High paying jobs in Kentucky

Every occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Kentucky. The percentile range matters more than the median on its own: it shows what the bottom and top of each field actually earn, which a single average hides.

Cost of living: prices in Kentucky run 9.8% below the national average (2024), so a Kentucky salary is worth about 1.11× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Kentucky.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Kentucky

OccupationMedian, Kentucky · Employed

1Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers$350,950
Bachelor's degree
$182,780 – $407,7606,260
2Anesthesiologists$347,960
Doctoral or professional degree
$107,110 – $491,6401,090
3Physicians, All Other$327,390
Doctoral or professional degree
$120,640 – $549,8103,340
4Family Medicine Physicians$248,730
Doctoral or professional degree
$108,750 – $487,2401,170
5General Internal Medicine Physicians$241,530
Doctoral or professional degree
$73,510 – $456,7101,060
6Nurse Anesthetists$222,520
Master's degree
$189,630 – $289,2301,640
7Chief Executives$179,530
Bachelor's degree
$72,800 – $466,6602,070
8Architectural and Engineering Managers$147,680
Bachelor's degree
$114,220 – $201,7301,800
9Computer and Information Systems Managers$140,360
Bachelor's degree
$85,770 – $217,0003,130
10Pharmacists$136,530
Doctoral or professional degree
$84,280 – $168,9405,030
11Dentists, General$134,160
Doctoral or professional degree
$44,820 – $344,040790
12Financial Managers$130,650
Bachelor's degree
$82,110 – $223,2906,630
13Commercial Pilots$129,990
Postsecondary nondegree award
$83,130 – $355,390800
14Marketing Managers$128,930
Bachelor's degree
$77,340 – $204,5501,930
15Sales Managers$128,650
Bachelor's degree
$67,690 – $236,9906,650
16Purchasing Managers$124,350
Bachelor's degree
$76,770 – $174,690920
17Managers, All Other$122,930
Bachelor's degree
$57,540 – $198,9502,390
18Nurse Practitioners$122,870
Master's degree
$95,710 – $162,9604,770
19Human Resources Managers$121,460
Bachelor's degree
$76,520 – $194,2801,960
20Physician Assistants$120,760
Master's degree
$79,550 – $161,8201,360
21Education Administrators, Postsecondary$114,310
Master's degree
$77,630 – $230,220890
22Industrial Production Managers$112,250
Bachelor's degree
$73,530 – $187,9506,430
23Software Developers$109,010
Bachelor's degree
$76,310 – $168,1107,660
24Veterinarians$104,100
Doctoral or professional degree
$44,200 – $169,2201,190
25Computer Network Architects$103,740
Bachelor's degree
$62,850 – $168,3501,710
26Information Security Analysts$103,630
Bachelor's degree
$64,650 – $157,8101,680
27Medical and Health Services Managers$103,450
Bachelor's degree
$58,560 – $216,9408,600
28Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$101,860
Bachelor's degree
$60,670 – $146,480860
29Lawyers$101,550
Doctoral or professional degree
$63,010 – $187,1805,770
30Mechanical Engineers$101,050
Bachelor's degree
$65,370 – $139,8104,170
31Civil Engineers$100,930
Bachelor's degree
$65,660 – $143,6802,690
32Facilities Managers$100,720
Bachelor's degree
$59,990 – $168,1501,070
33Physical Therapists$100,710
Doctoral or professional degree
$73,900 – $126,9203,390
34Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$100,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$58,250 – $175,3902,340
35Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$99,920
Master's degree
$75,270 – $130,3104,940
36Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$99,140
Doctoral or professional degree
$49,220 – $174,820710
37Electrical Engineers$98,550
Bachelor's degree
$63,270 – $138,4601,540
38Occupational Therapists$97,650
Master's degree
$71,030 – $119,2502,190
39Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$97,640
Bachelor's degree
$48,870 – $198,1404,170
40Construction Managers$97,020
Bachelor's degree
$53,850 – $195,5302,990
41Industrial Engineers$96,820
Bachelor's degree
$65,980 – $135,7206,070
42Management Analysts$95,630
Bachelor's degree
$58,660 – $139,1804,550
43Computer Systems Analysts$95,090
Bachelor's degree
$57,560 – $173,5505,930
44Computer Programmers$94,850
Bachelor's degree
$61,990 – $140,460950
45Power Plant Operators$93,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$66,830 – $118,400690
46Data Scientists$91,760
Bachelor's degree
$61,990 – $156,4801,540
47Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$91,230
Associate's degree
$62,440 – $115,390940
48Computer Occupations, All Other$89,420
Bachelor's degree
$44,980 – $136,9901,850
49Database Administrators$87,390
Bachelor's degree
$47,150 – $139,840650
50Network and Computer Systems Administrators$87,020
Bachelor's degree
$55,920 – $171,7702,800

