What is the minimum wage in Louisiana? Here's how it gets set and why

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) -- The minimum wage in the state of Louisiana is $7.25 per hour.

The U.S. Department of Labor said Louisiana doesn't have a state minimum wage law and employers must pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Other states without a state minimum wage law are Mississippi, Alabama, Tennesse and South Carolina.

Two bills that would have raised the minimum wage failed in committee during the 2024 Regular Legislative Session. House Bill 431 and Senate Bill 173 would have created a state minimum wage and increased wages to $10 per hour starting in 2025, $12 starting in 2027 and $14 starting in 2029.

According to Invest in Louisiana, if the minimum wage had kept up with inflation in the last 14 years, it would be $10.45 per hour.

"Low-income, Black and women workers would benefit disproportionally from a higher minimum wage," the group said when analyzing who would benefit if the two bills passed.

A living wage calculation shows that the living wage for a family of four in Louisiana is $22.79 per hour with two adults working to provide for two kids, and the annual required income after taxes for typical expenses is $84,614.

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