Tennessee Overtime Calculator (2026): Gross & Net Take-Home After Tax

1. Federal FLSA Overtime Standards in Tennessee (29 U.S.C. § 207)

Tennessee does not have a state overtime statute. Instead, all overtime compensation in the state is governed by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA, 29 U.S.C. § 207). Under the FLSA, covered non-exempt employees must be compensated at not less than 1.5× their regular hourly rate for all hours worked past 40 in a designated 7-day workweek.

Essential rules governing Tennessee overtime include:

• Strictly Weekly Overtime Trigger: Overtime is triggered purely on a weekly basis. An employee working a 12-hour shift on Monday and an 8-hour shift on Tuesday is owed overtime only if their cumulative hours exceed 40.0 during that workweek.
• No Daily Overtime or Double Time: Tennessee law does not require daily overtime pay (such as after 8 hours) or double-time multipliers (2.0×). Any daily premium or double-time pay exists only if agreed upon in a private contract or union agreement.
• No Sunday or Holiday Premium: Employers are not required by law to pay premium rates for work performed on weekends, Sundays, or holidays unless those hours push the worker's weekly total past 40.
• Prohibition on Averaging Workweeks: Employers cannot average hours across pay periods. Working 50 hours in week one and 30 hours in week two requires 10 hours of statutory overtime pay in the first week, even though the bi-weekly total is 80 hours.
• Mandatory Overtime is Legal: Tennessee employers can mandate overtime work for adult employees. Employers can legally fire or discipline workers who refuse scheduled overtime, provided total overtime hours are paid at 1.5×.
• Federal Exempt Salary Threshold ($684/Week): Salaried executive, administrative, and professional employees are exempt from overtime only if paid a predetermined guaranteed salary of at least $684 per week ($35,568 per year) and they pass FLSA job duties tests. Outdated figures occasionally seen online — including $844/week, $1,128/week, or the pre-2020 $455/week — are legally invalid in 2026 because the 2024 rule was vacated by federal courts and 2019 levels were restored on May 15, 2026. The highly compensated exemption threshold is $107,432/year, and computer professionals must earn at least $27.63/hour.

2. Minimum Wage, Tipped Wages & Subminimum Rules

Tennessee has no state minimum wage law. Covered employers are subject to the federal statutory minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which has remained unchanged since July 24, 2009. Under TCA § 50-2-112, cities and counties are legally prohibited from establishing local minimum wages above $7.25.

For tipped employees (such as restaurant servers, bartenders, and bussers):

• Direct Cash Wage: Employers may pay a direct cash wage of $2.13 per hour, claiming a maximum tip credit of $5.12 per hour under FLSA § 203(m).
• Employer Make-Up Obligation: If an employee's direct cash wage plus tips does not equal at least $7.25 per hour across the workweek, the employer must pay the difference.
• Overtime on the FULL Minimum Wage: When a tipped worker works overtime, overtime is calculated on the FULL $7.25 rate, not the $2.13 cash wage:
  • Overtime Rate Floor: $7.25 × 1.5 = $10.88 per hour ($10.875 rounded)
  • Less Maximum Tip Credit: -$5.12 per hour
  • Mandatory Direct Employer Cash per OT Hour: $5.76 per hour ($10.88 − $5.12)
• Subminimum Youth & Student Wages: Under-20s may be paid a training wage of $4.25 per hour during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment. Full-time students employed in retail or service establishments may be paid 85% of minimum wage ($6.16 per hour) under special U.S. DOL certificates.

3. Final Paycheck Laws in Tennessee (TCA § 50-2-103(g))

Tennessee's final wage payment statute (TCA § 50-2-103(g)) contains a specific timeline that applies equally whether an employee was discharged, fired, laid off, or voluntarily resigned:

• The 21-Day Rule: The employer must issue the final paycheck no later than the LATER of the next regular scheduled payday OR 21 days from the date of separation.
• Mandatory 21-Day Waiting Period: Under Tennessee law, a separated worker must wait 21 days following separation before filing a formal wage claim with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). Wage claims submitted before 21 days have elapsed will not be processed.
• Vacation / PTO Payout: Tennessee statute does not require employers to provide paid vacation or PTO. Payout upon separation is governed strictly by the employer's published written employment policy or union agreement. If the policy promises payout of accrued unused vacation, it counts as final wages due on the 21-day timeline. If the policy is silent or explicitly states that unused PTO is forfeited, Tennessee law provides no default right to payment.

