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Minimum Wage in KentuckyKentucky Minimum Wage Finder
  
Louisville, Kentucky 40201
Kentucky Counties

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For detailed information about the minimum wage in your county, please enter your ZIP code. This will direct you to a page providing tailored information about the minimum wage in your area.
Kentucky Minimum Wage
     
                   Jefferson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Louisville)  FIPS: 21111                 - pop.782,969               
             
                   Fayette County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Lexington)  FIPS: 21067                 - pop.322,570               
             
                   Kenton County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Covington)  FIPS: 21117                 - pop.169,064               
             
                   Boone County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Burlington)  FIPS: 21015                 - pop.135,968               
             
                   Warren County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Bowling Green)  FIPS: 21227                 - pop.134,554               
             
                   Hardin County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Elizabethtown)  FIPS: 21093                 - pop.110,702               
             
                   Daviess County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Owensboro)  FIPS: 21059                 - pop.103,312               
             
                   Campbell County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Newport)  FIPS: 21037                 - pop.93,076               
             
                   Madison County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Richmond)  FIPS: 21151                 - pop.92,701               
             
                   Bullitt County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Shepherdsville)  FIPS: 21029                 - pop.82,217               
             
                   Christian County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Hopkinsville)  FIPS: 21047                 - pop.72,748               
             
                   McCracken County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Paducah)  FIPS: 21145                 - pop.67,875               
             
                   Oldham County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (La Grange)  FIPS: 21185                 - pop.67,607               
             
                   Pulaski County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Somerset)  FIPS: 21199                 - pop.65,034               
             
                   Laurel County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (London)  FIPS: 21125                 - pop.62,613               
             
                   Pike County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Pikeville)  FIPS: 21195                 - pop.58,669               
             
                   Scott County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Georgetown)  FIPS: 21209                 - pop.57,155               
             
                   Jessamine County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Nicholasville)  FIPS: 21113                 - pop.52,991               
             
                   Franklin County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Frankfort)  FIPS: 21073                 - pop.51,541               
             
                   Boyd County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Catlettsburg)  FIPS: 21019                 - pop.48,261               
             
                   Shelby County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Shelbyville)  FIPS: 21211                 - pop.48,065               
             
                   Nelson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Bardstown)  FIPS: 21179                 - pop.46,738               
             
                   Hopkins County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Madisonville)  FIPS: 21107                 - pop.45,423               
             
                   Henderson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Henderson)  FIPS: 21101                 - pop.44,793               
             
                   Barren County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Glasgow)  FIPS: 21009                 - pop.44,485               
             
                   Calloway County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Murray)  FIPS: 21035                 - pop.37,103               
             
                   Clark County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Winchester)  FIPS: 21049                 - pop.36,972               
             
                   Whitley County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Williamsburg)  FIPS: 21235                 - pop.36,712               
             
                   Graves County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Mayfield)  FIPS: 21083                 - pop.36,649               
             
                   Greenup County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Greenup)  FIPS: 21089                 - pop.35,962               
             
                   Floyd County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Prestonsburg)  FIPS: 21071                 - pop.35,942               
             
                   Marshall County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Benton)  FIPS: 21157                 - pop.31,659               
             
                   Muhlenberg County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Greenville)  FIPS: 21177                 - pop.30,928               
             
                   Boyle County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Danville)  FIPS: 21021                 - pop.30,614               
             
                   Knox County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Barbourville)  FIPS: 21121                 - pop.30,193               
             
                   Meade County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Brandenburg)  FIPS: 21163                 - pop.30,003               
             
                   Perry County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Hazard)  FIPS: 21193                 - pop.28,473               
             
                   Montgomery County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Mount Sterling)  FIPS: 21173                 - pop.28,114               
             
                   Logan County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Russellville)  FIPS: 21141                 - pop.27,432               
             
                   Woodford County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Versailles)  FIPS: 21239                 - pop.26,871               
             
                   Harlan County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Harlan)  FIPS: 21095                 - pop.26,831               
             
