Kentucky Average Salary 2026
Average pay, top-paying occupations, and cost of living across Kentucky.
The average salary in Kentucky is $97,093 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2025 data aggregated across 2 metropolitan areas (Louisville, Lexington). The highest-paying tracked occupation in the state is Family Medicine Physician at $261,879 median; 23 occupations pay six-figure ($100K+) medians. Adjusted for the state's average cost-of-living index of 91, the average median equates to $106,696 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Kentucky has 2 metropolitan areas in our BLS OEWS coverage. Wages within the state vary substantially by metro — large coastal cities typically pay materially more than smaller inland ones, though the cost-of-living gap closes a lot of the apparent difference. BLS OEWS data captures every metropolitan statistical area (MSA) above a population threshold. Cities below that threshold roll up to non-metropolitan areas, which are not represented in the per-metro view but are captured in state-level rollups.
For workers comparing Kentucky job markets, the per-metro pages give the role-specific breakdown that headline state averages obscure. The role-specific ranking pages — which list the highest-paying cities for a single occupation — are particularly useful when geographic flexibility is real and the role is the constraint.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Kentucky
Family Medicine Physician
Healthcare · 490 jobs in state · top metro: Louisville ($280,050)
Obstetrician/Gynecologist
Healthcare · 170 jobs in state · top metro: Louisville ($374,080)
Pediatrician
Healthcare · 250 jobs in state · top metro: Lexington ($165,300)
Computer and Information Systems Manager
Technology · 1,750 jobs in state · top metro: Louisville ($150,710)
Pharmacist
Healthcare · 2,890 jobs in state · top metro: Louisville ($143,920)
Financial Manager
Finance · 3,610 jobs in state · top metro: Louisville ($136,970)
Dentist
Healthcare · 390 jobs in state · top metro: Louisville ($151,420)
Optometrist
Healthcare · 270 jobs in state · top metro: Lexington ($139,060)
Sales Manager
Management · 3,660 jobs in state · top metro: Louisville ($137,880)
Marketing Manager
Management · 1,250 jobs in state · top metro: Louisville ($136,350)
Cities in Kentucky
Louisville, KY
63 occupations tracked · COL index: 90.2
Lexington, KY
62 occupations tracked · COL index: 91.3
Frequently Asked Questions
The average salary in Kentucky is $97,093 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release aggregated across 2 BLS-tracked metros. The figure is employment-weighted, so larger occupations contribute proportionally more to the average. The top-paying role in the state is Family Medicine Physician at $261,879 median.
The top five highest-paying occupations in Kentucky, ranked by employment-weighted median across all tracked metros, are Family Medicine Physician ($261,879), Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($171,425), Pediatrician ($165,300), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($148,951), Pharmacist ($141,209). See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/state/kentucky.
23 of the 64 BLS-tracked occupations in Kentucky have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally.
Louisville, KY leads Kentucky with an average median salary of $100,633 across 63 BLS-tracked occupations.
The average cost-of-living index across Kentucky's tracked metros is 91 (national avg = 100). The state average median of $97,093 translates to $106,696 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. Low COL means nominal pay translates to better-than-average buying power.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Kentucky, using the OEWS 2025 reference period.
125 data points · BLS OEWS 2025 · last refreshed 2026-05-21
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.