2020 Kentucky Minimum Wage
The 2020 Kentucky Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2020-01-01Source: Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws (Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet)Verified 2026-08-30
Compared with 2019
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2019.
| Item | 2019 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $7.25 | $7.25 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Employers and employees covered by Kentucky's wage and hour laws
What changed this year, and why
Kentucky's minimum wage remained $7.25 per hour in 2020, unchanged from 2019.
Common questions
- What was the minimum wage in Kentucky in 2020?
- The minimum wage in Kentucky was $7.25 per hour in 2020.
- Did Kentucky's minimum wage change from 2019 to 2020?
- No. The minimum wage was $7.25 per hour in both 2019 and 2020.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
Kentucky's minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Certain exemptions from minimum wage and overtime apply under Kentucky law. The Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws document does not specifically list subminimum wage categories for minors, students, or trainees, but it notes that exemptions exist. Workers or employers with questions about whether a particular employee qualifies for a subminimum wage should contact the Kentucky Division of Wages and Hours. Until an exemption is confirmed, employers in Kentucky must pay at least $7.25 per hour to all covered non-exempt employees. The division can provide guidance on which workers may be paid below the standard rate under valid exemptions.
Certain exemptions from minimum wage and overtime apply. For questions, please call (502)564-3534.
Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws (Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
Under Kentucky law, no employer may require an employee to work more than forty hours in a workweek without paying overtime. The rate of pay for time in excess of forty hours shall be not less than one and one-half the hourly rate employed. This means that for every hour worked beyond forty in a single workweek, a Kentucky employee must receive at least one and one-half times their regular hourly rate. Kentucky also requires time-and-a-half pay for work performed on the seventh day of any workweek, unless the total hours that week do not exceed forty. Employers must track hours carefully and ensure the overtime premium is paid for all qualifying hours. The overtime rule applies regardless of whether the employee is paid hourly or on another basis.
The rate of pay for time in excess of forty hours shall be not less than one and one-half the hourly rate employed.
Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws (Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
For questions about the Kentucky minimum wage or to file a wage complaint, workers and employers should contact the Kentucky Division of Wages and Hours by phone. The division oversees enforcement of the Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws, including the state minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet maintains an online resource for additional information about wage and hour requirements. Workers who believe their employer has violated minimum wage or overtime rules should direct their concerns to this office. The division can advise on exemptions, tip credits, overtime calculations, and other wage-related questions specific to Kentucky.
Education and Labor Cabinet Division of Wages and Hours
Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws (Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
Under Kentucky law, employers cannot use an employee's tips toward meeting the minimum wage obligation. Instead, for workers who regularly receive more than $30 per month in tips, the employer may pay a direct cash wage of $2.13 per hour, but only if the employee's tips combined with that cash wage equal at least $7.25 per hour for every workweek. If tips fall short in any week, the employer must make up the difference so the employee receives no less than the full minimum wage. Employers also may not require employees to hand over gratuities to the employer, and tip pooling arrangements among employees are permitted provided the pool account is kept separate from the employer's other business records and is open for participants to review.
Any employee engaged in an occupation in which more than $30 dollars per month is customarily and regularly received in tips, the employer may pay a minimum of $2.13 per hour if the employer' records can establish for each week where credit is taken, when adding the tips received to wages paid, not less than the minimum wage is received by the employee.
Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws (Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet)
What an employer may deduct from your pay
Under Kentucky law, employers are generally prohibited from withholding any part of an employee's agreed wage rate. Deductions are only permitted in limited circumstances: when required by local, state, or federal law; when the employee expressly authorizes a deduction in writing for insurance premiums, hospital, or medical dues; when the employee authorizes other deductions in writing that do not reduce pay below the standard wage established by collective bargaining or statute; or for union dues authorized under a collective bargaining agreement. In addition, Kentucky specifically bars employers from deducting fines, cash shortages from a shared till, breakage, losses from dishonored checks the employee had discretion to reject, and losses from faulty workmanship, lost or stolen property, or customer defaults unless the employee acted willfully or intentionally against the employer's interests.
No employer shall deduct the following from the wages of employees: a) Fines b) Cash shortages in a common money till, cash box or register used by two (2) or more persons; c) Breakage; d) Losses due to acceptance by an employee of checks which are subsequently dishonored if such employee is given discretion to accept or reject any check; or e) Losses due to defective or faulty workmanship, lost or stolen property, damage to property, default of customer credit or nonpayment for goods or services received by the customer if such losses are not attributable to employee's willful or intentional disregard of employer's interest.
Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws (Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws (Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet)
- Hourly
MINIMUM WAGE = $7.25 per hour
Other years
Every Kentucky Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state