Louisiana Minimum Wage 2026: $7.25, With No State Minimum Wage Law
Louisiana’s minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, because Louisiana has no state minimum wage law and employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act pay the federal rate, unchanged since July 24, 2009. Tipped employees can be paid $2.13 an hour in cash if tips bring them to $7.25. State law bars cities and parishes from setting a higher minimum wage for private employers, so $7.25 applies statewide, including New Orleans.
Louisiana at a glance
| Current rate | $7.25 / hour (federal) |
|---|---|
| Effective | July 24, 2009 (federal rate) |
| State minimum wage law | None |
| Tipped cash wage | $2.13 / hour ($5.12 tip credit) |
| Next scheduled change | None scheduled; follows the federal rate |
| Local rates | None; local minimums barred by La. R.S. 23:642 |
| Youth rate | $4.25 / hour for under-20s’ first 90 days (federal) |
Why Louisiana uses the federal rate
Louisiana is one of the few states with no minimum wage statute at all. The U.S. Department of Labor’s state minimum wage table lists Louisiana as having “no state minimum wage law” and notes that employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. That rate has applied since July 24, 2009, and it changes only if Congress changes it or the Louisiana Legislature passes a state minimum wage.
Local governments cannot fill the gap. La. R.S. 23:642 says no local governmental subdivision may establish a minimum wage rate that a private employer would be required to pay, or a mandatory minimum number of vacation or sick days. The Legislature’s stated reason is to keep one uniform wage environment across the state, so the $7.25 floor is the same in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport and rural parishes.
Who the federal minimum covers
Because the only minimum wage in Louisiana is federal, coverage follows the FLSA. Most employers are covered either as an enterprise (generally $500,000 or more in annual business, or any hospital, school or public agency) or because individual employees are engaged in interstate commerce, which reaches most employees who handle out-of-state goods, phone calls or payments. A small, purely local business that is not covered by the FLSA has no minimum wage obligation under Louisiana law, but in practice few employers hiring through online ads fall outside federal coverage. If you are unsure, check with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.
Tipped employees
Tipped employees in Louisiana follow the federal rule. An employer can pay a cash wage of $2.13 an hour and take a tip credit of up to $5.12, as long as tips bring the employee to at least $7.25 for every hour worked (U.S. DOL tipped table). The employee must regularly receive more than $30 a month in tips, the employer must tell tipped employees about the tip credit in advance, and tips belong to the employee, apart from a valid tip pool. If tips fall short in a workweek, the employer pays the difference. The details are in the Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet 15.
Exceptions
- Youth minimum wage. Federal law allows $4.25 an hour for employees under 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days on the job, as long as no other employee is displaced to make room for them (Fact Sheet 32).
- Exempt employees. Bona fide executive, administrative and professional employees paid on a salary basis, outside salespeople and several other categories are exempt from the federal minimum wage under federal tests.
- Full-time students and workers with disabilities. Subminimum wages require a certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Louisiana adds no separate training, small-business or agricultural rate of its own.
What this means for hiring
$7.25 is a legal floor, not a market rate. Employers hiring warehouse, healthcare, hospitality or skilled trades staff in Louisiana are competing with every other posted wage in their area, and the statute gives no guide to what that is. Louisiana does not require pay in job postings, but for hourly roles the wage is usually the first thing a candidate looks for, so posting it tends to help. To see what a Louisiana hire costs at the wage you actually pay, including payroll taxes and benefits, use our employee cost calculator. Louisiana’s other rules, including its 15-day final paycheck deadline, penalty wages and minor labor rules, are on our Louisiana labor laws guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Louisiana in 2026?
$7.25 an hour, the federal minimum wage. Louisiana has no state minimum wage law, so employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act pay the federal rate, which has not changed since July 24, 2009. Tipped employees can be paid a $2.13 cash wage if tips bring them to $7.25 an hour.
Is Louisiana raising its minimum wage?
No increase is scheduled. Louisiana’s floor only moves if Congress raises the federal minimum wage or the Louisiana Legislature enacts a state minimum wage, and neither has happened as of September 24, 2026. Cities and parishes cannot set their own rate for private employers under La. R.S. 23:642. Plan around $7.25, or $2.13 plus tips for tipped staff.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Louisiana?
$2.13 an hour in cash, under federal law. The employer can take a tip credit of up to $5.12 an hour, but only if the employee’s tips bring total pay to at least $7.25 for every hour worked. Employers must tell tipped workers about the tip credit in advance and make up any shortfall. Louisiana has no separate tipped wage rule.
Can New Orleans set its own minimum wage?
Not for private employers. La. R.S. 23:642 prohibits any local governmental subdivision in Louisiana from establishing a minimum wage that private employers must pay, and from requiring a minimum number of paid or unpaid vacation or sick days. A city can set pay for its own employees and, in some cases, its contractors, but a private business in New Orleans follows the same $7.25 floor as the rest of the state.
Does Louisiana have a training or youth minimum wage?
Not a state one. Federal law allows a youth minimum wage of $4.25 an hour for employees under 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment, and employers may not displace other workers to use it. Separately, Louisiana’s child labor law still applies to minors: an employment certificate on file, hours limits, and a 30-minute meal break in any five-hour period for those under 16.
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