Louisiana does not have its own state minimum wage law. Because no state statute sets a higher floor, the minimum wage in Louisiana is the federal minimum under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which has been $7.25 per hour since July 2009. There is no Louisiana-specific rate, no scheduled state increase, and no inflation indexing built into Louisiana law. On top of that, Louisiana law affirmatively bars cities and parishes from setting their own higher local minimum wage, so the federal $7.25 is effectively the ceiling and the floor for most workers across the entire state.
This makes Louisiana one of a handful of states that rely entirely on the federal standard. If Congress raises the FLSA minimum wage, Louisiana workers go up automatically; if Congress does nothing, the Louisiana rate stays at $7.25 indefinitely. Because the number can change at the federal level, you should always confirm the current rate with the U.S. Department of Labor before relying on it for payroll or a wage claim.
How the federal rate works in Louisiana
The FLSA covers most employees in Louisiana, whether they work for a national chain, a local restaurant, an oil-and-gas contractor, or a small business engaged in interstate commerce. Covered, non-exempt employees must be paid at least $7.25 for every hour worked. They must also receive overtime at one and one-half times their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek, again under the federal 40-hour standard. Louisiana has not enacted a daily overtime rule or a lower overtime threshold, so the federal weekly-40 rule is what applies.
Some workers are exempt from the minimum wage or overtime requirements under the FLSA, including certain executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees who meet the federal salary and duties tests. Other categories, such as some agricultural workers, certain seasonal employees, and learners or workers with disabilities under special certificates, may be subject to different rules. Exemptions are defined by federal law because Louisiana has not layered its own definitions on top.
The tipped cash wage and tip credit
Since Louisiana has no state wage law, the federal tip-credit rules govern tipped employees. An employer may pay a tipped employee a cash wage of as little as $2.13 per hour and claim a tip credit of up to $5.12 per hour, as long as the cash wage plus the tips the employee actually receives equals at least the full $7.25 minimum for every hour worked.
Key conditions under the federal rule apply in Louisiana:
- The tip-credit math must work every week. If a tipped worker's cash wage plus tips does not reach $7.25 per hour, the employer must make up the difference. The tip credit cannot be used to push effective pay below the federal minimum.
- A tipped employee is one who customarily receives more than $30 a month in tips, such as servers, bartenders, and some delivery and salon workers.
- The employee keeps the tips. Tips are the property of the worker. Valid tip pools may be required among employees who customarily receive tips, but employers, managers, and supervisors may not keep employees' tips for any purpose.
- Notice is required. Before taking a tip credit, the employer must inform the employee of the cash wage, the credit amount claimed, and the tip-pooling arrangement.
These figures, $2.13 cash wage and the $5.12 maximum tip credit, are set by federal law and have not changed in many years. As with the base rate, confirm them with the U.S. Department of Labor before relying on them.
No local minimum wage in Louisiana
Unlike states where cities such as Seattle or Chicago set higher local minimums, Louisiana law expressly prohibits local minimum wage ordinances. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 23, Section 642 preempts the field: no parish, city, or other political subdivision may establish a minimum wage rate that a private employer would be required to pay. The same preemption generally extends to mandating other private-sector benefits like paid leave. In practical terms, this means New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, and every other Louisiana community share the same wage floor, the federal $7.25. Do not expect a higher city or parish rate, because state law forbids one.