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Highest Paying Jobs in Kentucky

Ranked by the average of the local median wages BLS publishes for Kentucky, among 37 occupations with at least 1,000 workers in the state.

Highest paying occupations in Kentucky
#OccupationAverage median wageWorkers in state
1Software Developers$117,17316,460
2General and Operations Managers$87,32679,000
3Project Management Specialists$87,02816,750
4Registered Nurses$81,84079,360
5Accountants and Auditors$77,04321,930
6Human Resources Specialists$70,01917,370
7Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$69,99126,870
8Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$69,31812,680
9Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$65,53522,090
10First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers$64,38628,740
11Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$61,71529,520
12Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers$56,09245,670
13Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$55,84520,020
14Maintenance and Repair Workers, General$49,78834,540
15Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$47,40217,630
16Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$47,28860,350
17Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks$46,82132,000
18Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$44,85228,390
19Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks$43,91322,610
20Light Truck Drivers$43,19922,510
21First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers$42,57926,210
22Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$41,97678,460
23Customer Service Representatives$41,93054,620
24Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$41,73632,940
25Office Clerks, General$40,79947,270

Highest-paying jobs in Kentucky

This ranking covers 37 occupations that employ at least 1,000 people in Kentucky. The figure used is the employment-weighted average of the local median wages published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, May 2025) for the state's wage areas. Software Developers comes first at $117,173 a year; number 25 on the list, Office Clerks, General, averages $40,799.

Each occupation links to its Kentucky page with the wage areas, the counties and what is left after taxes and living costs. Pay is only part of the picture, so compare it with local rents and taxes before choosing where to work.