Kentucky
Highest-Paying Occupations in Kentucky
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Kentucky
Figures describe the state of Kentucky as a whole. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (13 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 699 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $558,180 | $268.36 | Not published |
| 2 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $350,950 | Not published | 6,260 |
| 3 | Anesthesiologists | $347,960 | $167.29 | 1,090 |
| 4 | Neurologists | $338,850 | $162.91 | 230 |
| 5 | Physicians, All Other | $327,390 | $157.40 | 3,340 |
| 6 | Physicians, Pathologists | $324,390 | $155.96 | Not published |
| 7 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $317,110 | $152.46 | 240 |
| 8 | Radiologists | $279,990 | $134.61 | Not published |
| 9 | Family Medicine Physicians | $248,730 | $119.58 | 1,170 |
| 10 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $241,530 | $116.12 | 1,060 |
| 11 | Psychiatrists | $237,770 | $114.31 | 160 |
| 12 | Nurse Anesthetists | $222,520 | $106.98 | 1,640 |
| 13 | Podiatrists | $201,260 | $96.76 | 80 |
| 14 | Dermatologists | $195,830 | $94.15 | Not published |
| 15 | Physicists | $180,910 | $86.98 | 50 |
| 16 | Chief Executives | $179,530 | $86.31 | 2,070 |
| 17 | Pediatricians, General | $175,690 | $84.47 | 380 |
| 18 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $169,390 | $81.44 | 620 |
| 19 | Surgeons, All Other | $162,160 | $77.96 | 440 |
| 20 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $150,650 | $72.43 | 370 |
| 21 | Psychologists, All Other | $149,990 | $72.11 | 300 |
| 22 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $147,680 | $71.00 | 1,800 |
| 23 | Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $140,820 | Not published | 120 |
| 24 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $140,360 | $67.48 | 3,130 |
| 25 | Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $139,110 | Not published | 70 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Kentucky overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.