Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, so employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal $7.25 an hour as of October 2026. Tipped staff can be paid $2.13 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them to $7.25.
Mississippi is one of five states the U.S. Department of Labor lists with no state minimum wage law, alongside Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee. With no state labour department setting wages, this page draws on the federal sources that govern pay in Mississippi: the Department of Labor's state, tipped, history, payday and meal break tables and its Fair Labor Standards Act reference guide, read in October 2026.
Mississippi pay rules at a glance
| Rule | Mississippi (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| State minimum wage law | None |
| Federal minimum wage | $7.25 an hour |
| Tipped cash wage | $2.13 an hour |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12 an hour |
| Tipped employee test | More than $30 a month in tips |
| Youth rate | $4.25 for under-20s, first 90 days |
Who the federal law covers
Because there's no state law, the key question in Mississippi is whether federal law reaches your business. The reference guide says an enterprise is covered if it has employees in interstate commerce and annual sales or business of not less than $500,000, or if it runs a hospital, a care home, a school or a preschool, whether for profit or not.
Smaller firms aren't automatically outside the law. The guide says employees can be covered individually if their own work involves interstate commerce, for example in communications or transportation, handling goods moving between states, or regularly crossing state lines for work. In practice most Mississippi employers pay $7.25. My federal minimum wage guide covers the test in detail.
Tipped pay under federal rules
Federal rules set tipped pay in Mississippi. The employer must pay at least $2.13 an hour in direct wages and can count up to $5.12 of tips per hour toward the $7.25 minimum. The guide adds three conditions:
- Tell the employee about the tip credit in advance.
- Be able to show that cash wage plus tips reached at least $7.25 an hour.
- Make up the difference in any period where tips fall short.
Employees must keep their tips, except under a valid tip pool. My guide to tip pooling explains who can share.
The youth minimum wage
The reference guide allows a minimum of not less than $4.25 an hour for employees under 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days with an employer. It bans displacing existing staff to hire at the youth rate, including partial displacement such as cutting hours, wages or benefits. After 90 days or at age 20, the full $7.25 applies.
Overtime and working hours
Overtime is time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek for non-exempt staff, under federal law. The guide notes that the federal law doesn't limit the hours in a day or days in a week an employee aged 16 or over can be scheduled. There's no daily overtime trigger in Mississippi.
Paydays in Mississippi
Here's the rule most people miss. Mississippi has a payday law, but it's narrow. The federal payday table says it applies to every entity engaged in manufacturing in the state employing 50 or more employees, and to every public service corporation doing business there. Those employers must pay once every two weeks or twice each calendar month. Other employers aren't covered by that rule.
Breaks
Mississippi doesn't appear in the Department of Labor's table of states with a meal period law, and federal law doesn't require meal breaks. My guide to lunch break laws covers the federal rules and the states that require breaks.
Mississippi and its neighbours
| State | Minimum wage (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Mississippi | No state law, federal $7.25 |
| Alabama | No state law, federal $7.25 |
| Louisiana | No state law, federal $7.25 |
| Tennessee | No state law, federal $7.25 |
| Arkansas | $11.00 |
Mississippi shares the federal floor with three of its four neighbours. Arkansas, across the river, is the exception, paying $11.00 to employers with 4 or more employees.
Mistakes Mississippi employers make
- Assuming no state law means no minimum wage at all.
- Paying tipped staff $2.13 without telling them about the tip credit.
- Using the youth rate past 90 days or after a worker turns 20.
- Cutting existing staff hours to make room for youth-rate hires.
- Missing the two-week payday rule in manufacturing with 50 or more staff.
Teen workers and federal limits
Federal child labour rules apply in Mississippi too. The reference guide says 14 is the minimum age for most non-farm work, 14 and 15 year olds can work no more than 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week, and work can't start before 7 a.m. or end after 7 p.m. outside the summer period. Minors aged 16 and 17 can do any nonhazardous job for unlimited hours.
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My verdict
Mississippi is simpler than most states because federal law does all the work: $7.25 an hour, a $2.13 tipped cash wage and overtime after 40 hours. The two things to watch are the youth rate limits and, for larger manufacturers, the payday rule. If you're unsure whether federal law covers you, pay $7.25 and follow the federal rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Mississippi?
Mississippi has no state law, so covered employers pay the federal $7.25 an hour as of October 2026.
Does Mississippi have a state minimum wage?
No. The U.S. Department of Labor lists Mississippi among five states with no state minimum wage law.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Mississippi?
Tipped staff can be paid $2.13 an hour in cash, with tips bringing the total to $7.25.
Can Mississippi employers pay teenagers less?
Yes. Federal law allows $4.25 an hour for under-20s in their first 90 consecutive calendar days.
Does Mississippi require lunch breaks?
No. Mississippi isn't in the federal table of states with a meal period law.
How often must Mississippi employers pay?
Manufacturers with 50 or more employees and public service corporations must pay every two weeks or twice a month.
Who does the federal minimum wage cover in Mississippi?
Enterprises with sales of at least $500,000, hospitals, schools and care homes, plus staff whose own work involves interstate commerce.
Does Mississippi have daily overtime?
No. Federal overtime applies after 40 hours in a workweek.
