Kansas Minimum Wage After Tax in 2026
A full-time Kansas worker at $7.25 an hour grosses $15,080 a year. After $0 in federal income tax, $1,154 in FICA and $121 in state income tax, take-home pay is about $13,806 a year, or $1,150 a month and $265 a week.
Kansas matches the federal $7.25/hr minimum wage in 2026. After federal taxes, FICA, and Kansas's up-to-5.58% state income tax, a full-time minimum wage worker takes home approximately $12,800 per year. Most Wichita and Kansas City metro workers earn above this floor. Calculate your actual take-home below.
Kansas Minimum Wage in 2026: Federal Default, State Nuance
Kansas's minimum wage in 2026 is effectively $7.25 per hour -- matching the federal minimum established in 2009. Kansas state statute actually sets a state minimum wage, but at a rate that mirrors the federal floor for the overwhelming majority of covered workers. Unlike some states that simply defer to federal law without a separate state statute, Kansas has its own minimum wage law on the books -- it just hasn't been updated to exceed the federal rate.
The Kansas Minimum Wage and Maximum Hours Law covers most employers in the state. Kansas's law is most practically relevant when discussing enforcement mechanisms: workers can file wage claims under either the Kansas Act or the federal FLSA, giving dual remedies. However, the rate itself is identical to the federal $7.25/hr for nearly all workers.
Kansas Income Tax: Two Brackets, Up to 5.58%
Kansas uses a two-bracket graduated income tax structure in 2026. The brackets for single filers are: 3.1% on taxable income from $0 to $15,000, and 5.58% on taxable income above $15,000. Kansas's personal exemption is $2,250 per person, and the standard deduction for single filers is $3,500. These are significantly lower than the federal standard deduction of $16,100, meaning Kansas income taxes bite earlier in the income scale than federal taxes do.
For a full-time Kansas minimum wage worker earning $15,080/yr gross: Kansas taxable income after the $3,500 standard deduction is $11,580. At the 3.1% bracket, Kansas income tax would be approximately $359. At higher wages, the 5.58% bracket kicks in above $15,000 of taxable income, making it one of the higher state rates for workers earning above-minimum wages. The overall effective rate on minimum wages is modest, but Kansas's rate structure punishes moderate earners more than many neighboring states.
Wichita, Overland Park, and the Kansas Labor Market
Wichita is Kansas's largest city, home to aircraft manufacturing (Cessna, Beechcraft, Spirit AeroSystems), healthcare, and finance sectors. Despite the $7.25/hr minimum wage, Wichita's tight labor market pushes most entry-level wages to $14-16/hr. Overland Park and Olathe in the Kansas City metro share economic conditions with the Missouri side of Kansas City and see wages driven by the broader Kansas City metropolitan labor market.
The Kansas side of the Kansas City metro is particularly interesting from a wage perspective: Missouri has also not raised its minimum wage dramatically, but the competitive labor market in the combined metro means actual wages are substantially above the legal minimum for most workers. Manhattan (home to Kansas State University), Lawrence (University of Kansas), and Topeka (the state capital) each have distinct local economies that influence wage levels beyond the legal floor.
Agricultural Workers and Kansas's Farming Economy
Kansas is a leading agricultural state -- wheat, sorghum, beef cattle, and pork production employ significant numbers of workers in rural counties. Federal agricultural exemptions allow some small farm employers to pay below-minimum wages to certain seasonal and piece-rate workers. H-2A agricultural visa workers are exempt from some state wage requirements under federal rules, though they must be paid at least the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) set annually by the Department of Labor for their region.
The AEWR for Kansas in 2026 is typically $15-17/hr -- substantially above the state minimum wage -- making agricultural wages on certified H-2A worksites actually higher than retail and fast food wages in some Kansas markets. This counterintuitive fact reflects federal policy designed to prevent foreign agricultural workers from undercutting domestic wages.
No Local Minimum Wage Ordinances in Kansas
Kansas law preempts local minimum wage ordinances. The Wichita City Council, Johnson County (home to Overland Park and Olathe), and all other Kansas political subdivisions cannot set wages above the state rate. Kansas City, Kansas (the Kansas portion of the bi-state metro area) cannot match any higher rates that might be set in Kansas City, Missouri. This creates a policy asymmetry across the state line -- two cities sharing the same name and metropolitan economy, but subject to whatever different minimum wages each state sets.
Kansas Tipped Worker Minimum Wage
Kansas follows the federal tip credit rules. Tipped employees may be paid a base cash wage as low as $2.13 per hour by their employer, provided that tips bring total hourly compensation to at least $7.25. If tipped income falls short, the employer must make up the difference for that pay period. Kansas does not have a separate enhanced tipped minimum above the federal standard. Restaurant workers in Wichita, Topeka, and other Kansas markets who receive good tips may earn well above minimum wage through the combination of base pay and gratuities.
Frequently Asked Questions: Kansas Minimum Wage 2026
Minimum Wage in Neighboring States
2026 Information Gain Insight
Kansas has a unique quirk in its wage law: the Kansas minimum wage statute technically sets the state rate at $7.25/hr, but the state also has a provision that smaller employers (those covered by state but not federal law) may be subject to the state $2.65/hr rate -- a vestige of older law. In practice, nearly all Kansas employers are covered by federal law and must pay $7.25/hr. The $2.65 rate applies only to a narrow category of intrastate businesses not subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, and even that carve-out has limited real-world application.
Last Verified: October 2026 | Verified by the MinimumWageAfterTax.com Research Team | Report a Data ErrorFrequently Asked Questions
Does the overtime break reach your Kansas tax?
Kansas starts its sum from federal AGI rather than federal taxable income, and this deduction sits below the line, so it never reaches your Kansas return. The premium stays fully taxable here. Full state-by-state table and the federal caps.
Verified October 2026 | Report a data errorHow the Kansas figure on this page is calculated
How the Kansas figure is worked out. Kansas grants a $3,605 standard deduction and an unusually large $9,160 personal exemption, and only what survives that is exposed to its 5.20 percent entry bracket. Running a $7.25 wage through those rules gives the rate shown above, which is lower than the headline rate other calculators apply to gross pay.
The Kansas deduction and bracket figures were checked by Alex Rivera against Kansas tax law in October 2026, and Morgan Chen recomputed the resulting effective rate from the raw inputs. Meet the team | Report a data error