Kentucky minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Kentucky is $7.25 an hour in 2026. Kentucky's statute, KRS 337.275, sets a state minimum of $7.25, in force since July 1, 2009, and is written to follow the federal rate: if Congress raises it, the Kentucky rate rises to the same amount on the same day. A worker whose employer is outside federal law still has the state minimum.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $7.25 an hour, since July 1, 200913 |
|---|---|
| Next change | None scheduled. |
| Tipped employees | $2.13 cash wage, tip credit up to $5.1214 |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week3 · details |
| Full-time pay | $290 a week, $15,080 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, Division of Wages and Hours, (502) 564-3534 |
What to know about the Kentucky minimum wage
Kentucky does not just happen to match the federal rate; its statute is built to follow it. If Congress raises the federal minimum above the state figure, the Kentucky rate rises to the same amount on the same day, with no new act of the General Assembly needed.1 The link covers only the rate: federal exemptions are not carried into state law.
Two Kentucky rules go beyond federal law. First, the state requires time and a half not only after 40 hours a week but also when an employee works all seven days of a workweek.3 Second, its tip rules put the burden on the employer: a tipped employee earning more than $30 a month in tips may be paid $2.13 in cash in 2026 only if the employer's records show that cash wage plus tips reached at least the minimum wage each week, and employees may pool tips only by agreement among themselves.1
Kentucky cities and counties have no say over private wages. KRS 65.016, in force since January 9, 2017, forbids every type of local government, from cities to consolidated and urban-county governments, from requiring any employer to pay a particular wage or fringe benefit.2 The rate will therefore change only when the federal rate changes, and Kentucky's own law will move with it automatically.
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $2.13 an hour14 |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12 an hour |
Employees who regularly receive more than $30 a month in tips may be paid a cash wage of $2.13 in 2026, provided the employer's records show cash wage plus tips reached at least the minimum wage each week. Tips belong to the employees, who may agree to pool them among themselves.
An employer that takes a tip credit must make up the difference whenever wages plus tips fall short of the full minimum wage for the workweek. See the tipped minimum wage guide.
Overtime and salaried staff
| Weekly overtime | After 40 hours in a workweek, at 1.5 times the regular rate3 |
|---|---|
| Daily overtime | None in state law |
| Seventh day | Time and a half for hours worked on the seventh day when the employee works all seven days of the workweek |
| Exempt salary | The federal level, $684 a week ($35,568 a year) |
Time and a half after 40 hours a week (KRS 337.285). A separate law requires time and a half for hours on the seventh day when an employee works all seven days of a workweek, unless the employee is not permitted to work over 40 hours that week.
Overtime at the minimum wage of $7.25 is $10.875 an hour. Salaried managers, administrators and professionals are exempt from overtime only if they meet the duties tests and are paid at least the exempt salary. See overtime rules in every state or calculate pay with overtime.
How the rate changes
Kentucky has no schedule or inflation index of its own. Under KRS 337.275(1), a federal increase above the state rate raises the state rate to the same figure on the same date.
Indexed to inflation: no. Not indexed; follows the federal rate if that rises above the state rate.3
Rate history
Who is covered
KRS 337.275 sets the state rate for most employers, and employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay at least the federal minimum in any case. The state statute follows only the federal rate; it does not take over the federal exemptions.
- Besides the usual overtime after 40 hours a week, Kentucky requires time and a half for an employee who works all seven days of a workweek.
- A 2017 law, KRS 65.016, ended local wage mandates in Kentucky.
Cities and counties
Local governments of every type, including cities, counties, urban-county and consolidated governments, may not require employers to pay a particular wage or fringe benefit (KRS 65.016, effective January 9, 2017).
Largest cities in Kentucky
- Louisville/Jefferson CountyFederal rate $7.25
Cities of Kentucky among the 50 most populous in the US (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates for July 1, 2025). “Local” marks a city with its own minimum wage, “Regional” a state wage region, and “Federal rate” a city where the federal $7.25 is the rate that applies.
Neighboring states
If you live near a state line, the rate that applies is the one where you do the work, not where you live or where the employer is based.
| State | Per hour now |
|---|---|
| Illinois | $15.00 |
| Missouri | $15.00 |
| Virginia | $12.77 |
| Ohio | $11.00 |
| West Virginia | $8.75 |
| Indiana | $7.25 |
| Tennessee | $7.25 |
Compare every state on the ranked list and map.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, Division of Wages and Hours |
|---|---|
| Phone | (502) 564-3534 |
| The law | KRS 337.275 (Minimum wage); KRS 65.016 (Local wage mandates prohibited) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
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