A complete 2026 pay reference for Kentucky: 100 occupations across tech, healthcare, finance, trades, and more, ranked by median annual salary.
Sorted highest to lowest. Click any role for detailed percentiles, experience tiers, and metro breakdown.
| # | Job | Category | Median 2026 | 25th % | 75th % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CEO (Mid-Market) | Business & Management | $432,800 | $329,000 | $562,700 |
| 2 | Surgeon | Healthcare | $356,100 | $270,600 | $462,900 |
| 3 | Chief Financial Officer | Finance | $326,000 | $247,700 | $423,800 |
| 4 | Physician (MD/DO) | Healthcare | $229,600 | $174,500 | $298,500 |
| 5 | Corporate Lawyer | Legal | $195,800 | $148,800 | $254,500 |
| 6 | Investment Banker | Finance | $177,600 | $134,900 | $230,800 |
| 7 | Dentist | Healthcare | $168,700 | $128,200 | $219,300 |
| 8 | AI Engineer | Technology | $167,900 | $127,600 | $218,300 |
| 9 | Machine Learning Engineer | Technology | $153,600 | $116,700 | $199,700 |
| 10 | Senior Software Engineer | Technology | $150,000 | $114,000 | $195,000 |
| 11 | Site Reliability Engineer | Technology | $144,700 | $110,000 | $188,100 |
| 12 | IT Manager | Technology | $141,100 | $107,200 | $183,400 |
| 13 | Controller | Finance | $138,400 | $105,200 | $179,900 |
| 14 | Judge / Magistrate | Legal | $138,400 | $105,200 | $179,900 |
| 15 | Management Consultant | Business & Management | $137,100 | $104,200 | $178,200 |
| 16 | Product Manager | Technology | $135,700 | $103,200 | $176,500 |
| 17 | Lawyer / Attorney | Legal | $134,800 | $102,400 | $175,200 |
| 18 | Petroleum Engineer | Engineering | $133,500 | $101,400 | $173,500 |
| 19 | Sales Engineer | Sales | $133,500 | $101,400 | $173,500 |
| 20 | Data Scientist | Technology | $132,200 | $100,400 | $171,800 |
| 21 | Marketing Manager | Business & Management | $130,800 | $99,400 | $170,000 |
| 22 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $129,300 | $98,300 | $168,100 |
| 23 | Account Executive (SaaS) | Sales | $128,100 | $97,300 | $166,500 |
| 24 | Data Engineer | Technology | $126,800 | $96,400 | $164,900 |
| 25 | Cloud Engineer (AWS/Azure) | Technology | $126,800 | $96,400 | $164,900 |
| 26 | Sales Manager | Business & Management | $124,400 | $94,600 | $161,800 |
| 27 | DevOps Engineer | Technology | $123,200 | $93,700 | $160,200 |
| 28 | Physician Assistant (PA) | Healthcare | $121,800 | $92,600 | $158,400 |
| 29 | Nurse Practitioner (NP) | Healthcare | $120,000 | $91,200 | $155,900 |
| 30 | HR Manager | Business & Management | $119,000 | $90,500 | $154,700 |
| 31 | Aerospace Engineer | Engineering | $119,000 | $90,500 | $154,700 |
| 32 | Software Engineer | Technology | $117,900 | $89,600 | $153,200 |
| 33 | Mobile Developer (iOS/Android) | Technology | $117,900 | $89,600 | $153,200 |
| 34 | Actuary | Finance | $116,500 | $88,600 | $151,500 |
| 35 | Backend Developer | Technology | $116,100 | $88,200 | $150,900 |
| 36 | Cybersecurity Analyst | Technology | $114,300 | $86,900 | $148,600 |
| 37 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $114,300 | $86,900 | $148,600 |
| 38 | Full-Stack Developer | Technology | $111,600 | $84,800 | $145,100 |
| 39 | General Manager | Business & Management | $110,000 | $83,600 | $143,000 |
| 40 | Chemical Engineer | Engineering | $106,400 | $80,900 | $138,300 |
| 41 | Frontend Developer | Technology | $105,400 | $80,100 | $137,000 |
| 42 | Construction Manager | Skilled Trades | $101,200 | $76,900 | $131,600 |
| 43 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $101,000 | $76,800 | $131,300 |
| 44 | Database Administrator (DBA) | Technology | $100,000 | $76,000 | $130,000 |
| 45 | College Professor | Education | $99,300 | $75,500 | $129,100 |
| 46 | School Principal | Education | $99,300 | $75,500 | $129,100 |
| 47 | Operations Manager | Business & Management | $97,400 | $74,000 | $126,600 |
| 48 | Supply Chain Manager | Business & Management | $97,400 | $74,000 | $126,600 |
