Tennessee Overtime Calculator and Time Tracking Rules
Overtime in Tennessee is time and a half after 40 hours in a week. Tennessee follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Use the free calculator below, check the state's wage and hour rules, and see how Clox tracks your crew's hours.
NOVEMBER 6, 2026 · BY THE CLOX TEAM
If you run an hourly crew in Tennessee, two questions come up every payroll: how much do you owe once someone crosses into overtime, and are you following the state's rules. Tennessee uses the federal 40-hour rule, so any hour past 40 in a workweek is paid at 1.5 times the regular rate. Tennessee follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. This page gives you a free Tennessee overtime calculator, a plain summary of the state's wage and hour rules, and a look at how Clox tracks your crew's hours.
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Free Tennessee overtime calculator
Enter the hours someone worked in a week and their pay rate to see the regular and overtime split. The math follows Tennessee rules: time and a half after 40 hours, with no daily overtime.
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Tennessee wage and hour rules
Here's the short version of the rules an hourly Tennessee employer runs into. Each figure has a source below, and the rules change over time, so confirm anything you rely on with the state.
$7.25 per hour (federal FLSA rate). Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, so employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Tennessee also has no state law on tips or tipped employees, so the federal rule applies: a cash wage of $2.13 per hour with a tip credit of up to $5.12, as long as tips bring total pay to at least $7.25, for employees who receive more than $30 a month in tips.
1.5x the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek under the federal FLSA. Tennessee has no state law regulating overtime pay. Overtime is governed and enforced federally by the US DOL Wage and Hour Division.
None. Tennessee has no state overtime law and no state law regulating scheduling, so only the federal weekly standard applies (over 40 hours in a workweek). Working more than 8 hours in a day does not by itself trigger overtime.
The meal or rest period may be unpaid (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-2-103(h)). The break may not be scheduled during or before the first hour of scheduled work. The requirement does not apply in workplaces that, by the nature of the business, give ample opportunity to rest or take an appropriate break. The state's examples are food and beverage workers and security guards. Failing to provide the 30-minute period is a violation of state law.
Beyond the 30-minute meal or rest period for employees scheduled 6 consecutive hours, Tennessee has no state requirement for additional breaks.
That rule is Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-2-103(g), and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development states there is no exemption under the law. Tennessee does not require payout of accrued unused vacation or other fringe benefits unless the employer's policy or a labor agreement requires it.
Confirm before you rely on these
Rates verified November 2026. Tennessee has no state minimum wage, overtime, or tip law, so the federal $7.25 (unchanged since July 24, 2009) and federal FLSA overtime apply, and no state change is scheduled because there is no state rate. Separately, Tennessee requires private employers with 5 or more employees to set regular paydays and to pay at least once a month (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-2-103(a)(1)). This is general information, not legal or payroll advice. Check the Tennessee labor department for the current rules, and talk to a professional for your situation.
Sources: tn.gov, lwdsupport.tn.gov, lwdsupport.tn.gov, lwdsupport.tn.gov, lwdsupport.tn.gov, dol.gov, dol.gov, dol.gov, dol.gov.
How long to keep time records
Federal law requires keeping time cards 2 years and payroll records 3 years, and some states go longer. The full breakdown is in how long to keep timesheets and payroll records.
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Track Tennessee hours accurately with Clox
A calculator is only as accurate as the hours you put into it. Clox is time tracking built for field and trade crews, so your crew's hours are recorded accurately in the first place, then the overtime is figured for you.
- Your crew clocks in with one tap on their phone, and it works offline, so a dead zone on the job doesn't lose a punch.
- Lock clock-in to a geofenced worksite so it has to happen on site. It's a strong deterrent, not a foolproof guarantee, because the location comes from the phone.
- Overtime is calculated automatically on the Tennessee weekly-40 rule, so you're not doing this math by hand every Friday.
- Export payroll-ready files for QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP, and Paychex when the week is done.
If your crew moves between addresses during the day, settle how you handle drive time between job sites before you run the numbers. Those hours can count toward the weekly total, and leaving them untracked understates the overtime you owe.
You can see the plans on the pricing page, or start a free trial. It's 14 days free, no credit card to start, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
More state guides: Georgia time tracking, Missouri time tracking.