                   Carter County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Grayson)  FIPS: 21043                 - pop.26,627               
             
                   Grayson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Leitchfield)  FIPS: 21085                 - pop.26,420               
             
                   Taylor County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Campbellsville)  FIPS: 21217                 - pop.26,023               
             
                   Grant County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Williamstown)  FIPS: 21081                 - pop.24,941               
             
                   Rowan County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Morehead)  FIPS: 21205                 - pop.24,662               
             
                   Lincoln County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Stanford)  FIPS: 21137                 - pop.24,275               
             
                   Bell County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Pineville)  FIPS: 21013                 - pop.24,097               
             
                   Anderson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Lawrenceburg)  FIPS: 21005                 - pop.23,852               
             
                   Ohio County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Hartford)  FIPS: 21183                 - pop.23,772               
             
                   Johnson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Paintsville)  FIPS: 21115                 - pop.22,680               
             
                   Mercer County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Harrodsburg)  FIPS: 21167                 - pop.22,641               
             
                   Letcher County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Whitesburg)  FIPS: 21133                 - pop.21,548               
             
                   Allen County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Scottsville)  FIPS: 21003                 - pop.20,588               
             
                   Breckinridge County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Hardinsburg)  FIPS: 21027                 - pop.20,432               
             
                   Clay County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Manchester)  FIPS: 21051                 - pop.20,345               
             
                   Bourbon County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Paris)  FIPS: 21017                 - pop.20,252               
             
                   Simpson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Franklin)  FIPS: 21213                 - pop.19,594               
             
                   Marion County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Lebanon)  FIPS: 21155                 - pop.19,581               
             
                   Wayne County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Monticello)  FIPS: 21231                 - pop.19,555               
             
                   Spencer County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Taylorsville)  FIPS: 21215                 - pop.19,490               
             
                   Hart County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Munfordville)  FIPS: 21099                 - pop.19,288               
             
                   Adair County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Columbia)  FIPS: 21001                 - pop.18,903               
             
                   Harrison County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Cynthiana)  FIPS: 21097                 - pop.18,692               
             
                   Russell County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Jamestown)  FIPS: 21207                 - pop.17,991               
             
                   Mason County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Maysville)  FIPS: 21161                 - pop.17,120               
             
                   Garrard County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Lancaster)  FIPS: 21079                 - pop.16,953               
             
                   McCreary County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Whitley City)  FIPS: 21147                 - pop.16,888               
             
                   Lawrence County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Louisa)  FIPS: 21127                 - pop.16,293               
             
                   Rockcastle County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Mount Vernon)  FIPS: 21203                 - pop.16,037               
             
                   Casey County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Liberty)  FIPS: 21045                 - pop.15,941               
             
                   Henry County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (New Castle)  FIPS: 21103                 - pop.15,678               
             
                   Fleming County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Flemingsburg)  FIPS: 21069                 - pop.15,082               
             
                   Larue County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Hodgenville)  FIPS: 21123                 - pop.14,867               
             
                   Pendleton County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Falmouth)  FIPS: 21191                 - pop.14,644               
             
                   Knott County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Hindman)  FIPS: 21119                 - pop.14,251               
             
                   Estill County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Irvine)  FIPS: 21065                 - pop.14,163               
             
                   Trigg County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Cadiz)  FIPS: 21221                 - pop.14,061               
             
                   Morgan County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (West Liberty)  FIPS: 21175                 - pop.13,726               
             
                   Breathitt County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Jackson)  FIPS: 21025                 - pop.13,718               
             
                   Union County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Morganfield)  FIPS: 21225                 - pop.13,668               
             
                   Powell County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Stanton)  FIPS: 21197                 - pop.13,129               
             
                   Lewis County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Vanceburg)  FIPS: 21135                 - pop.13,080               
             
                   Webster County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Dixon)  FIPS: 21233                 - pop.13,017               
             
                   Jackson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (McKee)  FIPS: 21109                 - pop.12,955               
             
                   Bath County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Owingsville)  FIPS: 21011                 - pop.12,750               
             
