High paying medical jobs in Kentucky

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Kentucky. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

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 medical jobs in Kentucky

OccupationMedian, Kentucky · Employed

1Anesthesiologists$347,960
Doctoral or professional degree
$107,110 – $491,6401,090
2Physicians, All Other$327,390
Doctoral or professional degree
$120,640 – $549,8103,340
3Family Medicine Physicians$248,730
Doctoral or professional degree
$108,750 – $487,2401,170
4General Internal Medicine Physicians$241,530
Doctoral or professional degree
$73,510 – $456,7101,060
5Nurse Anesthetists$222,520
Master's degree
$189,630 – $289,2301,640
6Pharmacists$136,530
Doctoral or professional degree
$84,280 – $168,9405,030
7Dentists, General$134,160
Doctoral or professional degree
$44,820 – $344,040790
8Nurse Practitioners$122,870
Master's degree
$95,710 – $162,9604,770
9Physician Assistants$120,760
Master's degree
$79,550 – $161,8201,360
10Veterinarians$104,100
Doctoral or professional degree
$44,200 – $169,2201,190
11Physical Therapists$100,710
Doctoral or professional degree
$73,900 – $126,9203,390
12Occupational Therapists$97,650
Master's degree
$71,030 – $119,2502,190
13Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$91,230
Associate's degree
$62,440 – $115,390940
14Speech-Language Pathologists$83,550
Master's degree
$63,250 – $121,0902,610
15Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists$82,200
Associate's degree
$66,170 – $101,760650
16Registered Nurses$81,040
Bachelor's degree
$64,170 – $111,75050,300
17Dental Hygienists$78,830
Associate's degree
$61,280 – $98,7702,070
18Respiratory Therapists$72,750
Associate's degree
$58,330 – $92,5402,530
19Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$69,670
Associate's degree
$51,740 – $99,1703,630
20Dietitians and Nutritionists$69,520
Bachelor's degree
$31,820 – $89,7101,040
21Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians$60,980
Associate's degree
$37,870 – $101,250940
22Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$60,880
Bachelor's degree
$37,800 – $88,7504,860
23Athletic Trainers$60,680
Master's degree
$45,500 – $82,480720
24Surgical Technologists$60,490
Postsecondary nondegree award
$41,440 – $79,9801,440
25Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$60,460
Postsecondary nondegree award
$48,420 – $73,2208,570
26Paramedics$49,890
Postsecondary nondegree award
$40,050 – $66,8201,800
27Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$49,410
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,410 – $81,9501,940
28Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars$49,330
Associate's degree
$35,730 – $101,9201,320
29Medical Records Specialists$48,410
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,290 – $74,5204,210
30Opticians, Dispensing$44,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,190 – $65,130950
31Psychiatric Technicians$40,370
Postsecondary nondegree award
$31,300 – $54,750910
32Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$39,590
Associate's degree
$28,490 – $50,5301,670
33Pharmacy Technicians$39,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,760 – $52,6408,870
34Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$38,990
Postsecondary nondegree award
$30,320 – $51,8401,570
35Emergency Medical Technicians$36,800
Postsecondary nondegree award
$29,800 – $49,9502,770

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	AnesthesiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$347,960	$107,110 – $491,640	1,090
2	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$327,390	$120,640 – $549,810	3,340
3	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$248,730	$108,750 – $487,240	1,170
4	General Internal Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$241,530	$73,510 – $456,710	1,060
5	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$222,520	$189,630 – $289,230	1,640
6	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$136,530	$84,280 – $168,940	5,030
7	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$134,160	$44,820 – $344,040	790
8	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$122,870	$95,710 – $162,960	4,770
9	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$120,760	$79,550 – $161,820	1,360
10	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$104,100	$44,200 – $169,220	1,190
11	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$100,710	$73,900 – $126,920	3,390
12	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$97,650	$71,030 – $119,250	2,190
13	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$91,230	$62,440 – $115,390	940
14	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$83,550	$63,250 – $121,090	2,610
15	Magnetic Resonance Imaging TechnologistsAssociate's degree	$82,200	$66,170 – $101,760	650
16	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$81,040	$64,170 – $111,750	50,300
17	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$78,830	$61,280 – $98,770	2,070
18	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$72,750	$58,330 – $92,540	2,530
19	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$69,670	$51,740 – $99,170	3,630
20	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$69,520	$31,820 – $89,710	1,040
21	Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$60,980	$37,870 – $101,250	940
22	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$60,880	$37,800 – $88,750	4,860
23	Athletic TrainersMaster's degree	$60,680	$45,500 – $82,480	720
24	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,490	$41,440 – $79,980	1,440
25	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,460	$48,420 – $73,220	8,570
26	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$49,890	$40,050 – $66,820	1,800
27	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$49,410	$38,410 – $81,950	1,940
28	Health Information Technologists and Medical RegistrarsAssociate's degree	$49,330	$35,730 – $101,920	1,320
29	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$48,410	$36,290 – $74,520	4,210
30	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,290	$30,190 – $65,130	950
31	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$40,370	$31,300 – $54,750	910
32	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$39,590	$28,490 – $50,530	1,670
33	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,200	$31,760 – $52,640	8,870
34	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$38,990	$30,320 – $51,840	1,570
35	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$36,800	$29,800 – $49,950	2,770

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 medical jobs in Kentucky

More for Kentucky

Metro areas in Kentucky

By field in Kentucky

Without a degree

High paying medical jobs in each state