Mississippi Minimum Wage 2026: $7.25 Federal Rate, No State Law
Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, so the federal $7.25 per hour applies in 2026. Tipped employees get the federal $2.13 cash wage, and cities and counties cannot set their own rate. Who is covered, overtime, what workers earn, and an employer checklist.
Mississippi has no state minimum wage law. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour applies to Mississippi employees covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, which is most of them, and it has not changed since July 24, 2009. Tipped employees may be paid the federal cash wage of $2.13 per hour plus tips, and workers under 20 may be paid the federal youth wage of $4.25 for their first 90 consecutive calendar days. Mississippi also bars cities and counties from setting a local minimum wage, so $7.25 is the floor everywhere in the state.
Reviewed September 2026
Mississippi is listed by the US Department of Labor as a state with no minimum wage law, so every rate on this page is the federal rate from the Fair Labor Standards Act as of July 1, 2026. Mississippi Code section 17-1-51 is generally cited as the statute that preempts local minimum wages. Confirm coverage questions with the US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, which enforces the minimum wage in Mississippi.
Current Mississippi Minimum Wage
Mississippi's minimum wage is the federal $7.25 per hour. The US Department of Labor state table lists Mississippi among the states with no minimum wage law, alongside Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and notes that the federal rate applies. Because there is no state statute, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security does not enforce a minimum wage; complaints go to the federal Wage and Hour Division.
The FLSA covers employees of businesses with at least $500,000 in annual sales and any employee engaged in interstate commerce, which in practice includes almost every business that takes credit cards, ships goods, or uses the mail. The narrow group outside federal coverage, such as some very small local businesses with no interstate activity, has no minimum wage obligation at all in Mississippi. That group is small, and an employer should get written advice before relying on it.
Mississippi Minimum Wage vs Federal Minimum Wage
| Measure | Mississippi (2026) | Federal (2026) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly minimum wage | $7.25 (federal applies) | $7.25 | $0.00 |
| Tipped cash wage | $2.13 (federal applies) | $2.13 | $0.00 |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12 | $5.12 | $0.00 |
| Youth wage (under 20, 90 days) | $4.25 | $4.25 | $0.00 |
| Weekly pay at 40 hours | $290.00 | $290.00 | $0.00 |
| Annual pay at 2,080 hours | $15,080 | $15,080 | $0.00 |
| Last increase | July 24, 2009 | July 24, 2009 |
Every figure is federal. The comparison that matters for Mississippi employers is with neighboring states: Arkansas is at $11.00, while Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee are also at the federal $7.25.
Tipped Minimum Wage in Mississippi
With no state rule, the federal tipped wage applies. Employers may pay tipped employees $2.13 per hour in cash and take a tip credit of up to $5.12, as listed in the DOL tipped table. The federal conditions are:
- The employee must customarily and regularly receive more than $30 a month in tips
- The employer must inform the employee of the tip credit in advance
- Cash wage plus tips must reach $7.25 for every hour in the workweek, or the employer pays the difference
- Employers, managers, and supervisors may not keep any portion of tips
- Time spent on non-tipped work beyond the federal limits must be paid at the full $7.25
The $5.12 credit is the maximum allowed anywhere under federal law, so Mississippi tipped workers have the lowest guaranteed cash wage in the country along with the other no-state-law states.
Mississippi Minimum Wage Increase Schedule
Mississippi has never enacted a state minimum wage, so the schedule is the federal one.
| Effective date | Rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 1997 | $5.15 | Federal law |
| July 24, 2007 | $5.85 | Federal Fair Minimum Wage Act, step 1 |
| July 24, 2008 | $6.55 | Step 2 |
| July 24, 2009 | $7.25 | Step 3 |
| 2010 to 2026 | $7.25 | No federal change |
Bills to create a Mississippi minimum wage above the federal rate have been introduced in the legislature in recent sessions and have not passed. No change is scheduled for 2027.
Local Minimum Wages in Mississippi
None, and none are permitted. Mississippi Code section 17-1-51 is the statute generally cited for prohibiting counties and municipalities from requiring a minimum wage above the federal or state level, so Jackson, Gulfport, Southaven, and Hattiesburg all use $7.25. Employers with staff across the Tennessee line pay $7.25 there as well; across the Arkansas line the rate is $11.00.