                   Caldwell County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Princeton)  FIPS: 21033                 - pop.12,649               
             
                   Butler County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Morgantown)  FIPS: 21031                 - pop.12,371               
             
                   Todd County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Elkton)  FIPS: 21219                 - pop.12,243               
             
                   Edmonson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Brownsville)  FIPS: 21061                 - pop.12,126               
             
                   Washington County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Springfield)  FIPS: 21229                 - pop.12,027               
             
                   Magoffin County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Salyersville)  FIPS: 21153                 - pop.11,637               
             
                   Monroe County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Tompkinsville)  FIPS: 21171                 - pop.11,338               
             
                   Martin County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Inez)  FIPS: 21159                 - pop.11,287               
             
                   Owen County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Owenton)  FIPS: 21187                 - pop.11,278               
             
                   Green County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Greensburg)  FIPS: 21087                 - pop.11,107               
             
                   Carroll County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Carrollton)  FIPS: 21041                 - pop.10,810               
             
                   Leslie County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Hyden)  FIPS: 21131                 - pop.10,513               
             
                   Metcalfe County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Edmonton)  FIPS: 21169                 - pop.10,286               
             
                   Clinton County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Albany)  FIPS: 21053                 - pop.9,253               
             
                   McLean County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Calhoun)  FIPS: 21149                 - pop.9,152               
             
                   Hancock County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Hawesville)  FIPS: 21091                 - pop.9,095               
             
                   Crittenden County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Marion)  FIPS: 21055                 - pop.8,990               
             
                   Livingston County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Smithland)  FIPS: 21139                 - pop.8,888               
             
                   Gallatin County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Warsaw)  FIPS: 21077                 - pop.8,690               
             
                   Lyon County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Eddyville)  FIPS: 21143                 - pop.8,680               
             
                   Trimble County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Bedford)  FIPS: 21223                 - pop.8,474               
             
                   Bracken County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Brooksville)  FIPS: 21023                 - pop.8,400               
             
                   Ballard County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Wickliffe)  FIPS: 21007                 - pop.7,728               
             
                   Nicholas County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Carlisle)  FIPS: 21181                 - pop.7,537               
             
                   Lee County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Beattyville)  FIPS: 21129                 - pop.7,395               
             
                   Elliott County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Sandy Hook)  FIPS: 21063                 - pop.7,354               
             
                   Wolfe County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Campton)  FIPS: 21237                 - pop.6,562               
             
                   Fulton County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Hickman)  FIPS: 21075                 - pop.6,515               
             
                   Menifee County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Frenchburg)  FIPS: 21165                 - pop.6,113               
             
                   Cumberland County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Burkesville)  FIPS: 21057                 - pop.5,888               
             
                   Carlisle County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Bardwell)  FIPS: 21039                 - pop.4,826               
             
                   Hickman County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Clinton)  FIPS: 21105                 - pop.4,521               
             
                   Owsley County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Booneville)  FIPS: 21189                 - pop.4,051               
             
                   Robertson County Minimum Wage
               
               County Seat: (Mount Olivet)  FIPS: 21201                 - pop.2,193

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Kentucky City Minimum Wage

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Wage & Hour Law Minimum Wage ▼

What Is the Minimum Wage in Kentucky?

What Is the Minimum Wage in Kentucky?

The minimum wage in Kentucky is the same as the federal minimum wage: $7.25 an hour.

The minimum wage is the least you can be paid per hour, by law. You are entitled to earn at least the highest minimum wage that applies to you, whether the standard is federal, state, or local. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25. If your city or state has passed a law setting a higher minimum wage, your employer must pay you at least that higher amount per hour; it cannot pay you the lower federal minimum wage instead.

The minimum wage represents gross earnings: earnings before deductions, such as tax withholding, are taken. Your actual take-home pay may be less than the minimum wage.
Who Earns Overtime in Kentucky?
Who Earns Overtime in Kentucky?
You qualify for overtime pay if:
- you are paid by the hour
- you are not exempt (for example, because you hold a “white collar” job), and
- you work over 40 hours in a workweek (or 8 hours in a workday in some states).
If you are eligible for overtime, you are entitled to 1-1/2 times your regular hourly rate for each overtime hour worked. Check the Kentucky Labor Cabinet for the overtime standards in Kentucky.

