Hourly PayWhat $7.25 an hour comes to
| Working time | Pay before tax |
|---|---|
| 8-hour day | $58.00 |
| 40-hour week | $290.00 |
| Month (one twelfth of a year) | $1,256.67 |
| Year (2,080 hours) | $15,080.00 |
Plain multiplication for a full-time worker paid for every hour, before tax and deductions. It is not a statement of what any employer pays.
How it compares
34 of the 50 states and territories with a rate in the Department's table set it above the federal minimum of $7.25. Kentucky is not one of them. The median hourly wage of all employees in Kentucky was $22.56 in May 2025 (Bureau of Labor Statistics): half earned more, half less. The $7.25 minimum is 32% of that median.
What the Department of Labor's table says about Kentucky
- Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $7.25
- Premium Pay After Designated Hours: Weekly - 40, 7th day
- 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.
Quoted from the Department's page as updated on 5 November 2026. The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.
Before you rely on a rate
- Cities and counties in some states set their own, higher minimum wage. This page shows the state entry only.
- Workers who receive tips, young workers, trainees and some small employers can come under different rates or exemptions.
- Where a state rate and the federal rate both apply, the worker is entitled to the higher one.
- Rates are usually changed on 1 January or 1 July. Check the date at the top of this page.
Common questions
What is the minimum wage in Kentucky?
$7.25 an hour, as listed by the U.S. Department of Labor on 5 November 2026.
How much is Kentucky minimum wage for a full-time year?
$7.25 an hour for 2,080 hours comes to $15,080 before tax.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, "State Minimum Wage Laws", page updated 5 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Rates change, often on 1 January or 1 July, and some cities and counties set higher rates of their own. This is general information, not legal advice: confirm the rate that applies to you with your state labour office or at dol.gov.