4. Adult and Minor Meal Break Mandates

Tennessee is one of the few southern states with a statutory meal break requirement:

• Adult Employees (TCA § 50-2-103(h)): Employees scheduled to work 6 or more consecutive hours must be provided with a 30-minute unpaid meal or rest break. The break cannot be scheduled during or before the first hour of work.
• Ample-Opportunity Exception: The adult break mandate does not apply in workplace settings where the nature of the business gives employees ample opportunity to rest or take breaks throughout the day.
• Tipped Food-Service Waiver: Tipped employees in food-service establishments may waive the 30-minute break in writing, with the statutory right to rescind that waiver within 7 days.
• Minors Under 18 (TCA § 50-5-115): Minors working 6+ consecutive hours must receive a 30-minute uninterrupted meal or rest break. Minors cannot waive this break, and the ample-opportunity exception does NOT apply to minors.
• Short Breaks (15 Minutes): While Tennessee law does not mandate short rest breaks, federal regulations (29 C.F.R. § 785.18) require that any rest pauses of 20 minutes or less granted by the employer must be paid working time.

5. Child Labor & Minors' Permissible Working Hours

Tennessee's Child Labor Act (TCA Title 50, Chapter 5) sets strict limits on youth employment:

• 14- and 15-Year-Olds: May work no more than 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week, 8 hours on a non-school day, and 40 hours in a non-school week. Hours are restricted to between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM (extended to 9:00 PM from June 1 through Labor Day).
• 16- and 17-Year-Olds: Cannot work between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM before school days. However, with written parental consent on file, 16- and 17-year-olds may work until midnight up to 3 school nights per week. (Note: Tennessee statutes do not specify a weekly hour cap for 16- and 17-year-olds, and sources conflict — employers must adhere to school attendance rules).

6. Regular Rate Math for Bonuses and Commissions

When non-exempt workers receive non-discretionary bonuses (such as attendance, safety, or production bonuses), shift differentials, or commissions, federal wage rules require that these payments be rolled into the employee's regular rate before calculating overtime:

7. Compensatory Time & Sector-Specific Rules

Specific industry exceptions in Tennessee include:

• Compensatory Time ('Comp Time'): Offering comp time in lieu of cash overtime is strictly illegal in Tennessee private-sector employment. Only public government agencies may provide comp time under FLSA § 207(o) at 1.5 hours per overtime hour worked, capped at 240 hours (480 hours for public safety and seasonal staff).
• Firefighters & Police (207(k)): Under 29 U.S.C. § 207(k), public fire departments can establish work periods of up to 28 days triggering overtime after 212 hours (or 53 hours in 7 days). Police departments trigger overtime after 171 hours in 28 days (or 43 hours in 7 days).
• Healthcare 8-and-80 System: Under 29 U.S.C. § 207(j), hospitals and care facilities may adopt an 8-and-80 elective overtime agreement (overtime after 8 hours in a workday OR after 80 hours in a 14-day pay period, whichever is greater). This is a federal elective option, NOT a Tennessee state mandate.
• No Nurse Mandatory Overtime Caps: Unlike states with nurse overtime caps, Tennessee law does not prohibit mandatory overtime for registered nurses or healthcare staff.
• Agricultural Exemption: Agricultural workers are exempt from statutory overtime under FLSA § 13(b)(12) and are therefore ineligible for the federal overtime deduction under IRC § 225.

8. Filing a Wage Complaint with TDLWD & Legal Deadlines

If an employer fails to pay required overtime or final wages, workers in Tennessee can seek administrative recovery or file a federal lawsuit:

• Agency: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD), Labor Standards Unit
• Address: 220 French Landing Drive, Nashville, TN 37243 • Phone: 844-224-5818
• Process: Workers submit an online wage inquiry leading to an official Statement of Wage Claim. TDLWD notifies the employer, who has 20 calendar days to respond.
• State Filing Deadline Note: TDLWD does NOT publish a formal state-claim statute of limitations — do not rely on unverified claims of a '1-year' deadline. However, workers should submit wage claims promptly after the 21-day waiting period has elapsed.
• Federal FLSA Court Deadlines: Lawsuits under the federal FLSA must be filed within 2 years from the date the overtime violation occurred, extended to 3 years for willful violations (29 U.S.C. § 255).

9. Tennessee City Anchors & Statewide Statutory Uniformity

Whether you work in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, or rural Tennessee, all municipal jurisdictions resolve to the exact same statewide statutory figures:

• Nashville (Davidson County): Subject to standard 1.5× FLSA weekly overtime after 40 hours, federal $7.25 minimum wage, $10.88 overtime floor, 0% state wage tax, and 0% local income tax.
• Memphis (Shelby County): Logistics and distribution employees follow standard FLSA 40-hour weekly rules; local payroll or wage taxes are barred.
• Knoxville (Knox County): Healthcare, research, and manufacturing workers follow standard weekly overtime; hospital workers may elect 8-and-80 federal schedules by agreement.
• Chattanooga (Hamilton County): Manufacturing and trades follow the 40-hour weekly trigger with no daily overtime or local wage mandates.
• Statutory Preemption (TCA § 50-2-112): Tennessee state law strictly preempts local municipalities from creating local minimum wage ordinances or separate city overtime rules. Searchers should never rely on invented city-specific wage rates.