What is the minimum wage in Kentucky?

$7.25 an hour, in effect since July 1, 2009.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Kentucky?

$2.13 an hour in cash wages, provided tips bring the employee up to $7.25 an hour.

When does the Kentucky minimum wage go up?

No increase had been announced as of October 9, 2026.

Kentucky minimum wage

Minimum wage in Kentucky, in effect since July 1, 2009

$7.25 an hour

That is $0.00 above the federal minimum of $7.25. Employers in Kentucky pay the higher state rate.

Next increase: none announced as of October 9, 2026.

Standard rate

$7.25

since July 1, 2009

Tipped cash wage

$2.13

Max tip credit $5.12

Next change

None set

as of 2009

Federal minimum

$7.25

unchanged since 2009

Tipped employees

Employers in Kentucky can pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.13 an hour, taking a tip credit of up to $5.12, as long as tips bring the employee to at least $7.25 for every hour worked. If they don't, the employer makes up the difference. An employee counts as tipped if they get more than $30 a month in tips.

Exceptions and details

Kentucky's law adopts the federal minimum wage if it is higher (DOL WHD state table).

Common questions

What is the minimum wage in Kentucky?: $7.25 an hour, in effect since July 1, 2009.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Kentucky?: $2.13 an hour in cash wages, provided tips bring the employee up to $7.25 an hour.
When does the Kentucky minimum wage go up?: No increase had been announced as of October 9, 2026.

Running payroll in Kentucky?

Recent changes

Last verified against the official source on October 9, 2026.

No changes recorded since we started tracking this page.

All recent changes · RSS

Sources

Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, Office of Workplace Standards · data as of July 1, 2009 · last checked October 9, 2026

We copy figures from official sources and re-check them against the source before every update. See our methodology. This is general information, not legal advice.