Kentucky Minimum Wage 2026: $7.25 an Hour, Take-Home Pay
The Kentucky minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal minimum (source). No increase is scheduled for 2027: KRS 337.275 rate is $7.25 and adopts the federal rate by reference if higher; no change scheduled (source). Full time, that is $15,080 a year before tax and $14,268 after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare and Kentucky income tax for a single filer.
Rates checked against official sources on November 4, 2026
Kentucky minimum wage by year
| Effective | Hourly rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| July 24, 2009 | $7.25 | source |
Tipped workers: a cash wage of at least $2.13 an hour, with tips making up the rest of the minimum (a tip credit of up to $5.12). $2.13 cash wage (US DOL tipped table) (source).
Kentucky's rate is $7.25 and the state adopts the federal rate by reference if higher (US DOL state table). Kentucky also requires 7th-day overtime in some cases.
Take-home pay on the Kentucky minimum wage
| Pay before tax, a year | $15,080 |
| Federal income tax | $0 |
| Earned income credit, paid to you | +$342 |
| Social Security and Medicare (7.65%) | $1,154 |
| Kentucky income tax | $0 |
| Take-home pay, a year | $14,268 |
| … a month | $1,189 |
| … an hour | $6.86 |
Your pay at $7.25 an hour, after tax
Tax figures: QuantCalc’s tax engine (federal 2.6.0, state 1.26.0), 2026 tax year, a single filer aged 30 with wages from one job, no dependents and the standard deduction. Local income taxes are not taken off, except the county income tax in Indiana and Maryland, which the state engine adds at a typical county rate; state payroll taxes (disability or paid-leave insurance) are not taken off either. Not tax or legal advice: an employer’s size, industry or location can set a different minimum, so check with the state labor department. How each tax line is computed, with its source: federal, state.
Overtime and salaried workers
Hours over 40 in a workweek are paid at one and a half times the regular rate under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor); for 2026 the federal return deducts the premium half of that pay (no tax on overtime calculator).
Federal law: an exempt executive, administrative or professional employee must be paid at least $684 a week ($35,568 a year) on a salary basis (U.S. Department of Labor).
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Kentucky in 2026?
- The Kentucky minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal minimum (source).
- Will the Kentucky minimum wage go up in 2027?
- No increase is scheduled as of November 4, 2026 (source).
- How much is the Kentucky minimum wage a year?
- At $7.25 an hour for 40 hours a week and 52 weeks, $15,080 before tax. After 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare and Kentucky income tax, a single filer keeps $14,268, $1,189 a month.
- What is the tipped minimum wage in Kentucky?
- $2.13 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring the total to at least the minimum wage; otherwise the employer makes up the difference (source).