Average Salaries in Kentucky
Explore salaries across 712 occupations in Kentucky. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $66.1K, +0.5% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 712 occupations and 1,988,120 total jobs in Kentucky.
How the state compares
Wages in Kentucky track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Kentucky has a mid-sized labor market, with strong representation in some occupations but thinner coverage in niche roles.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Cardiologists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Kentucky
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Kentucky
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiologists | $558.2K | N/A |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $351K | 6,260 |
| Anesthesiologists | $348K | 1,090 |
| Neurologists | $338.9K | 230 |
| Physicians, All Other | $327.4K | 3,340 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $324.4K | N/A |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $317.1K | 240 |
| Radiologists | $280K | N/A |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $248.7K | 1,170 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $241.5K | 1,060 |
Largest occupations in Kentucky
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 57,930 | $42.8K |
| General And Operations Managers | 52,100 | $79.4K |
| Retail Salespersons | 51,250 | $29.7K |
| Registered Nurses | 50,300 | $81K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 47,730 | $36.8K |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 47,320 | $48K |
| Cashiers | 44,550 | $28.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 41,860 | $27.1K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 38,630 | $38.7K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 31,760 | $56.3K |
What Kentucky specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Kentucky than in the country as a whole, which signals what this state is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Kentucky
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | 8.04 | $52.5K |
| Rock Splitters, Quarry | 7.27 | $44K |
| Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, And Blasters | 5.83 | $50.4K |
| Embalmers | 5.61 | $49.9K |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | 4.70 | $351K |
| Roof Bolters, Mining | 4.41 | $72.5K |
| Farm And Home Management Educators | 3.94 | $61.2K |
| Maintenance Workers, Machinery | 3.78 | $76.7K |
| Metal-Refining Furnace Operators And Tenders | 3.75 | $59K |
| Prepress Technicians And Workers | 3.69 | $45.8K |
Comparable states
| State | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $89.7K | Neurologists |
| Washington | $86.5K | Cardiologists |
| New York | $83.2K | Cardiologists |
| California | $83.2K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Massachusetts | $81.2K | Radiologists |
| New Jersey | $80.4K | Radiologists |
| Minnesota | $79.9K | Radiologists |
| Alaska | $79.6K | Emergency Medicine Physicians |
Metros inside Kentucky
Salaries can vary a lot within a single state. Urban metro areas typically pay more than rural regions, and specific industries cluster in particular cities. Drill into any metro below for its own full salary breakdown.
Major metros in Kentucky
| Metro | Average median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $67K | 671,550 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $68.6K | 277,050 |
| Bowling Green, KY | $57.6K | 76,290 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | $60.6K | 46,070 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $62.5K | 44,000 |
| Owensboro, KY | $59.6K | 43,340 |
Common salary questions for Kentucky
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other states with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.