Tennessee law TCA 50-2-202 preempts cities from setting minimum wages above the federal floor of 7.25 dollars per hour, so Knoxville cannot adopt a local minimum wage.
Tennessee Code Annotated 50-2-202 explicitly preempts local governments from establishing minimum wage rates higher than federal Fair Labor Standards Act levels. The federal minimum remains 7.25 dollars per hour with no Tennessee state minimum wage statute. Knoxville and Knox County cannot legally adopt local minimum wage ordinances applying to private employers. The city does set internal wage floors for its own employees and adopted a living wage policy for direct city workers, currently above 15 dollars per hour, but cannot mandate this for contractors broadly.
Any local minimum wage ordinance would be void and unenforceable; private employees rely on federal FLSA enforcement through the U.S. Department of Labor.
See how Knoxville's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.