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianKentucky	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight EngineersBachelor's degree	$350,950	$182,780 – $407,760	6,260
2	AnesthesiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$347,960	$107,110 – $491,640	1,090
3	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$327,390	$120,640 – $549,810	3,340
4	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$248,730	$108,750 – $487,240	1,170
5	General Internal Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$241,530	$73,510 – $456,710	1,060
6	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$222,520	$189,630 – $289,230	1,640
7	Chief ExecutivesBachelor's degree	$179,530	$72,800 – $466,660	2,070
8	Architectural and Engineering ManagersBachelor's degree	$147,680	$114,220 – $201,730	1,800
9	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$140,360	$85,770 – $217,000	3,130
10	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$136,530	$84,280 – $168,940	5,030
11	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$134,160	$44,820 – $344,040	790
12	Financial ManagersBachelor's degree	$130,650	$82,110 – $223,290	6,630
13	Commercial PilotsPostsecondary nondegree award	$129,990	$83,130 – $355,390	800
14	Marketing ManagersBachelor's degree	$128,930	$77,340 – $204,550	1,930
15	Sales ManagersBachelor's degree	$128,650	$67,690 – $236,990	6,650
16	Purchasing ManagersBachelor's degree	$124,350	$76,770 – $174,690	920
17	Managers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$122,930	$57,540 – $198,950	2,390
18	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$122,870	$95,710 – $162,960	4,770
19	Human Resources ManagersBachelor's degree	$121,460	$76,520 – $194,280	1,960
20	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$120,760	$79,550 – $161,820	1,360
21	Education Administrators, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$114,310	$77,630 – $230,220	890
22	Industrial Production ManagersBachelor's degree	$112,250	$73,530 – $187,950	6,430
23	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$109,010	$76,310 – $168,110	7,660
24	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$104,100	$44,200 – $169,220	1,190
25	Computer Network ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$103,740	$62,850 – $168,350	1,710
26	Information Security AnalystsBachelor's degree	$103,630	$64,650 – $157,810	1,680
27	Medical and Health Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$103,450	$58,560 – $216,940	8,600
28	Electronics Engineers, Except ComputerBachelor's degree	$101,860	$60,670 – $146,480	860
29	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$101,550	$63,010 – $187,180	5,770
30	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$101,050	$65,370 – $139,810	4,170
31	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$100,930	$65,660 – $143,680	2,690
32	Facilities ManagersBachelor's degree	$100,720	$59,990 – $168,150	1,070
33	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$100,710	$73,900 – $126,920	3,390
34	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$100,340	$58,250 – $175,390	2,340
35	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryMaster's degree	$99,920	$75,270 – $130,310	4,940
36	Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$99,140	$49,220 – $174,820	710
37	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$98,550	$63,270 – $138,460	1,540
38	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$97,650	$71,030 – $119,250	2,190
39	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific ProductsBachelor's degree	$97,640	$48,870 – $198,140	4,170
40	Construction ManagersBachelor's degree	$97,020	$53,850 – $195,530	2,990
41	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$96,820	$65,980 – $135,720	6,070
42	Management AnalystsBachelor's degree	$95,630	$58,660 – $139,180	4,550
43	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$95,090	$57,560 – $173,550	5,930
44	Computer ProgrammersBachelor's degree	$94,850	$61,990 – $140,460	950
45	Power Plant OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$93,400	$66,830 – $118,400	690
46	Data ScientistsBachelor's degree	$91,760	$61,990 – $156,480	1,540
47	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$91,230	$62,440 – $115,390	940
48	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$89,420	$44,980 – $136,990	1,850
49	Database AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$87,390	$47,150 – $139,840	650
50	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$87,020	$55,920 – $171,770	2,800

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Kentucky. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for Kentucky

Metro areas in Kentucky

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Kentucky

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Kentucky to rank honestly.

High paying jobs in Kentucky

More for Kentucky

Metro areas in Kentucky

By field in Kentucky

Without a degree

By state