Kentucky Minimum Wage 2026: $7.25/hr

Kentucky pays the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.

Data updated September 26, 2026

Key facts for Kentucky

Minimum wage: $7.25/hr
In effect since: July 24, 2009
Tipped cash wage: $2.13/hr
Compared with federal: Same as the federal $7.25
Overtime: 1.5x after 40 hrs/week

Source

Rule: Kentucky minimum wage law
Published by: dol.gov
Last updated: September 26, 2026

How we source and check data

Check your pay against these rules

Hourly rate and hours in, weekly pay with Kentucky overtime rules out.

Calculate my Kentucky overtime

Kentucky PTO payout law All states

The short answer

Kentucky's minimum wage is $7.25/hr in 2026, the same as the federal $7.25 minimum , ranked #38 of 51 US jurisdictions. The tipped cash wage is $2.13/hr.

How the Kentucky minimum wage works

In Kentucky, the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, effective July 24, 2009. Kentucky sets its own minimum wage, and a tip credit is allowed: the tipped cash wage is $2.13 per hour, with tips expected to bring total pay to at least the full minimum wage. Overtime is paid at 1.5× the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek. This reflects a state overtime law.

Kentucky's state minimum wage is $7.25/hr, matching the federal rate. Tipped employees earning more than $30 a month in tips may be paid a $2.13/hr cash wage if tips bring them to at least $7.25/hr.

How Kentucky compares

State rate: $7.25/hr
Federal minimum: $7.25/hr
Difference: None
National rank: #38 of 51

Ranked by 2026 effective minimum wage across all 51 U.S. states and jurisdictions. Federal comparison source: U.S. Department of Labor.

Kentucky overtime rules

Weekly overtime threshold: 40 hours (1.5x)
Governing law: State overtime law

Kentucky requires overtime at 1.5x for hours over 40 per week (KRS 337.285). Under KRS 337.050, an employer who permits an employee to work all seven days of a workweek must pay 1.5x for time worked on the seventh day, with some exceptions. No daily overtime.

Sources for this page

Kentucky minimum wage — state labor department dol.gov
Kentucky overtime rules — state labor department apps.legislature.ky.gov
U.S. Department of Labor dol.gov

Minimum Wage · 5 min read Minimum Wage 2026: Federal Rate, All 50 States, and Your RightsThe federal minimum wage remains $7.25, unchanged since 2009. Check your state's 2026 minimum wage rate and find out what to do if you're being underpaid.