2024 has witnessed no change to Kansas’s statewide minimum wage rate, remaining at $7.25 per hour, which last increased all the way back in 2009.
Unlike the majority of states, Kansas is unlikely to budge regarding its minimum wage, 2025 and 2026 will likely see the state minimum wage remain the same for residents of Kansas.
If you are a full-time worker on minimum wage in Kansas, your earnings will be as follows:
- Daily Minimum Wage: $58.00 (based on an 8-hour day).
- Weekly Minimum Wage: $290.00 (based on a 40-hour week).
- Monthly Minimum Wage: $1,256.66 (based on a full-time month).
- Yearly Minimum Wage: $15,080.00 (based on being paid 52 weeks per year).
As you can see from our graphic below, highlighting the minimum wage rate over the past several years, starting in 2019 and finishing in 2024 – Sunflower State has kept the same minimum wage of $7.25 for some time:
Unfortunately for employees of Kansas, there have been no signs of a statewide minimum wage increase, with the minimum wage likely to remain at $7.25 for the foreseeable.
However, there are plenty of exemptions to the minimum wage rate, and there are even higher minimum wage rates within the state depending on job role and employment type – keep reading to find out more.
Exemptions and Subminimum Wage Rates in Kansas
In addition to the regular minimum wage rate, there are a few Kansas minimum wage exemptions that typically depend on your age or employment situation.
Below are all of the various minimum wage exemptions with some situational examples.
Kansas Student Minimum Wage
The minimum wage for student employees in Kansas is 85% of the Kansas minimum wage, making their hourly pay $6.16 per hour in 2024.
This hourly rate is for any hours worked up to 20 hours per week. As a student employee, once you surpass 20 hours per week, you will be eligible to be paid the Kansas minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour.
Being a student can be financially challenging, leading many students to pick up part-time jobs to make extra money while studying.
Despite a student minimum wage rate, many Kansas employers will not necessarily follow it and pay you equal to or more than the statewide minimum wage.
Many work-study programs are available at universities, which is a route many students go down. Still, coffee shop, cafe, bar, and restaurant jobs are commonly taken by students as they can work them into their class schedule.
Kansas Under 20 Minimum Wage
If you are under 20 years old in Kansas, federal law allows your employer to pay you as little as $4.25 per hour for your first 90 days of employment.
Once the 90-day period is over, you will be eligible to be paid the 2024 Kansas minimum wage of $7.25 per hour or potentially even more.
Fortunately for young workers, this is 90 calendar days and not 90 working days; therefore, it can be completed relatively quickly and within about three months.
Kansas Tipped Minimum Wage
If you are a tipped employee in Kansas (someone who receives regular tips as a part of their job) then you are eligible to be paid a minimum wage of $2.13 per hour, with a tip credit of $5.12 per hour, ensuring that you reach the statewide minimum wage regardless if you make enough hourly tips.
Kansas Overtime Minimum Wage
Once you work over 40 hours a week, you are eligible to be paid an overtime rate of 1.5 times your hourly wage for every hour you work past 40.
So, the overtime Kansas state minimum wage is $10.88 per hour, 1.5 times the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Kansas Employment Types Exempt from the Minimum Wage
- Executives who are paid a salary, that earn no less than $684 per week.
- Administrative employees who are paid via salary, that earn no less than $684 per week.
- Creative professionals are paid a salary equivalent to no less than $684 per week.
- Computer employees who earn $684 per week or at least $27.63 per hour.
- Employees who earn $107,432 or more a year.
- Outside sales employees.
Minimum Wage Exemptions Table
The table below references the main minimum wage exemptions within the state of Kansas, dating back over the last few years:
| Idaho Minimum Wage Exemption | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tipped Minimum Wage | $2.13 | $2.13 | $2.13 | $2.13 | $2.13 |
| Overtime Minimum Wage | $10.88 | $10.88 | $10.88 | $10.88 | $10.88 |
| Under 20 Minimum Wage | $4.25 | $4.25 | $4.25 | $4.25 | $4.25 |
| Student Minimum Wage | $6.16 | $6.16 | $6.16 | $6.16 | $6.16 |
Kansas Minimum Wage History Table
The table below shows the current rate and history of Kansas’ minimum wage over the past 40+ years since 1983.
You can see when there were increases in the minimum wage, how much they were, and what percentage increase it represents each year.
| Year | Minimum Wage | Increase ($) | Increase (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2023 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2022 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2021 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2020 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2019 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2018 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2017 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2016 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2015 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2014 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2013 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2012 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2011 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2010 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2009 | $7.25 | $0.70 | 10.6% |
| 2008 | $6.55 | $3.90 | 147.17% |
| 2007 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 2006 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 2005 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 2004 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 2003 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 2002 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 2001 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 2000 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1999 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1998 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1997 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1996 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1995 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1994 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1993 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1992 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1991 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1990 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1989 | $2.65 | $0 | 0% |
| 1988 | $2.65 | $1.05 | 65.62% |
| 1987 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1986 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1985 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1984 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1983 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
Kansas Labor Law Poster and Department of Labor Contact Details
As a Kansas employer, you need to keep yourself compliant with the law. To do this, you need to display a Labor Law poster in a prominent place.
The good news is that you can acquire one of these posters for free from the Department of Labor website, and download the poster.
If you wish to contact the department directly, here are all of the contact details you need:
Department of Labor:
401 SW Topeka Blvd,
Topeka, KS 66603
Telephone: (785) 575-1460
Email: KDOL.EmploymentStandards@ks.gov
