Minimum wage - Kentucky

Summary of differences between federal and state regulations

The federal minimum wage provisions are contained in the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Many states also have minimum wage laws. In cases where an employee is subject to both the state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages.  

The minimum wage for Kentucky as of July 1, 2009, is $7.25 per hour.

State

Contact

Kentucky Labor Cabinet Division of Employment Standards Apprenticeship and Training

Regulations

Kentucky Revised Statutes

KRS Chapter 337.00

337.275 Minimum wage

(1) Except as may otherwise be provided by this chapter, every employer shall pay to each of his employees wages at a rate of not less than the federal minimum hourly wage as prescribed by 29 U.S.C. sec. 206(a)(1). The minimum wage rates required under this chapter shall be adjusted in accordance with adjustments made in the federal minimum hourly rate. The adoption required in this subsection includes only the federal minimum hourly rate prescribed in 29 U.S.C. sec. 206(a)(1) and does not include other wage rates, or conditions, exclusions, or exceptions to the federal minimum hourly wage rate. In addition, adoption of the federal minimum hourly wage rate does not extend or modify the scope or coverage of the minimum wage rate required under this chapter.

www.lrc.ky.gov/Statutes/statute.aspx?id=32064

HB 305 revised the statute to read as follows:

(a) Except as may otherwise be provided by this chapter, every employer shall pay to each of his employees wages at a rate of not less than five dollars and eighty-five cents ($5.85) an hour beginning on the effective date of this Act, not less than six dollars and fifty-five cents ($6.55) an hour beginning July 1, 2008, and not less than seven dollars and twenty-five cents ($7.25) an hour beginning July 1, 2009. If the federal minimum hourly wage as prescribed by 29 U.S.C. sec. 206(a)(1) is increased in excess of the minimum hourly wage in effect under this subsection, the minimum hourly wage under this subsection shall be increased to the same amount, effective on the same date as the federal minimum hourly wage rate. If the state minimum hourly wage is increased to the federal minimum hourly wage, it shall include only the federal minimum hourly rate prescribed in 29 U.S.C. sec. 206(a)(1) and shall not include other wage rates, or conditions, exclusions, or exceptions to the federal minimum hourly wage rate. In addition, the increase to the federal minimum hourly wage rate does not extend or modify the scope or coverage of the minimum wage rate required under this chapter.

Federal

Contact

The Department of Labor is the federal agency that monitors hours worked.

Regulations

U.S. labor regulations for minimum wage can be found in CFR 29 Part 531 and FLSA.