For more information about overtime eligibility, see Am I Entitled to Overtime Pay in Kentucky?
How Do I Calculate My Hourly Wage?

How Do I Calculate My Hourly Wage?

To calculate your hourly wage, take the total amount you are paid (whether by the hour, as a salary, by piece rate, or on commission) in a pay period, such as one workweek. Divide that total amount by the total number of regular time (not overtime) hours you worked to earn that money. Be sure to count every hour you worked, including time spent working from home (if allowed by your employer) and any break time for which you should be paid, including breaks that lasted 20 minutes or less and breaks during which you had to work. The hourly rate that you come up with must be at least the minimum wage in Kentucky.

For more information about your pay rights, see What Are My Rights to Pay for Work in Kentucky?
What Is a Tip Credit?

What Is a Tip Credit?

A tip credit is the amount of tips you earn that your employer can count towards its obligation to pay you the minimum wage.

An employer that is allowed to take a tip credit can pay you less than the regular minimum wage, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your hourly compensation up to at least the minimum wage. Under federal law, for example, the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but employers may pay tipped employees as little as $2.13 an hour, as long as the employee earns at least the rest in tips. An employer taking advantage of this lower minimum wage is taking a tip credit of $5.12 an hour.

Not all states allow employers to take a tip credit. Some states that allow a tip credit set the minimum tipped wage amount at $2.13 an hour, like federal law; others have established a higher tipped minimum wage.
In Kentucky, your employer may pay you a minimum wage of $2.13 an hour, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your total hourly pay up to the full minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. If you don’t earn enough in tips to bring your compensation to the full minimum wage, your employer must make up the difference.
Are Tip Pools Legal?
Are Tip Pools Legal?
Does your employer require you to pool tips? Tip pooling, sometimes called tip sharing or tipping out, is a common practice in establishments where only some employees receive tips directly from customers, especially restaurants.

In a tip pool, tipped employees put a certain amount or percentage of their tips into a pot, which is then shared among a group of employees. Whether a tip pool is legal depends on who shares in the pool, among other things.

The general rule is that tips belong to the employee who received them. However, employees can be required to pay part of their tips into a tip sharing arrangement, as long as it meets these legal requirements:
- The employer may not share in the tip pool. This includes managers and supervisors. If managers and supervisors receive their own tips for services they directly and solely provide to customers, they may contribute a portion of those tips to the tip pool, but they may not take any money from the pool.
- If the employer takes a tip credit, then only employees who regularly and customarily receive tips may share in the tip pool. For example, wait staff, bussers, and bartenders may be part of the tip pool, but "back of the house" employees -- like cooks and dishwashers -- may not. (Employers that don't take a tip credit may allow back of the house employees to take a share of the tip pool, but only if state law allows it.)
- Only the amount of tips an employee actually takes home counts towards any employer tip credit. In other words, if an employee has to share tips, the employee's hourly wage includes only what the employee got back from the tip pool, not what the employee had to put into the pot.
Am I Entitled to Breaks?

Am I Entitled to Breaks?

Believe it or not, employers in many states have no legal obligation to give their employees any breaks during the work day. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employers to provide any breaks, and many states follow the same rule. Other states require employers to provide rest breaks, meal breaks, or both.

