Mississippi Minimum Wage 2026: $7.25, With No State Minimum Wage Law
Mississippi’s minimum wage is the federal $7.25 an hour, because Mississippi has no state minimum wage law. Employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act pay $7.25, or a $2.13 cash wage to tipped employees whose tips make up the rest. There are no local rates, and no increase is scheduled. The U.S. Department of Labor, not a state agency, enforces it.
Mississippi at a glance
| Current rate | $7.25 / hour (federal; Mississippi has no state minimum wage law) |
|---|---|
| Effective | July 24, 2009 (federal rate) |
| Tipped cash wage | $2.13 / hour ($5.12 tip credit), federal rules |
| Next scheduled change | None. A change would take a federal increase or a new state law |
| Local rates | None |
| Youth rate | Federal $4.25 youth opportunity wage for workers under 20, first 90 consecutive days |
Why Mississippi uses the federal rate
Mississippi has no state minimum wage law. The U.S. Department of Labor's state minimum wage table, last updated July 1, 2026, lists Mississippi with "no state minimum wage law" and says employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal $7.25. That rate took effect July 24, 2009 and has not changed since. Mississippi also has no state wage and hour agency, so minimum wage complaints go to the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.
Most employers are covered by the FLSA. The small group that is not has no minimum wage requirement at all in Mississippi, because there is no state law to fill the gap. If you think your business might fall outside federal coverage, check the federal coverage tests with the Wage and Hour Division before relying on it.
Mississippi tipped minimum wage
Federal tip credit rules apply (U.S. DOL tipped wage table). An employer can pay a tipped employee $2.13 an hour in cash and count up to $5.12 an hour in tips toward the $7.25 minimum. A tipped employee is one who customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. If tips plus the cash wage fall short of $7.25 for a workweek, the employer pays the difference, and employers may not keep any part of employees' tips.
Exceptions
- Federal youth opportunity wage: $4.25 an hour for workers under 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment.
- Full-time students, learners and workers with disabilities can be paid less only under certificates issued by the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Exempt executive, administrative, professional and outside sales employees are outside the FLSA minimum wage and overtime rules if they meet the federal tests.
What this means for hiring
$7.25 is a legal floor, not a hiring rate. Many Mississippi employers filling manufacturing, healthcare, distribution and hospitality jobs pay above it, and applicants compare your ad with those rates. Put the real starting rate in the first line of the ad. To see what a hire costs at that rate with taxes and benefits, use the employee cost calculator. For E-Verify, new-hire reporting and the rest of the state rules, see Mississippi labor laws, and compare other states on our minimum wage by state hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Mississippi in 2026?
$7.25 an hour, the federal minimum wage. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, so the Fair Labor Standards Act sets the rate for covered employers, as it has since July 24, 2009. Tipped employees can be paid $2.13 an hour in cash if tips bring them to at least $7.25.
Is Mississippi raising its minimum wage?
No increase is scheduled. Mississippi has no state minimum wage to raise, so the rate would change only if Congress raised the federal minimum wage or the Mississippi Legislature enacted a state minimum wage law. Neither has happened as of September 24, 2026.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Mississippi?
$2.13 an hour in cash wages under federal law, with a maximum tip credit of $5.12, so tips and cash wage together must reach $7.25 an hour. If they fall short in a workweek, the employer pays the difference. Employers may not keep any portion of employees' tips under federal law.
Who enforces minimum wage in Mississippi?
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. Mississippi has no state labor department that enforces wage and hour law. The Mississippi Department of Employment Security handles unemployment insurance, and the Department of Human Services runs new-hire reporting, but neither enforces the minimum wage.
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