Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Lexington, KY Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Lexington, KY, Kentucky is $93,809 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 62 occupations and roughly 50,680 workers. Adjusted for Lexington, KY's cost-of-living index of 91.3, that nominal average translates to $102,748 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Family Medicine Physician at $237,650; the lowest is Automotive Technician at $46,080.
Lexington, KY, KY has below-baseline cost-of-living (index 91.3), which means the $93,809 average median wage translates to higher real purchasing power than the same number would in higher-COL markets.
Highest-paying role in Lexington, KY on BLS data is Family Medicine Physician at $237,650 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Lower-COL cities like Lexington, KY often outperform higher-COL ones on cost-adjusted real income for the same role, especially for workers in mid-paying occupations whose gross wages do not vary as much by city.
Salaries by Occupation in Lexington, KY
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $237,650 | $106,880 – $533,710 | 210 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $165,300 | $65,160 – $338,450 | 250 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $144,160 | $88,460 – $223,610 | 470 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $139,060 | $78,920 – $276,860 | 40 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $136,530 | $100,260 – $161,260 | 1,060 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $135,760 | $89,400 – $231,260 | 940 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $127,040 | $73,510 – $203,860 | 330 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $124,860 | $63,340 – $248,590 | 950 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $123,510 | $79,770 – $167,270 | 1,430 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $123,070 | $102,040 – $175,600 | 540 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $122,850 | $79,960 – $207,160 | 270 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $114,990 | $56,060 – $164,380 | 160 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $112,230 | $52,010 – $187,220 | 300 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $111,040 | $64,130 – $213,600 | 1,040 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $109,890 | $64,960 – $202,250 | 1,260 |
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $109,070 | $65,140 – $389,320 | 130 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $109,050 | $50,660 – $214,870 | 330 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $103,840 | $68,830 – $172,230 | 240 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $103,820 | $68,490 – $139,810 | 900 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $103,090 | $67,340 – $138,270 | 600 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $102,190 | $65,230 – $141,590 | 270 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $101,000 | $71,750 – $134,790 | 1,160 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $99,190 | $57,720 – $141,010 | 560 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $98,160 | $62,010 – $151,600 | 200 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $95,820 | $67,360 – $117,060 | 320 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $95,500 | $60,210 – $135,510 | 780 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $94,710 | $65,700 – $123,220 | 590 |
| Architect | Engineering | $93,640 | $58,590 – $131,760 | 270 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $93,400 | $78,270 – $149,430 | 110 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $92,390 | $62,760 – $180,380 | 430 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $91,260 | $55,620 – $123,790 | 70 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $90,850 | $67,900 – $137,340 | 130 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $89,730 | $60,340 – $140,400 | 120 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $89,430 | $39,430 – $213,940 | 190 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $88,490 | $47,670 – $127,500 | 110 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $87,470 | $65,570 – $111,950 | 360 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $84,460 | $61,890 – $139,370 | 230 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $81,410 | $54,030 – $132,120 | 430 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $80,440 | $38,900 – $188,210 | 8,100 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $80,110 | $57,450 – $96,790 | 410 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $79,610 | $48,250 – $145,830 | 210 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $79,040 | $66,270 – $107,880 | 8,070 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $78,800 | $47,140 – $123,030 | 0 |
| Accountant | Finance | $77,780 | $53,900 – $125,880 | 1,830 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $74,590 | $61,600 – $108,450 | 130 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $74,260 | $45,160 – $241,770 | 200 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $72,500 | $58,970 – $106,240 | 140 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $70,980 | $40,900 – $108,620 | 200 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $65,280 | $40,680 – $156,200 | 1,140 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $64,850 | $48,560 – $83,310 | 1,540 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $63,760 | $43,570 – $134,220 | 420 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $63,640 | $43,260 – $79,750 | 640 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $62,380 | $41,060 – $107,820 | 520 |
| Plumber | Trades | $61,870 | $45,280 – $96,190 | 810 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $61,460 | $47,140 – $82,820 | 2,420 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $59,710 | $38,900 – $87,530 | 980 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $58,880 | $39,140 – $88,410 | 380 |
| Electrician | Trades | $57,320 | $36,420 – $78,330 | 1,500 |
| Welder | Trades | $53,680 | $40,170 – $66,300 | 480 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $52,030 | $37,660 – $75,340 | 1,200 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $51,170 | $37,950 – $73,770 | 50 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $46,080 | $31,550 – $74,620 | 1,530 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Lexington, KY is Family Medicine Physician, with a median of $237,650 and a 90th-percentile reading of $533,710. That $426,830 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 62 BLS-tracked occupations in Lexington, KY, the average median salary is $93,809. The top five roles average $164,540 — about 1.8× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Lexington, KY runs below the U.S. average on cost of living (index 91.3, about 9% below the national mean). Lower nominal salaries here often translate to comparable or better purchasing power than higher headline numbers in coastal hubs.
Salary Negotiation in Lexington, KY
For salary negotiation in Lexington, KY, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 91.3 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Lexington, KY Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Lexington, KY, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (91.3) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Lexington, KY in 2026?
The average salary in Lexington, KY is $93,809 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 62 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $93,809. The top-paying role is Family Medicine Physician at $237,650.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Lexington, KY?
In Lexington, KY, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $109,529 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 91.3). That is above $100K of buying power — a $100K salary stretches further in Lexington, KY than in most U.S. metros. Compared to the city's average median of $93,809, $100K is above the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Lexington, KY?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Lexington, KY are Family Medicine Physician ($237,650), Pediatrician ($165,300), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($144,160), and Optometrist ($139,060). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $123,070 to $237,650. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/lexington.
How does Lexington, KY's cost of living affect salaries?
Lexington, KY has a cost-of-living index of 91.3, 9% below the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $93,809 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $102,748 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Lexington, KY?
Across the 62 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Lexington, KY metro is approximately 50,680. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Lexington, KY salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Lexington, KY MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 62 occupations · COL Index 91.3.