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The Mandate Monitor

Kentucky minimum wage: $7.25 an hour (the federal rate)

Checked November 7, 2026Source: Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet

Short answer

Kentucky has no state minimum wage above the federal one, so most employers there must pay at least $7.25 an hour under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Employers may pay tipped employees $2.13 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $7.25.

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On your payroll in Kentuckyper hour
Minimum wage today
$7.25
Tipped employees, cash wage
$2.13
Full-time year at today’s rate (2,080 hours)
$15,080

We found no city or county in Kentucky with its own higher minimum wage.

Kentucky minimum wage by date

EffectiveMinimum wageTipped cash wageNote
July 1, 2009Current$7.25$2.13State rate matches the federal minimum; tipped cash wage follows the federal tipped wage.source
July 1, 2008$6.55$2.13source

Other Kentucky pay rules

Paydays
At least twice a month, covering wages earned up to 18 days before payday.
Overtime
Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. An employee who works all 7 days of a workweek also gets time and a half for the 7th day, unless total hours stay at 40 or less.
Final paycheck
Fired: By the next regular payday or 14 days after leaving, whichever is later. Quit: By the next regular payday or 14 days after leaving, whichever is later.

From the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, Department of Workplace Standards and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables. All Kentucky employer rules.

Minimum wage in states next to Kentucky

If you hire across a state line, the worker’s state sets the rate.

StateTodayNext change
Kentucky$7.25None scheduled
Illinois$15.00None scheduled
Missouri$15.00None scheduled
Virginia$12.77$13.75 on January 1, 2027
Ohio$11.00$11.40 on January 1, 2027
West Virginia$8.75None scheduled
Indiana$7.25None scheduled
Tennessee$7.25None scheduled

Questions employers ask

What is the minimum wage in Kentucky in 2026?

Kentucky has no state minimum wage above the federal one, so most employers there must pay at least $7.25 an hour under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

What is the tipped minimum wage in Kentucky?

Employers may pay tipped employees $2.13 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $7.25.

When does the Kentucky minimum wage go up next?

No increase is scheduled under current Kentucky law. Any change would need new legislation or a ballot measure.

Do cities in Kentucky have a higher minimum wage?

We found no city or county minimum wage in Kentucky.

Does Kentucky require overtime pay?

Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. An employee who works all 7 days of a workweek also gets time and a half for the 7th day, unless total hours stay at 40 or less.

Compare every state’s minimum wage · Everything employers in Kentucky must do

Sources

  1. Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet
  2. KRS 337.275, Minimum wage, Kentucky General Assembly (read Nov 7, 2026)
  3. Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees (November 5, 2026 table), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)