Kansas minimum wage in 2026 (and 2027)
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The Kansas minimum wage for 2026 is $7.25 an hour, but the state statute only governs jobs that federal wage law leaves out; everyone else is owed the same $7.25 under the Fair Labor Standards Act, unchanged since July 24, 2009 (DOL state summary, updated July 1, 2026). Kansas lawmakers have set no 2027 figure and our local research shows no Kansas city ordinance. Employing one full-time Kansan at $7.25 runs $16,539.52 a year, and nearly all of that wage is subject to the state's $15,100 unemployment tax base.
- 2026 minimum wage
- $7.25an hour
- Tipped cash wage
- $2.13an hour
- 2027
- Not announcedas of October 2026
- Federal floor
- $7.25an hour
On this page
Two laws, one number
According to DOL, the Kansas minimum wage law excludes any employment subject to the federal FLSA. That flips the usual order. For most Kansas businesses, the binding wage floor is federal, and the state rule works as a backstop for small, purely local operations. Federal coverage reaches enterprises with at least $500,000 in yearly sales, hospitals, schools and public agencies, plus individual workers who regularly deal across state lines, such as a receptionist booking clients in Missouri or a warehouse hand loading out-of-state shipments (DOL Fact Sheet #14).
The hourly answer is $7.25 either way. What changes is the enforcing agency and the overtime law: under the FLSA, time and a half is due after 40 hours in a workweek.
Kansas tipped staff can be paid $2.13 in cash with up to $5.12 in tip credit. DOL's table gives no state tip threshold for Kansas, so covered employers apply the federal test of more than $30 a month. Teen hires under 20 may start at the $4.25 youth rate for 90 days.
From hourly to annual pay
Kansas full-time pay at the minimum is $290.00 a week. Over 2,080 hours the year totals $15,080.00, which spreads to $1,256.67 a month.
One quirk: that annual figure is just $20 short of the $15,100 Kansas unemployment wage base, so the state tax below lands on almost every dollar a full-time minimum wage employee earns.
Payroll taxes on a $7.25 Kansas employee
| Cost | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wages | 2,080 x $7.25 | $15,080.00 |
| Employer FICA | 7.65% x $15,080 | $1,153.62 |
| FUTA | 0.6% x $7,000 | $42.00 |
| Kansas SUTA, new employer | 1.75% x $15,080 | $263.90 |
| Total | $16,539.52 |
Kansas wage base ($15,100) and 1.75% new-employer rate: states.csv, checked Oct 16, 2026. Workers compensation not included.
On top of wages that is $1,459.52, roughly 9.7%. Our data shows no local wage tax in Kansas, though that was not re-verified this month. Run a different wage through the employee cost calculator, or read what payroll costs a small business to add software and service fees.
Kansas versus its neighbors
The DOL history tables put Kansas at $7.25 from 2020 to 2024, and 2026 is the same. Neighbors pay far more: Missouri sets $15.00 apart from small retail and service businesses, Nebraska is also at $15.00 for 4 or more employees, and Colorado requires $15.16. The Kansas City metro is where this bites. A Kansas employer whose staff work shifts in Kansas City, Missouri owes the Missouri rate for those hours. See every state's 2026 rate.
Running payroll for Kansas hourly staff
Open accounts with the Kansas Department of Labor for unemployment tax and the Kansas Department of Revenue for withholding; our Kansas payroll tax page lists the steps. Let software do the overtime and tip-credit math. Gusto's entry-level Simple tier is $49 a month with $6 added per person (checked October 16, 2026), and our payroll software comparison ranks the alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Kansas in 2026?
Is Kansas raising the minimum wage in 2027?
What is the Kansas tipped minimum wage?
What does a full-time minimum wage employee cost in Kansas?
Does Kansas City, Kansas have a higher minimum wage?
Sources (6)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: Minimum wages for tipped employees (revised July 1, 2026) (checked Oct 18, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: Changes in basic minimum wages in non-farm employment under state law, 1968 to 2024 (revised January 2025) (checked Oct 18, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: Fact Sheet #14: Coverage under the Fair Labor Standards Act (revised July 2009) (checked Oct 18, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Labor: Federal minimum wage (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Gusto: Gusto pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state (checked October 16, 2026)
This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.