Current Minimum Wage
Louisiana minimum wage$7.25since July 24, 2009

State minimum wage

Louisiana minimum wage

$7.25 an hour as of September 2, 2026. Tipped cash wage $2.13.

  • The Louisiana minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, set by state law effective .
  • No increase is currently scheduled in Louisiana.
  • Tipped employees must be paid at least $2.13 in cash, with a tip credit of up to $5.12.
  • At $7.25 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $15,080 a year before taxes.
  • Louisiana law bars cities and counties from setting their own minimum wage.

Tipped cash wage

$2.13
Tip credit up to $5.12

Youth / training

None
No state provision; federal FLSA youth opportunity wage ($4.25, under 20, first 90 days) may apply to FLSA-covered employers (not verified from a Louisiana source).

Next change

None scheduled
Set by statute; no indexing

Local rates

Preempted
La. R.S. 23:642 ('Setting minimum wage or employee benefits; prohibited'): no local governmental subdivision shall establish a minimum wage rate or mandatory leave for private employers. Acts 1997...

Coverage, exemptions, and history

Who is covered. Federal minimum wage for FLSA-covered employers only; DOL: 'No state minimum wage law. Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current....

Tipped employees. Federal FLSA tipped rules apply (no state law).

Recent history. Louisiana has never enacted a state minimum wage; federal rate governs covered employers.

The federal effective date 2009-07-24 is the FLSA date.

Statute. None establishing a state minimum wage.

Common questions

What is the minimum wage in Louisiana?

$7.25 an hour as of September 2, 2026, under state law effective July 24, 2009.

When does the Louisiana minimum wage go up next?

No increase is scheduled.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Louisiana?

$2.13 in cash plus tips; the employer must make up any shortfall to $7.25.

Do any cities in Louisiana have a higher minimum wage?

No. State law preempts local minimum wage ordinances.

Sources

  1. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state official
  2. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped official
  3. https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=83958 official
  4. https://www.laworks.net/
  5. https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wages

Checked 2026-09-02 against None (no state minimum wage law); researcher confidence 0.90.