| 49 | Art Director | Creative & Media | $96,400 | $73,300 | $125,400 |
| 50 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $95,600 | $72,600 | $124,300 |
| 51 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $95,600 | $72,700 | $124,300 |
| 52 | Project Manager (PMP) | Business & Management | $94,700 | $72,000 | $123,100 |
| 53 | Biomedical Engineer | Engineering | $94,700 | $72,000 | $123,100 |
| 54 | UX / Product Designer | Technology | $93,800 | $71,300 | $121,900 |
| 55 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $92,000 | $69,900 | $119,600 |
| 56 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $92,000 | $69,900 | $119,600 |
| 57 | Data Analyst | Technology | $91,100 | $69,200 | $118,400 |
| 58 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $90,000 | $68,400 | $117,000 |
| 59 | Financial Advisor | Finance | $89,200 | $67,800 | $116,000 |
| 60 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $88,400 | $67,200 | $114,900 |
| 61 | QA / Test Engineer | Technology | $87,500 | $66,500 | $113,800 |
| 62 | Business Analyst | Business & Management | $85,700 | $65,100 | $111,400 |
| 63 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $82,500 | $62,700 | $107,200 |
| 64 | Registered Nurse (RN) | Healthcare | $80,600 | $61,300 | $104,800 |
| 65 | Insurance Underwriter | Finance | $80,100 | $60,900 | $104,200 |
| 66 | Animator | Creative & Media | $78,600 | $59,700 | $102,200 |
| 67 | Tax Accountant | Finance | $78,300 | $59,500 | $101,800 |
| 68 | Credit Analyst | Finance | $76,500 | $58,100 | $99,400 |
| 69 | Accountant / CPA | Finance | $74,700 | $56,700 | $97,100 |
| 70 | Respiratory Therapist | Healthcare | $73,100 | $55,600 | $95,000 |
| 71 | Sales Representative | Sales | $70,300 | $53,500 | $91,400 |
| 72 | Police Officer | Public Service | $69,000 | $52,400 | $89,600 |
| 73 | Radiologic Technologist | Healthcare | $67,500 | $51,300 | $87,700 |
| 74 | Hotel Manager | Hospitality | $66,800 | $50,800 | $86,900 |
| 75 | Electrician | Skilled Trades | $63,700 | $48,400 | $82,800 |
| 76 | High School Teacher | Education | $62,500 | $47,500 | $81,300 |
| 77 | Special Education Teacher | Education | $62,500 | $47,500 | $81,300 |
| 78 | Plumber | Skilled Trades | $61,900 | $47,000 | $80,400 |
| 79 | Elementary Teacher | Education | $60,700 | $46,100 | $78,900 |
| 80 | Video Editor | Creative & Media | $60,700 | $46,200 | $78,900 |
| 81 | Social Media Manager | Creative & Media | $60,700 | $46,200 | $78,900 |
| 82 | Interior Designer | Creative & Media | $60,700 | $46,200 | $78,900 |
| 83 | Real Estate Agent | Real Estate | $58,900 | $44,800 | $76,600 |
| 84 | School Counselor | Education | $58,800 | $44,700 | $76,500 |
| 85 | Heavy Equipment Operator | Skilled Trades | $58,100 | $44,200 | $75,500 |
| 86 | Chef / Head Cook | Hospitality | $57,500 | $43,700 | $74,800 |
| 87 | Firefighter | Public Service | $57,000 | $43,300 | $74,100 |
| 88 | Paralegal | Legal | $56,500 | $42,900 | $73,400 |
| 89 | Medical Lab Technician | Healthcare | $56,200 | $42,700 | $73,100 |
| 90 | HVAC Technician | Skilled Trades | $56,200 | $42,700 | $73,100 |
| 91 | Graphic Designer | Creative & Media | $55,400 | $42,100 | $72,000 |
| 92 | Social Worker | Public Service | $55,200 | $41,900 | $71,700 |
| 93 | Carpenter | Skilled Trades | $54,400 | $41,300 | $70,700 |
| 94 | Content Writer / Copywriter | Creative & Media | $51,800 | $39,400 | $67,300 |
| 95 | Welder | Skilled Trades | $48,700 | $37,000 | $63,300 |
| 96 | Auto Mechanic | Skilled Trades | $48,700 | $37,000 | $63,300 |
| 97 | Photographer | Creative & Media | $42,900 | $32,600 | $55,700 |
| 98 | Administrative Assistant | Administrative | $41,900 | $31,800 | $54,500 |
| 99 | Medical Assistant | Healthcare | $41,200 | $31,300 | $53,600 |
| 100 | Customer Service Rep | Administrative | $36,400 | $27,700 | $47,300 |
→ See top 25 highest-paying jobs in Kentucky (with growth outlook)
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