Average Salary in Kentucky: Complete 2024 Statistics

The average salary in Kentucky is $56,344 per year (median, 2024). The highest-paying job in KY is Emergency Medicine Physicians at $236,540. This page covers all 717 occupations tracked by BLS in Kentucky.

Data: BLS OEWS, May 2024 | Last updated: 2026-04-02

$56,344
KY Average Salary
$236,540
#1: Emergency Medicine Physicians
717
Occupations
1,953,110
Total Workers

Top 30 Highest Paying Jobs in Kentucky (2024)

Ranked by median annual salary. Click any job for the full breakdown.

# Occupation Median Salary Mean Salary Workers
1 Emergency Medicine Physicians $236,540 $277,370 350
2 General Internal Medicine Physicians $236,450 $283,180 540
3 Pediatricians, General $228,860 $227,730 280
4 Psychiatrists $220,870 $220,150 250
5 Nurse Anesthetists $212,600 $185,630 460
6 Chief Executives $171,990 $220,200 2,860
7 Dentists, All Other Specialists $164,510 $168,460 0
8 Dentists, General $144,360 $186,480 1,090
9 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $137,130 $181,610 0
10 Pharmacists $131,890 $131,020 5,480
11 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $130,560 $129,330 500
12 Optometrists $130,210 $161,300 450
13 Airfield Operations Specialists $130,160 $124,400 270
14 Architectural and Engineering Managers $129,690 $137,220 1,480
15 Computer and Information Systems Managers $128,350 $135,610 2,540
16 Physicists $126,160 $131,130 0
17 Marine Engineers and Naval Architects $124,800 $118,350 0
18 Financial Managers $122,770 $132,350 6,580
19 Air Traffic Controllers $121,970 $121,970 190
20 Psychologists, All Other $118,190 $110,560 200
21 Computer and Information Research Scientists $116,250 $107,290 210
22 Marketing Managers $115,390 $124,670 2,460
23 Managers, All Other $113,100 $120,390 2,450
24 Chemical Engineers $112,210 $110,400 240
25 Web and Digital Interface Designers $111,660 $95,110 860
26 Natural Sciences Managers $111,610 $122,570 290
27 Human Resources Managers $111,130 $117,890 1,990
28 Purchasing Managers $109,990 $118,140 640
29 Nurse Practitioners $109,530 $110,370 4,830
30 Sales Managers $109,300 $125,280 7,170

Top 15 Jobs in Kentucky — Visual

Psychiatrists $220,870
Chief Executives $171,990
Pharmacists $131,890
Optometrists $130,210

Key Insights

The average salary in Kentucky ($56,344) exceeds the national average.

The highest-paying job, Emergency Medicine Physicians, pays $180,196 more than the KY average.

More Kentucky Data

All KY Jobs · Highest Paying in KY · KY vs National

Overview

This page is part of our comprehensive Salary Statistics data collection.

Salary Statistics in Other States

Salaries in District of Columbia $81,932 Salaries in California $75,601 Salaries in New York $73,761 Salaries in Massachusetts $73,706 Salaries in Washington $73,682 Salaries in New Jersey $72,882 Salaries in Connecticut $71,204 Salaries in Alaska $70,368 Salaries in Rhode Island $69,945 Salaries in Maryland $69,186 Salaries in Minnesota $68,066 Salaries in Oregon $67,979

Explore Other Data

Cities in Kentucky Demographics & income data

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average salary in Kentucky in 2024?
The average (median) salary across all occupations in Kentucky is $56,344 per year.
What is the highest paying job in Kentucky?
The highest paying job is Emergency Medicine Physicians at $236,540/yr.
How many occupations are tracked in Kentucky?
Our database covers 717 occupations in Kentucky, representing 1,953,110 workers.

Cite This Page

AmericaByNumbers. "Average Salary in Kentucky 2024." https://americabynumbers.com/salary-statistics/kentucky/. Accessed April 02, 2026. Data: BLS OEWS 2024.

Click to copy. Free to use with attribution.

Data Source & Methodology

All salary figures for Kentucky from BLS OEWS, May 2024.

For full methodology details, see our Methodology page. View all Data Sources.