Mississippi minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Mississippi is $7.25 an hour in 2026. Mississippi never passed a minimum wage law of its own, so $7.25 here is purely the federal rate, last raised by Congress on July 24, 2009. It binds only employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act; for work outside that act, Mississippi law sets no minimum at all.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $7.25 an hour, since July 24, 200912 |
|---|---|
| Next change | None scheduled. |
| Tipped employees | $2.13 cash wage, tip credit up to $5.122 |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week (federal law only)16 · 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 Mississippi minimum wage
Mississippi has never enacted a general minimum wage, and the U.S. Department of Labor lists it with Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee as the five states without one.1 The $7.25 that applies to most Mississippi jobs is the federal rate, in force since July 24, 2009, and it is enforced by the federal Wage and Hour Division rather than any state office.
The federal rate reaches more jobs than many people assume. Any business with at least $500,000 in annual sales is covered, and so is every hospital, nursing or residential care business, school, preschool and government agency regardless of revenue. Employees of smaller businesses are covered individually when their work regularly involves other states, such as shipping goods out of state or handling interstate phone calls and records, and domestic workers like housekeepers and full-time babysitters are normally covered.4 A job outside every one of those tests carries no minimum wage in Mississippi.
Tipped employees covered by federal law may be paid $2.13 an hour in cash in 2026.2 A worker who is paid less than the federal minimum can call the Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243; complaints are confidential, and retaliation for filing one is illegal.5 Local governments cannot fill the gap: House Bill 141, approved in March 2013 and in force since July 1, 2013, bars counties and cities from setting a minimum or living wage, or required vacation or sick days, for private employers.3
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $2.13 an hour2 |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12 an hour |
Mississippi has no tip law. Federally covered employers may pay a cash wage of $2.13 in 2026 to employees who regularly receive 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 week16 |
|---|---|
| Daily overtime | None in state law |
| Exempt salary | The federal level, $684 a week ($35,568 a year) |
Mississippi 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. Mississippi 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
With no state rate, the only possible change is a federal one: the figure moves only if Congress amends the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Indexed to inflation: no. No state minimum wage law; the federal rate applies and changes only if Congress acts.1
Rate history
Who is covered
Employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay at least the federal minimum. Jobs that fall outside the federal act have no minimum wage under Mississippi law.
Cities and counties
Counties and cities may not set a minimum or living wage for private employers under 2013 House Bill 141 (Laws 2013, chapter 445), in force since July 1, 2013.
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 |
| Alabama | $7.25 |
| Louisiana | $7.25 |
| Tennessee | $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.
Sources
- 1 U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, State Minimum Wage Laws Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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- 5 U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, How to File a Complaint Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 6 U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Overtime Pay Checked Oct 28, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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