The minimum wage in Nashville TN is $7.25 per hour in 2023.
Nashville is easily one of the most famous cities in the United States and has attracted many people to live there over the past several years.
Not only has Nashville still got the best country music in the nation, whilst also being a hub of musicians from all over the place, but the city’s economic stability has been steadily growing, with many job markets expanding too, making Nashville the perfect place for work and play!
The following graphic shows the Nashville minimum wage rate over the past several years, which unfortunately for many, has not increased.
The weekly minimum wage in Nashville equates to $290 ($7.25×40) if you are working a full 40-hour week.
There are, however, some exceptions to this hourly wage for student workers, tipped employees, and overtime workers who will all receive different minimum wage rates.
Nashville Minimum Wage Exemptions
The state of Tennessee does not have its own specific minimum wage policy, which is why it defaults to the federal minimum wage rate, and subsequently, so does Nashville.
There are rules and laws in place to ensure that employers are paying their employees the minimum wage or above in Nashville, TN unless they are exempt employees.
Below we have listed all the minimum wage rates for exempt employees in Nashville.
- Nashville’s minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13 per hour with a tip credit rate of $5.12.
- Student-workers (full-time high school or college) in Nashville are paid a minimum wage of $6.16 per hour for up to 20 hours of work a week. Any more than this and they are eligible for the full minimum wage of $7.25.
- The overtime minimum wage in Nashville is $10.88 per hour for every hour worked in excess of 40 hours per week.
- The minimum wage in Nashville for those who work more than 40 hours per week is $10.88 per hour (overtime minimum wage rate).
What is the Nashville Living Wage?
Due to Nashville being a big expansive city with a large population and competitive job market, you would expect the minimum wage to be higher for the city.
Unfortunately for many, Nashville still follows the state minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour for the majority of its workers.
However, there is a ‘living wage’ for Nashville, TN, which is calculated based on how much a person needs to pay their bills, food, and general cost of living expenses while living in the city.
The living wage for an adult living alone with no children in Nashville is $18.35 per hour (via Living Wage Calculator), which is $11.10 higher than the minimum wage for the state itself.
There are many employers in Nashville take this into account when they contemplate how much they should be paying employees within the city.
Taking all of the living expenses into account, the living wage annual salary (for a full-time person) in Nashville is $38,168 before state income tax in Tennessee.
Nashville Living Wage for 1 Adult
Below is a table representing the living wage in Nashville for a single adult, with different living wages for the additional amount of children they live with and care for.
| Single Adult | 0 Children | 1 Child | 2 Children | 3 Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Wage | $18.35 | $33.71 | $42.05 | $54.50 |
| Poverty Wage | $6.53 | $8.80 | $11.07 | $13.34 |
Nashville Living Wage for 2 Adults
The table below showcases the living wage in Nashville for 2 adults with only one working, including the costs for the different numbers of children.
| 2 Adults (1 working) | 0 Children | 1 Child | 2 Children | 3 Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Wage | $27.76 | $33.34 | $38.11 | $42.17 |
| Poverty Wage | $8.80 | $11.07 | $13.34 | $15.61 |
What is the Average Wage in Nashville?
According to payscale.com, the average base hourly rate is $21.02 per hour in Nashville. If you worked full-time (40 hours per week or 2080 hours per year), the average annual income would be $43,721.60.
So, as an employee or future employee in Nashville, you have a good chance of being paid a higher wage than the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Fortunately, the average wage in Nashville is just an average calculation, and you could certainly earn more than this when moving to the state. However, you may be paid even less, with the minimum wage being $7.25 per hour, which is the case for many Servers in Tennessee.
If the living wage in Nashville is $18.35 and the average effective hourly rate of $21.02 per hour, it can be considered a very good choice for those seeking a move to the Volunteer State. Despite having the same minimum wage, the Memphis average wage is different from Nashville.
Nashville Minimum Wage History
The table below displays the historical minimum wage rates in Nashville since 1983. As you can see in the table, we have included percentage increases and the dollar increase per year.
| Tennessee City | Wage | Year | $ Wage Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2023 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2022 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2021 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2020 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2019 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2018 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2017 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2016 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2015 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2014 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2013 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2012 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2011 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2010 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $7.25 | 2009 | $0.67 | 12% |
| Nashville | $6.55 | 2008 | $0.70 | 11.96% |
| Nashville | $5.85 | 2007 | $0.70 | 13.59% |
| Nashville | $5.15 | 2006 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $5.15 | 2005 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $5.15 | 2004 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $5.15 | 2003 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $5.15 | 2002 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $5.15 | 2001 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $5.15 | 2000 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $5.15 | 1999 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $5.15 | 1998 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $5.15 | 1997 | $0.40 | 8.42% |
| Nashville | $4.75 | 1996 | $0.50 | 11.76% |
| Nashville | $4.25 | 1995 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $4.25 | 1994 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $4.25 | 1993 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $4.25 | 1992 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $4.25 | 1991 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $4.25 | 1990 | $0.45 | 11.84% |
| Nashville | $3.80 | 1989 | $0.45 | 13.43% |
| Nashville | $3.35 | 1988 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $3.35 | 1987 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $3.35 | 1986 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $3.35 | 1985 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $3.35 | 1984 | $0 | 0% |
| Nashville | $3.35 | 1983 | $0 | 0% |
Final Thoughts
The minimum wage in Nashville is the same rate as the Tennessee state minimum wage, which also follows federal guidelines, resulting in an hourly wage for both Nashville and Tennessee of $7.25 per hour. As an employee in Nashville, you must be paid this wage or higher by law.
The living wage is significantly higher than the minimum wage within the city, which is why the majority of Nashville employers will pay more than $7.25 per hour to their employees despite not being legally obliged to.
