What does a Dentists, All Other Specialists salary really buy you in Kentucky?
Kentucky is 10.6% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-04-02
Kentucky's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 89.4, meaning prices are 10.6% lower the national average. A Dentists, All Other Specialists earning $164,510 in Kentucky has the equivalent purchasing power of $184,015 in an average-cost US state.
A Dentists, All Other Specialists in Kentucky earns $164,510 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 12% further — like earning $184,015 in an average-cost state. This makes Kentucky one of the best value states for this occupation.
Where does Dentists, All Other Specialists salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Kentucky ranks #17 out of 23 states for Dentists, All Other Specialists after cost-of-living adjustment.
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How much do you actually take home? See Dentists, All Other Specialists take-home pay in Kentucky after taxes →
A Dentists, All Other Specialists in Kentucky earns a median salary of $164,510 per year. After adjusting for Kentucky's cost of living (RPP=89.4), the real purchasing power is $184,015 — a +11.9% difference.
Kentucky's cost of living is 10.6% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Kentucky is 89.4 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Dentists, All Other Specialists in Kentucky: $164,510 x (100 / 89.4) = $184,015. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Dentists, All Other Specialists in Kentucky enjoys 11.9% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.