Nashville cannot set its own minimum wage. Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-1802 preempts local wage ordinances. Tennessee has no state minimum wage statute, so the federal FLSA rate of $7.25/hour applies. Tipped wage: $2.13/hour cash + tips equaling $7.25.
Tennessee Code Annotated § 7-51-1802 (the Tennessee Wage Regulation Act / Local Government Authority limitation) explicitly preempts cities, counties, and metropolitan governments from establishing local minimum wage requirements above state or federal law. Tennessee is one of five states with no state minimum wage statute of its own, so the federal FLSA $7.25/hour rate (29 U.S.C. § 206) controls. The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County provides a $20/hour living wage for full-time Metro employees by Mayor's executive order (FY 2024-25 budget), but this does not extend to private employers. The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development directs complaints to U.S. DOL since there is no state minimum wage law to enforce.
Because Tennessee has no state minimum wage statute, all enforcement is federal under FLSA. U.S. DOL Wage & Hour Division remedies (29 U.S.C. § 216(b)) include back wages plus equal liquidated damages for willful violations, civil money penalties up to $2,374 per repeat offense, and a 2-year (3-year for willful) statute of limitations.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Nashville, TN
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Nashville, TN
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Nashville, TN
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Nashville, TN
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Nashville, TN
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Nashville, TN
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