RESEARCH · MINIMUM WAGE
Tennessee Minimum Wage 2026
Tennessee currently uses $7.25 per hour (federal minimum wage applies). This page keeps the wage floor itself separate from paycheck withholding, then shows what full-time work at that hourly rate can look like after federal, FICA, and state withholding assumptions.
Current Tennessee minimum wage in 2026
As of January 1, 2026, the current reference rate for Tennessee is $7.25 per hour (federal minimum wage applies). ExactTakeHome treats the wage floor as source-backed reference content rather than a tax output. The number here comes from the current 2026 state wage guidance linked below, with the federal DOL table used as the cross-check for 50-state consistency.
The main comparison point is the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. In Tennessee, the rate used on this page is $0.00 equal to that federal floor. Tennessee does not set a separate statewide minimum wage.
Review the official labor-office page annually because minimum wage changes can happen on a calendar-year or mid-year schedule.
What full-time work at this wage looks like
Annualizing the wage at 40 hours per week for 52 weeks produces an estimated gross pay of $15,080 per year, or about $290 per week before taxes and deductions.
Using ExactTakeHome's 2026 withholding assumptions for a single filer with standard withholding and no pre-tax deductions, that annualized wage produces an estimated take-home pay of $13,926 per year, about $1,161 per month or $536 per biweekly paycheck. That implies an overall effective withholding rate of 7.7%.
This is not a promise of what every worker in Tennessee will see on payroll. Hours fluctuate, overtime rules vary, and some states or localities apply different wage tiers by employer size or work location. The value here is comparison: it shows how the legal wage floor interacts with the same tax engine used on the rest of the site.
How Tennessee compares with nearby states
Minimum wage is a labor-law floor, not a take-home-pay ranking. Still, workers often compare neighboring states when evaluating commuting, relocation, or remote-work options. The table below shows the current statewide comparison rate used on this site for Tennessee and three nearby states from the same calculator network.
| State | Current wage reference | Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $7.25 per hour (federal minimum wage applies) | Tennessee calculator |
| Texas | $7.25 per hour | Texas calculator |
| Florida | $14.00 per hour | Florida calculator |
| Georgia | $7.25 per hour for most covered workers | Georgia calculator |
If your choice is really between two states, run the same annualized wage through both state calculators. That isolates the withholding impact instead of relying only on the legal wage floor.
How to use this with the paycheck calculator
Minimum wage law answers one narrow question: what is the lowest legal base wage for covered work? A real pay stub still depends on hours, overtime, tips, filing status, W-4 inputs, and the tax rules for your work state. That is why the best workflow is to start with the legal wage floor here, then move into the state calculator or hourly routes for paycheck-level estimates.
- Open the Tennessee paycheck calculator
- Browse hourly pages for Tennessee
- Browse salary pages for Tennessee
This article provides general information, not tax advice. Consult a qualified CPA or labor-law adviser for your specific situation.
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Frequently asked questions
Tennessee currently uses $7.25 per hour (federal minimum wage applies). This page reflects the rate in effect on January 1, 2026 and links the relevant labor office for annual updates.
Tennessee is aligned with the federal $7.25 minimum wage for the comparison rate used on this page.
Use the Tennessee calculator or hourly pages for your filing status and pay frequency. The annualized example on this page assumes 40 hours per week, single filer, standard withholding, and no extra deductions.