Louisiana tip pooling laws & tipped minimum wage
In Louisiana, employers can pay tipped workers $2.13/hr as long as tips bring them to the $7.25 minimum — here's how that works and who can legally share your tips.
| Regular minimum wage | $7.25/hr |
| Minimum cash wage for tipped workers | $2.13/hr |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12/hr |
| Tips belong to | Employees — always |
A tip credit lets an employer count your tips toward the minimum wage it owes you. Rates reviewed July 2026. Rates change — confirm with the Louisiana labor department. Not legal advice.
What's specific to Louisiana
Louisiana has no state minimum wage law; federal FLSA rules apply directly.
Louisiana has no state minimum-wage law — federal rules govern
Louisiana is one of the few states with no minimum-wage statute of its own. That means the federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets the floor: $7.25 an hour, with a tipped cash wage of $2.13 and a tip credit of up to $5.12, as long as your tips bring the total to at least $7.25 an hour.
Because there is no separate state law, there are no state-specific tip rules for Louisiana to add or subtract. The federal framework is the whole picture here.
Louisiana law blocks cities and parishes from raising wages
Even though the state sets no wage of its own, it has affirmatively barred local ones. Under Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 23:642, no parish or municipality may require a private employer to pay a minimum wage — or to grant a set number of paid or unpaid leave days — above what federal law requires.
The result is a uniform $7.25 floor and a $2.13 tipped cash wage in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and everywhere else in Louisiana.
If your tips do not reach $7.25, your employer owes the difference
The tip credit is not a license to pay below minimum wage. In any workweek where your $2.13 cash wage plus tips do not average at least $7.25 an hour, your employer must make up the shortfall. Because Louisiana has no state labor enforcement agency for this, tipped-wage claims are handled by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.
Tip pooling in Louisiana
Louisiana follows the federal baseline: employers may require tip pooling. If your employer takes the tip credit (pays $2.13/hr cash), the pool may only include customarily tipped workers — servers, bussers, bartenders, runners, hosts. Back-of-house can only be included if everyone is paid full minimum wage with no tip credit. Managers and supervisors are always excluded.
One federal rule applies everywhere: managers and supervisors can never take from a tip pool. Separately, credit card processing fees may only be deducted from tips where state law allows it.
What this means for your tip-out
Because part of your legal wage in Louisiana comes from tips, the employer's tip credit assumes those tips reached you. Use the tip-out calculator to split a shift by your house's percentages or by hours, and see standard tip-out percentages to check whether your house's rates are typical.
Louisiana tip law FAQs
What is the tipped minimum wage in Louisiana?
Employers in Louisiana may pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.13/hr and claim a tip credit of up to $5.12/hr toward the $7.25 minimum wage. If tips don't close the gap in a workweek, the employer must make up the difference.
Is mandatory tip pooling legal in Louisiana?
Louisiana follows the federal baseline: employers may require tip pooling. If your employer takes the tip credit (pays $2.13/hr cash), the pool may only include customarily tipped workers — servers, bussers, bartenders, runners, hosts. Back-of-house can only be included if everyone is paid full minimum wage with no tip credit. Managers and supervisors are always excluded.
Can my manager take a share of the tip pool in Louisiana?
No. Federal law prohibits managers, supervisors, and owners from keeping any portion of employee tips in every state, including Louisiana. A manager may keep only tips they directly and solely earned (e.g., a table they personally served start to finish).
Does Louisiana have its own minimum wage?
No. Louisiana has no state minimum-wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour and the $2.13 tipped cash wage apply directly under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
Can New Orleans or another Louisiana city set a higher wage?
No. Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 23:642 prohibits parishes and municipalities from requiring private employers to pay above the federal minimum, so the tipped cash wage stays $2.13 statewide.