What is minimum wage in Kentucky? Here's what we know about where wage rates sit

Do you make a low wage?

Workers making less than $17 per hour are considered "low wage," according to a new study from Oxfam, "a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice."

The study, which provides a state-by-state analysis and ultimately calls for the minimum wage to be raised to $17 hourly, found that only three states have a greater percentage of workers bringing home a "low wage" than Kentucky workers.

The federal minimum wage has been locked in at $7.25 per hour since 2009 for non-tipped workers. Workers whose salary is also dependent on tips have a minimum wage of $2.13 per hour, which has been in place since 1991. The minimum wage in Kentucky is the same as the federal government standard.

The "Raise the Wage Act of 2023," which was introduced by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, would raise the minimum wage for both tipped and non-tipped workers to $17 hourly over five years with annual, incremental wage increases. The federal bill was read twice and referred to the committee last year but did not make it through the necessary steps to become law.

Here's a look at what the Oxfam wage study found about Kentucky workers:

How many Kentucky workers make less than $17 per hour?

Nearly 31% of all Kentucky workers — tipped and untipped — earn less than $17 per hour. The Oxfam study found only Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma have a higher percentage of workers who collect below the $17 per hour standard.

If minimum wage were raised to the study's ideal of $17, roughly 625,000 Kentuckians would see a pay increase.

What age group in Kentucky is most likely to earn under $17 per hour?

• 16–24-year-olds: 67.3% earn under $17 per hour
• 25-39-year-olds: 29.4% earn under $17 per hour
• 40-54-year-olds: 20% earn under $17 per hour
• 55 or older: 23.9% earn under $17 per hour

Which family type in Kentucky is most likely to earn below $17 hourly?

• Working mothers: 35.8% earn under $17 per hour
• Working fathers: 22% earn under $17 per hour
• Single parents: 51.8% earn under $17 per hour
• Married parents: 17.7% earn under $17 per hour

Are men or women more likely to earn a low wage in Kentucky?

• Women: 36.8% earn under $17 per hour
• Men: 25.5% earn under $17 per hour

Which race of Kentucky workers is most likely to earn a low wage?

• White: 29.6% earn under $17 per hour
• Black: 43% earn under $17 per hour
• Hispanic/Latinx: 42.1% earn under $17 per hour
• Asian American and American Indian: 27.5% earn under $17 per hour

What is the minimum wage of Kentucky's border states?

• Illinois: $14 per hour
• Indiana: $7.25 per hour
• Missouri: $12.30 per hour
• Ohio: $7.25 or $10.45 per hour dependent on the employer's annual gross receipts
• Tennessee: No state minimum wage law, so the federal $7.25 per hour is the standard
• West Virginia: $8.75 per hour

Note: Data in the Oxfam study is sourced from the US Census, specifically the Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) from the American Community Survey (ACS), and follows its racial/ethnic classification. For gender, respondents to the survey self-identify their sex as either male or female.

Contact reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter at @oliviamevans_