Who Is Covered and Who Is Exempt
Coverage is the FLSA's coverage. The main groups outside the federal minimum wage are:
- Employees of businesses under $500,000 in annual sales with no interstate commerce (rare in practice)
- Bona fide executive, administrative, and professional employees who meet the salary basis, salary level ($684 per week), and duties tests
- Outside sales employees
- Certain agricultural workers on small farms
- Some seasonal amusement and recreational employees
- Casual babysitters and companions for the elderly
Because Mississippi adds no state rules, the classification analysis is entirely federal. See exempt vs non-exempt employees for the three tests. A full-time minimum wage worker earns $15,080, less than half the $35,568 federal salary threshold, so no minimum wage worker can be exempt.
Overtime and the Minimum Wage
Federal overtime applies: 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek, with no daily overtime. A 45-hour week at $7.25 pays:
| Component | Hours | Rate | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | 40 | $7.25 | $290.00 |
| Overtime | 5 | $10.88 | $54.38 |
| Total | 45 | $344.38 |
Tipped employees' overtime is based on $7.25, so the overtime rate is $10.88 minus the $5.12 tip credit, or $5.76 in cash per overtime hour. See overtime pay laws by state and the overtime calculator.
What a Minimum Wage Worker Earns in Mississippi
| Period | Hours | At $7.25 | At $4.25 (youth wage, 90 days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week | 40 | $290.00 | $170.00 |
| Month | 173.33 | $1,256.64 | $736.65 |
| Year | 2,080 | $15,080 | Not permitted beyond 90 days |
Gross figures before deductions. Use the salary to hourly calculator for other rates and see gross pay for withholdings.
Employer Compliance Checklist
- Assume federal coverage. Almost every Mississippi business is covered by the FLSA, so pay at least $7.25.
- Pay tipped employees at least $2.13 in cash, give the required tip credit notice, and reconcile to $7.25 each workweek.
- Limit the $4.25 youth wage to employees under 20 and to their first 90 consecutive calendar days.
- Pay overtime after 40 hours and calculate it correctly for tipped staff.
- Post the federal minimum wage poster; there is no separate Mississippi poster requirement for the minimum wage.
- Keep hour records for at least three years with a time card calculator or automated time tracking, since federal record-keeping rules apply.
For other states, see minimum wage by state.
Federal Compliance Starts With Accurate Hours
HiveDesk tracks time automatically and keeps the hour records the FLSA requires, so overtime and tip credits are calculated from real data. $5/user/month, 14-day free trial.
Common Minimum Wage Mistakes in Mississippi
With no state statute, Mississippi errors come from misreading federal coverage:
- Assuming "no state law" means no minimum wage. The FLSA covers nearly every Mississippi business through interstate commerce or the $500,000 sales test, and it requires $7.25.
- Skipping the tip credit notice. Federal law requires employers to inform tipped employees of the credit before taking it. Without notice, the employer owes the full $7.25 in cash.
- Letting managers share in tip pools. Federal rules prohibit employers, managers, and supervisors from keeping any portion of tips.
- Stretching the $4.25 youth wage. It ends after 90 consecutive calendar days or when the employee turns 20, whichever comes first.
- Paying tipped overtime on $2.13. The overtime rate is based on $7.25.
- Filing complaints or questions with the state. The Mississippi Department of Employment Security does not enforce a minimum wage; the US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division does.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in Mississippi in 2026?
$7.25 per hour, the federal minimum wage. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law.
Is Mississippi raising its minimum wage?
No. There is no state law to raise, and the federal rate has no scheduled increase.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Mississippi?
The federal $2.13 per hour in cash, with tips making up the rest of $7.25.
Can Jackson set its own minimum wage?
No. Mississippi law bars cities and counties from setting a minimum wage above the federal rate.
Who enforces the minimum wage in Mississippi?
The US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, because there is no state statute.
Does Mississippi have a training wage?
The federal youth wage of $4.25 applies to workers under 20 for their first 90 consecutive calendar days.
How much is Mississippi minimum wage per year?
$15,080 before taxes at 2,080 hours.
Are any Mississippi workers not entitled to $7.25?
Employees of very small businesses with no interstate commerce and under $500,000 in annual sales may be outside federal coverage, along with the standard federal exemptions. Get written advice before relying on that.