Kentucky

Basic minimum rate: $7.25. Source: US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, state minimum wage table, page updated July 1, 2026.

Minimum wage (US DOL)

Basic minimum rate

$7.25

Premium pay after designated hours

Weekly - 40, 7th day

Source: US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, state minimum wage table; page updated July 1, 2026. Record: ky.

DOL notes for Kentucky

• 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.

Verbatim from US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, state minimum wage table; page updated July 1, 2026. Record: ky.

Rest periods (US DOL)

Basic standard

Paid 10-minute rest period during each 4-hour work period

Prescribed by

Statute

Coverage

Excludes employees under the Federal Railway Labor Act.

Comments

Rest period must be in addition to regularly scheduled meal period.

Source: US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Minimum Length of Rest Periods; table revised January 1, 2023. Record: kentucky.

Meal periods (US DOL)

Basic standard

Reasonable off-duty period, ordinarily ½ hour but shorter period permitted under special conditions, between 3rd and 5th hour of work. Not counted as time worked. Coffee breaks and snack time not to be included in meal period.

Prescribed by

Statute and regulation

Coverage

Excludes employers subject to Federal Railway Labor Act. Meal period requirement does not negate collective bargaining agreement or mutual agreement between employer and employee.

Source: US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Minimum Paid/Unpaid Meal Period; table revised January 1, 2023. Record: kentucky.

Hours, counted

This page states the DOL rows and nothing beyond them. It does not say how they apply to any particular job, schedule or agreement. For hours, the calculators do arithmetic on the numbers you type: shift hours, hour totals split at 40, long shifts.