Wage-and-hour ground rules for hotel and hospitality employers in Louisiana — minimum wage, tipped-employee rules, overtime, breaks, premium pay, and the hotel-specific obligations that apply on top. Figures below were last reviewed on June 12, 2026; most rates adjust annually.
Verified as of June 12, 2026 — every figure on this page was checked against the official sources listed at the bottom on that date. How we verify →
Minimum wage#
The Louisiana minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, effective July 24, 2009. Louisiana has NO state minimum wage law; the federal FLSA rate of $7.25 applies to covered hotel employers. Rate shown is the federal minimum.
Preemption Louisiana preempts local minimum wage ordinances — cities and counties cannot set their own general wage floors.
Tipped employees & tip pooling#
Louisiana allows a tip credit: employers may pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.13 and claim up to $5.12 per hour in tips toward the minimum wage. Federal FLSA rules: tipped employee customarily and regularly receives more than $30/month in tips; cash wage plus tips must equal at least $7.25; employer must give notice before taking the credit. No state tipped-wage law; federal $2.13/$5.12 applies.
Tip pooling#
No state statute; federal FLSA rules apply — employers, managers, and supervisors may not keep tips; mandatory traditional pools permitted when a tip credit is taken; back-of-house may be included only if full minimum wage is paid. (29 U.S.C. 203(m))
See the federal baseline rules in our tip credit and tip pooling briefs — the stricter of federal or Louisiana law controls.
Overtime#
Overtime is due after 40 hours in a workweek. No state overtime law; FLSA 40-hour standard applies.
Run the math — including the tipped-overtime trap — with the tipped overtime calculator.
Meal & rest breaks#
Meal breaks: Not required by Louisiana law for adult employees. Federal law requires only that breaks under 20 minutes, if offered, be paid.
Rest breaks: Not required by Louisiana law.
Scheduling & premium pay#
- Reporting-time pay: None required by state law.
- Split-shift premium: None.
- Spread of hours: None.
Service charges & gratuities#
Louisiana has no service-charge-specific statute — the federal tip/service-charge line (and IRS treatment) controls. Background: service charges, auto-gratuities & resort fees.
Pay administration#
- Pay frequency: La. R.S. 23:633 requires semimonthly or biweekly paydays, but only for manufacturing, mining, and public-service employers with 10+ employees; hotels are not expressly covered, so pay frequency is largely a matter of policy/contract.
- Wage statements: No general itemized wage-statement statute; final-wage payment rules (La. R.S. 23:631) impose penalty wages for late payment after separation. (La. R.S. 23:631)
- Exempt salary floor: $684.00/week (federal)
- Lodging credit: Federal FLSA section 3(m) reasonable-cost credit for lodging and meals applies; no separate state rule.
La. R.S. 23:642 expressly prohibits local governments from establishing a minimum wage — significant for New Orleans's large hospitality sector, where past local wage efforts were struck down (New Orleans Campaign for a Living Wage v. City of New Orleans, La. 2002). Hotel compliance is governed almost entirely by the FLSA.
Official sources#
- Louisiana Workforce Commission
- Paycor minimum wage by state tracker (2026, lists LA among no-state-minimum states) (accessed 2026-06-12)
- Paychex US minimum wage state-by-state guide 2026 (accessed 2026-06-12)