Jobs in Kentucky — Pay & Openings by City
403,520 professionals employed across 2 major Kentucky metro areas (BLS OEWS May 2025). Average salary: $46,632/yr. Top hiring industry: Healthcare.
Last updated: 2026-07-23
Top Industries in Kentucky
Healthcare, Retail, Manufacturing, Government, Education are the largest employment sectors in Kentucky.
The highest-paying role statewide is typically Operations Manager.
Where you work in Kentucky changes what the same job pays. Across the roles we track, Louisville averages $47,374/yr while Lexington averages $45,891/yr — about a 3% gap. Weigh that against commute and cost of living before ruling a metro out.
Jobs in Kentucky by City
Every metro below shows the average median pay and total employment across the 46 roles we track from BLS OEWS May 2025 data, plus links to the biggest role hubs by employment.
| City | Avg Median Pay | People Employed | Biggest Roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | $47,374 | 292,120 | Warehouse Associate jobs · Registered Nurse jobs · Retail Sales Associate jobs |
| Lexington | $45,891 | 111,400 | Operations Manager jobs · Registered Nurse jobs · Retail Sales Associate jobs |
This hub links 6 role hubs across 2 Kentucky metros. Employment = BLS OEWS May 2025, not live openings.
Top-Paying Roles in Kentucky
State averages across the Kentucky metros above. Each linked guide breaks the number down city by city and links to live openings you can apply to.
| Role | Kentucky Average Median |
|---|---|
| Operations Manager salary guide | $84,790 |
| Registered Nurse salary guide | $81,945 |
| Dental Hygienist salary guide | $80,750 |
| Plumber salary guide | $68,275 |
| Logistics Coordinator salary guide | $68,065 |
| Warehouse Supervisor salary guide | $60,255 |
| Electrician salary guide | $59,880 |
| HVAC Technician salary guide | $59,605 |
| Diesel Mechanic salary guide | $59,390 |
| Truck Driver salary guide | $57,975 |
| Bus Driver salary guide | $57,920 |
| Carpenter salary guide | $54,275 |
| Sales Representative salary guide | $52,940 |
| Welder salary guide | $52,275 |
| Dispatcher salary guide | $50,415 |
15 of these roles have full salary guides. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.