Kentucky Minimum Wage Law

The minimum wage in Kentucky is $5.15 per hour.

Kentucky's minimum wage law covers all employees except: (1) those employed in agriculture; (2) executive, supervisory and professional personnel, outside salespersons and collectors; (3) federal employees; (4) those employed in domestic service (except where more than one such worker is employed in a single household); (5) employees of retail stores, service industries, hotels, motels and restaurants whose employer grossed less than $95,000 a year, or who are a parent, spouse or child of such an employer; (6) babysitters and companions in private homes; (7) newspaper deliverers; (8) emergency employees subject to regulation by the Commissioner of Revenue; (9) employees of nonprofit camps and conference centers that do not operate more than seven months per year; and (10) houseparents in licensed nonprofit child care facilities.

Individuals providing companionship services who are employed by a third-party employer or agency are exempt from the minimum wage rules. Companionship services are services which provide in-home fellowship, care, and protection for a person who, because of advanced age or mental or physical infirmity, cannot care for his or her own needs. These services may include household work related to the care of the aged or infirm person such as meal preparation, bed making, clothes washing, and other similar services. These services may also include the performance of general household work, provided that the household work is incidental, meaning that it does not exceed 20 percent of the total weekly hours worked. Companionship services do not include services relating to the care and protection of the aged and infirm which require and are performed by trained personnel, such as a registered or practical nurse.

Nonprofit corporations that employ handicapped and sheltered workshop employees at federally established minimum wage requirements are exempt from the state minimum wage requirements established for companies that seek rural economic development incentives.