Louisiana minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Louisiana is $7.25 an hour in 2026. Louisiana has no state minimum wage law, so the only minimum is the federal $7.25, in force since July 24, 2009 and owed by employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. A worker whose job falls outside that federal law has no minimum wage protection in Louisiana.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $7.25 an hour, since July 24, 20092 |
|---|---|
| Next change | None scheduled. |
| Tipped employees | $2.13 cash wage, tip credit up to $5.123 |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week (federal law only)27 · details |
| Full-time pay | $290 a week, $15,080 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
What to know about the Louisiana minimum wage
Louisiana is one of five states with no minimum wage law at all, and the U.S. Department of Labor's state table says only that employers subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal rate.2 Everything about the minimum wage in Louisiana therefore comes from federal law: the rate, the tipped cash wage, and the agency that enforces them.
Whether a Louisiana job carries a minimum wage depends on federal coverage. Businesses with at least $500,000 in annual sales are covered, as are hospitals, nursing and residential care businesses, schools, preschools and government agencies, whatever their size. An employee of a smaller business is still covered if the work regularly involves other states, for example producing goods shipped out of state, making calls to other states or handling interstate records, and domestic workers such as housekeepers and full-time babysitters are normally covered too.5 A worker who falls outside all of these has no minimum wage under Louisiana law.
Complaints go to the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243. The division keeps the complainant's name and even the existence of a complaint confidential, and employers may not retaliate against a worker who complains or cooperates with an investigation.6 Parishes and cities cannot add a local minimum: La. R.S. 23:642 has barred local minimum wages for private employers since 1997 and, after a 2012 amendment, also bars local rules on minimum vacation or sick leave.1
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $2.13 an hour3 |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12 an hour |
There is no state tip rule. Under federal law, covered employers may pay a cash wage of $2.13 in 2026 to employees who get more than $30 a month in tips.
An employer that takes a tip credit must make up the difference whenever wages plus tips fall short of the full minimum wage for the workweek. See the tipped minimum wage guide.
Overtime and salaried staff
| Weekly overtime | No state rule; employers covered by federal law pay 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week27 |
|---|---|
| Daily overtime | None in state law |
| Exempt salary | The federal level, $684 a week ($35,568 a year) |
Louisiana has no general state overtime law. Employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. Louisiana also has no state minimum wage law.
Overtime at the minimum wage of $7.25 is $10.875 an hour. Salaried managers, administrators and professionals are exempt from overtime only if they meet the duties tests and are paid at least the exempt salary. See overtime rules in every state or calculate pay with overtime.
How the rate changes
Louisiana has no rate of its own to adjust. The rate that applies changes only if Congress changes the federal minimum.
Indexed to inflation: no. No state minimum wage law; the federal rate applies and changes only if Congress acts.2
Rate history
| Effective | Status | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| July 24, 2009 | In effect now | $7.252 |
Who is covered
Employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal minimum. There is no state law for other employers, so their workers have no state minimum.
- Minimum wage complaints in Louisiana go to the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, since no state agency enforces a minimum wage.
- The local preemption law dates from 1997 and was amended in 2012; it also bars local rules on minimum vacation or sick leave.
Cities and counties
Parishes and cities may not set a minimum wage, or mandatory minimum vacation or sick leave, for private employers (La. R.S. 23:642).
Neighboring states
If you live near a state line, the rate that applies is the one where you do the work, not where you live or where the employer is based.
| State | Per hour now |
|---|---|
| Arkansas | $11.00 |
| Mississippi | $7.25 |
| Texas | $7.25 |
Compare every state on the ranked list and map.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1-866-487-9243 |
| The law | La. R.S. 23:642 (Local minimum wage prohibited); 29 U.S.C. 206 (federal minimum wage) |
Sources
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- 6 U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, How to File a Complaint Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 7 U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Overtime Pay Checked Oct 28, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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