A small number of states require employers to provide paid rest breaks during the work day.
Kentucky employers must give employees a "reasonable" off-duty period in which to eat a meal, unpaid, between their third and fifth hour of work. Required rest breaks, snack breaks, and coffee breaks do not count towards this meal break requirement.
In Kentucky, employees are entitled to a paid ten-minute rest break for every four-hour period they work. Your employer must provide these rest breaks in addition to your regularly scheduled meal break.
How Can I Enforce My Wage and Hour Rights?
How Can I Enforce My Wage and Hour Rights?
If your employer hasn't paid you overtime, hasn't given you legally required breaks, didn't give you a final paycheck, or has otherwise not paid you everything you are owed, you should take steps to assert your rights. There are three things you can do:
- Complain within your company. Use your company's internal complaint process to raise your concerns. Ask the company to investigate and make the situation right. The law protects you from employer retaliation for asserting your wage and hour rights.
- File a wage claim. If your company doesn't resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, find out whether your state has an administrative wage claim procedure. In most states, you can file a claim with the state agency that enforces wage and hour laws. Your claim may be investigated, settled, or sent to an administrative hearing, where you can present evidence that you were not paid properly. It's a good idea to talk to an employment lawyer if you are considering filing a wage claim. A lawyer can help you word the complaint properly, present your best evidence persuasively, and reach the best possible outcome -- all while preserving your arguments for court, if things don't work out.
- File a lawsuit. If other avenues don't work, you can sue your employer in state or federal court for wage theft. At this point, you will definitely need legal representation to persuade a judge or jury to enter a judgment in your favor.
What Is a Wage Claim?

What Is a Wage Claim?

A wage claim is an administrative complaint you can make against your employer with your state department of labor. Most states have created a process for employees to file a wage claim with a government agency, so they can get their claims adjudicated and get the money they are owed, in less time and for less money than it would cost to file a lawsuit.

Not every state has a wage claim procedure, however.

Check the website of the Kentucky Labor Cabinet to learn more.
Do I Need a Lawyer for My Overtime or Wage Case?

Do I Need a Lawyer for My Overtime or Wage Case?

In most cases, it makes sense to hire a lawyer to pursue your overtime or unpaid wage claim. This doesn’t mean you should hire a lawyer at the first sign of trouble, however. If you believe your employer hasn’t paid you fairly, start by raising the issue within your company. Ask your manager or your human resource representative about the problem, or file a complaint using your company’s internal complaint process. It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for making a wage and hour complaint, whether you make it within your company or to an outside agency or court.

If your company does nothing to address your concerns – or breaks the law by firing or disciplining you for asserting your rights – then it’s time to talk to a lawyer. At this point, your options are to negotiate a settlement of your claims with your employer, file a wage claim against your employer with your state’s labor department (if your state has this type of procedure), or file a lawsuit. Having a lawyer will greatly boost your chances of success in any of these endeavors. And, because most lawyers work on a contingency fee basis in these types of cases, you won’t have to pay the lawyer unless you win. Learn more about finding a wage and hour lawyer.
How Do Wage and Hour Lawyers Charge?

How Do Wage and Hour Lawyers Charge?

Most lawyers that represent employees charge a contingency fee. This means the lawyer gets paid only if the client wins, and only out of the money the client receives as a settlement or court award. When you meet with a lawyer, ask how the lawyer charges, including what percentage he or she will take as a contingency fee.

You will most likely have to pay the costs of litigation, including court fees, transcription costs, copying costs, and so on. Some attorneys will advance these costs for you, paying them out of pocket until the end of the case. If you win, you can use your award to pay the costs.
What Is a Class Action Lawsuit?

What Is a Class Action Lawsuit?

A class action lawsuit is a court case brought on behalf of a group of employees who have similar legal claims against their employer. In a class action case, one lawsuit decides the rights of all employees who are members of the class.

It’s not uncommon for overtime and unpaid wage cases to be brought as class action lawsuits, if the employer applied an illegal policy to a group of employees. For example, if a retail employer required all employees to arrive at 8:30 a.m., spend half an hour cleaning the store and restocking shelves, and then clock in (and start to get paid) at 9 a.m., an attorney might bring a class action lawsuit on behalf of all employees who were subjected to this policy.

Many wage and hour cases involve relatively small dollar amounts. Although every dollar you aren’t paid is undoubtedly very important to you, the overall value of your case might not be high enough to interest an attorney in representing you. When a number of employees combine in one lawsuit, the attorney can bring all of your claims at the same time and earn a higher fee.