Mississippi · Unpaid wages · Updated Oct 2026

Mississippi wage claims: how to get your unpaid pay

Not paid for all your hours, no overtime, or no final paycheck? Here is Mississippi’s minimum wage, the final-paycheck rules, the deadlines and where to file, in plain English.

$7.25minimum wage in 2026
$2.13tipped cash wage
Nodaily overtime
No state deadlinefinal pay if fired
See belowtime limit to file (see details)

Where to file in Mississippi

Mississippi has no state wage-claim program. No state wage-claim agency - US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (WHD) handles minimum wage and overtime complaints

Federal office
US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
Phone
1-866-487-9243

The Wage and Hour Division takes complaints about the federal minimum wage and overtime in every state. For other unpaid pay, such as a promised rate above the minimum wage or a final paycheck, you can sue your employer, often in small claims court.

US DOL: how to file Small claims court in Mississippi

How to file a wage claim in Mississippi

  1. Gather your records

    Dates and hours worked, your pay rate, pay stubs or bank deposits, texts or schedules, and the employer's name and address.

  2. Ask in writing first (optional)

    A demand letter gives your employer a deadline to pay and shows you tried. Use the free letter on this page.

  3. File with the US Department of Labor or go to court

    Call the Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243 about minimum wage and overtime. Mississippi has no state labor department that collects unpaid wages. The Mississippi Department of Employment Security says minimum wage, overtime and child labor laws are enforced by the US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. Call WHD free at 1-866-487-9243; complaints are confidential and WHD will connect you with the nearest office. For other unpaid pay (for example a promised final paycheck above minimum wage), you would need to sue the employer in state court, such as justice court for smaller amounts.

Minimum wage and overtime in Mississippi

Mississippi has no state minimum wage law. Employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.

Minimum wage (2026)
$7.25
Tipped cash wage
$2.13

Overtime

Mississippi has no state overtime law; the federal rule applies. Most hourly workers must get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime.

Paydays: Only some employers have a state payday rule: manufacturers with 50 or more employees and public service corporations must pay every two weeks or twice a month (US DOL summary of Mississippi law). Others have no state payday rule.

Your final paycheck in Mississippi

If you are fired or laid off
No Mississippi law sets a deadline for the final paycheck; federal law does not either, but you must still be paid at least minimum wage and overtime for all hours worked.
If you quit
No state deadline; same as above.

When was your final paycheck due in Mississippi?

Enter how your job ended and your last day of work. We show your state’s rule and, when the rule is a simple number of days or your next payday, the date.

Enter your last day of workThe result appears when you pick a date.

Dates are approximate: we skip weekends for business and working days but not holidays. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Penalties your employer may owe

No state penalty law found. Under federal law (FLSA), unpaid minimum wage and overtime can be recovered plus an equal amount in liquidated (double) damages, and attorney fees.

Retaliation and immigration status

Federal law also makes it illegal to fire or punish you for filing a wage complaint or cooperating in an investigation (US DOL Fact Sheet #77A).

The US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforces federal wage law without regard to immigration status, and its services are free and confidential whether you are documented or not (US DOL).

Deductions and tips

No state tip or deduction law found; federal rules apply. Employers using a tip credit must pay at least $2.13 an hour in cash and make sure tips bring you up to $7.25; deductions cannot cut your pay below the federal minimum wage.

Good to know in Mississippi

  • Because Mississippi has no state wage office, the federal Wage and Hour Division (1-866-487-9243) is the main free place to complain about minimum wage or overtime.
  • Federal minimum wage and overtime claims must be filed within 2 years, or 3 years if the violation was willful.

Wage-theft calculator for Mississippi

Work out what you should have been paid: at least the minimum wage for every hour, plus overtime. Then compare it with what you got.

If a higher city or county minimum wage applies where you work, enter that rate if it is more than you were promised.

Before taxes, if you know it. Leave it empty to see only what you were owed.

Fill in your pay, hours and weeksThe result appears as you type.

Mississippi overtime rule: Mississippi has no state overtime law; the federal rule applies. Most hourly workers must get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime.

Penalties your employer may also owe in Mississippi: No state penalty law found. Under federal law (FLSA), unpaid minimum wage and overtime can be recovered plus an equal amount in liquidated (double) damages, and attorney fees.

Tipped workers: this calculator does not count tips. In many states your employer may pay a lower cash wage if your tips make up the difference to the minimum wage; see your state’s page.

An estimate from the numbers you enter and Mississippi’s rules, not legal advice. Nothing you type in this calculator is sent anywhere.

Free demand letter for unpaid wages

A short, firm letter asking your employer to pay what it owes by a deadline. Many workers get paid at this step, and in some states a written demand starts penalties or makes the employer pay your attorney fees later. Fill this in, then download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it), sign it, keep a copy and send it in a way you can prove, such as certified mail or an email you keep.

When you download or copy the letter, the details you typed are saved on our server. See our privacy policy.

The name on your pay stubs, checks or the business sign. If you only know the owner’s name, use that.

Use the calculator above if you are not sure.

We suggest 10 days.

What were you not paid? (required)

One or two sentences with dates, hours and amounts.

Questions about wage claims in Mississippi

Where do I file a wage claim in Mississippi?

Mississippi has no state wage-claim program. Contact the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243 about minimum wage and overtime, or go to court.

What is the minimum wage in Mississippi in 2026?

Mississippi has no state minimum wage law. Employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.

Does Mississippi have daily overtime?

Mississippi has no state overtime law; the federal rule applies. Most hourly workers must get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime.

When is my final paycheck due in Mississippi if I'm fired?

No Mississippi law sets a deadline for the final paycheck; federal law does not either, but you must still be paid at least minimum wage and overtime for all hours worked.

When is my final paycheck due in Mississippi if I quit?

No state deadline; same as above.

What can my employer owe besides my wages in Mississippi?

No state penalty law found. Under federal law (FLSA), unpaid minimum wage and overtime can be recovered plus an equal amount in liquidated (double) damages, and attorney fees.

Employer still won't pay? Small claims court is often the next step for amounts under the state limit.

Small claims in Mississippi
Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.

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