't work out.
- File a lawsuit. If other avenues don't work, you can sue your employer in state or federal court for wage theft. At this point, you will definitely need legal representation to persuade a judge or jury to enter a judgment in your favor.
What Is a Wage Claim?

What Is a Wage Claim?

A wage claim is an administrative complaint you can make against your employer with your state department of labor. Most states have created a process for employees to file a wage claim with a government agency, so they can get their claims adjudicated and get the money they are owed, in less time and for less money than it would cost to file a lawsuit.

Not every state has a wage claim procedure, however.

Check the website of the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development to learn more.
Do I Need a Lawyer for My Overtime or Wage Case?

Do I Need a Lawyer for My Overtime or Wage Case?

In most cases, it makes sense to hire a lawyer to pursue your overtime or unpaid wage claim. This doesn’t mean you should hire a lawyer at the first sign of trouble, however. If you believe your employer hasn’t paid you fairly, start by raising the issue within your company. Ask your manager or your human resource representative about the problem, or file a complaint using your company’s internal complaint process. It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for making a wage and hour complaint, whether you make it within your company or to an outside agency or court.

If your company does nothing to address your concerns – or breaks the law by firing or disciplining you for asserting your rights – then it’s time to talk to a lawyer. At this point, your options are to negotiate a settlement of your claims with your employer, file a wage claim against your employer with your state’s labor department (if your state has this type of procedure), or file a lawsuit. Having a lawyer will greatly boost your chances of success in any of these endeavors. And, because most lawyers work on a contingency fee basis in these types of cases, you won’t have to pay the lawyer unless you win. Learn more about finding a wage and hour lawyer.
How Do Wage and Hour Lawyers Charge?

How Do Wage and Hour Lawyers Charge?

Most lawyers that represent employees charge a contingency fee. This means the lawyer gets paid only if the client wins, and only out of the money the client receives as a settlement or court award. When you meet with a lawyer, ask how the lawyer charges, including what percentage he or she will take as a contingency fee.

You will most likely have to pay the costs of litigation, including court fees, transcription costs, copying costs, and so on. Some attorneys will advance these costs for you, paying them out of pocket until the end of the case. If you win, you can use your award to pay the costs.
What Is a Class Action Lawsuit?

What Is a Class Action Lawsuit?

A class action lawsuit is a court case brought on behalf of a group of employees who have similar legal claims against their employer. In a class action case, one lawsuit decides the rights of all employees who are members of the class.

It’s not uncommon for overtime and unpaid wage cases to be brought as class action lawsuits, if the employer applied an illegal policy to a group of employees. For example, if a retail employer required all employees to arrive at 8:30 a.m., spend half an hour cleaning the store and restocking shelves, and then clock in (and start to get paid) at 9 a.m., an attorney might bring a class action lawsuit on behalf of all employees who were subjected to this policy.

Many wage and hour cases involve relatively small dollar amounts. Although every dollar you aren’t paid is undoubtedly very important to you, the overall value of your case might not be high enough to interest an attorney in representing you. When a number of employees combine in one lawsuit, the attorney can bring all of your claims at the same time and earn a higher fee.