Kentucky Salary Guide — What Every Role Pays by City
Average salary across all roles in Kentucky: $46,632/yr. Highest-paying role: Operations Manager.
Last updated: 2026-07-23 · Source: BLS OEWS May 2025
Average Salary by Role in Kentucky
Each figure is the average of the role's median pay across the 2 Kentucky metros we track. 20 of the roles below link to a full guide with the city-by-city breakdown, career path, and negotiation numbers.
| Role | State Average Salary |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Painter salary guide | $48,325 |
| Administrative Assistant salary guide | $47,440 |
| Maintenance Technician salary guide | $46,940 |
| Construction Laborer salary guide | $46,860 |
| Forklift Operator salary guide | $46,840 |
Averages across 2 major Kentucky metros. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Salary Data by Kentucky City
Louisville is the highest-paying Kentucky metro we track ($47,374/yr average median) and Lexington the lowest ($45,891/yr) — a spread of about 3%. Use the per-role guides above to see whether your job follows that pattern before negotiating.
| City | Avg Median Pay (All Roles) | Top-Paying Tracked Role |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville | $47,374 | Operations Manager in Louisville — $89,140 |
| Lexington | $45,891 | — |
City averages for Kentucky cover the roles with BLS OEWS May 2025 data in each metro; 1 city links to a per-role salary page.
How to use these numbers
The medians here are the middle of what employers actually pay, not the top of a range from a job ad. If an offer in Kentucky comes in under the median for your role and metro, that is your opening to negotiate — bring the BLS figure, not a guess. And if a posting hides pay entirely, the per-role guides linked above show what the market rate is before you apply.