Minimum wage in Kentucky
Kentucky's basic minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. That equals the federal minimum wage of $7.25, in force since July 24, 2009. Employers may pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.13 and count tips toward the rest, with a tip credit of up to $5.12. Against Kentucky's $7.25 floor for FLSA-covered employers, among its 7 neighbors Illinois ($15.00), Missouri ($15.00), Virginia ($12.77), Ohio ($11.00) and West Virginia ($8.75) are higher and Indiana ($7.25) and Tennessee ($7.25 floor; no state law) are the same.
Verified against the U.S. Department of Labor on (DOL's state table updated ). Source: State Minimum Wage Laws, Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees.
At a glance
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| State minimum wage | $7.25 |
| Against the federal $7.25 | equal to federal |
| Floor for FLSA-covered employers | $7.25 (the higher of the state and federal rates) |
| Scheduled change | None listed by DOL |
| Overtime threshold in state law | Weekly - 40, 7th day |
| Tipped cash wage | $2.13 |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12 |
Rates as DOL lists them
| Rate per hour | Applies to |
|---|---|
| $7.25 | No condition stated by DOL |
Premium pay after designated hours: Weekly - 40, 7th day. DOL footnote 1: The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.
Scheduled increases
DOL lists no scheduled increase and no indexing formula for Kentucky. A change would require new legislation or a ballot measure.
Tipped employees
Kentucky's required cash wage for tipped employees is the federal $2.13; tips may make up the rest of the applicable minimum wage.
| Row | Combined cash and tip minimum | Maximum tip credit | Minimum cash wage | Tipped employee defined by monthly tips of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $7.25 | $5.12 | $2.13 | More than $30 |
A dash means DOL left the cell blank. DOL's general footnote 1: Other additional deductions are permitted, for example for meals and lodging.
What DOL also notes
- The 7th day overtime law, which is separate from the minimum wage law, requires employers who permit covered employees to work seven days in any one workweek to pay the employee at a rate of time and one-half for hours worked on the seventh day when employees work all seven days of the workweek. The 7th day overtime law does not apply when the employee is not permitted to work over 40 hours total in the workweek.
- The state adopts the federal minimum wage rate by reference if the federal rate is greater than the State rate.
- Compensating time in lieu of overtime is allowed upon written request by an employee of any county, charter county, consolidated local government, or urban-county government, including an employee of a county-elected official.
Neighbors and the federal floor
| State | State rate | Floor for FLSA-covered employers |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Illinois | $15.00 | $15.00 |
| Missouri | $15.00 | $15.00 |
| Virginia | $12.77 | $12.77 |
| Ohio | $11.00 | $11.00 |
| West Virginia | $8.75 | $8.75 |
| Indiana | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Tennessee | none | $7.25 |
| Federal (FLSA) | $7.25 | $7.25 |
More than one law can apply
DOL states that where federal, state and local minimum wage laws all cover an employer, the employer must pay the highest applicable rate. Whether a particular job is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, by Kentucky's law, or by a city or county ordinance depends on facts this site does not assess. City and county rates are not in DOL's table and are not shown here. This page describes published rates and is not legal advice; for how to raise an underpayment, see FastGuide.
Take-home pay and benefits calculators for Kentucky
FastCalc, a sister site, has these calculators for Kentucky. Each takes your own figures; this site computes nothing.
Related
- Kentucky wage profile: what occupations actually pay in Kentucky, from BLS data.
- Minimum wage by state and the federal minimum wage.
- Federal versus state minimum wage and tipped wages and tip credits.
- Take-home pay calculator on FastCalc for what $7.25 an hour leaves after withholding; this site computes nothing.