Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area
Highest-Paying Occupations in Lexington Metro
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area
Figures describe the Lexington-Fayette, KY metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Lexington city limits. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (6 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 469 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $558,180 | $268.36 | 140 |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $283,730 | $136.41 | 820 |
| 3 | Anesthesiologists | $273,190 | $131.34 | 230 |
| 4 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $256,240 | $123.19 | 80 |
| 5 | Nurse Anesthetists | $242,700 | $116.68 | 270 |
| 6 | Physicians, Pathologists | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | Not published |
| 7 | Family Medicine Physicians | $237,650 | $114.25 | 210 |
| 8 | Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $220,690 | Not published | 30 |
| 9 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $208,770 | Not published | Not published |
| 10 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $182,490 | $87.74 | 30 |
| 11 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $180,790 | $86.92 | 470 |
| 12 | Chief Executives | $179,520 | $86.31 | 270 |
| 13 | Pediatricians, General | $165,300 | $79.47 | 250 |
| 14 | Natural Sciences Managers | $161,450 | $77.62 | 100 |
| 15 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $161,170 | $77.49 | 390 |
| 16 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $148,180 | $71.24 | 160 |
| 17 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $144,160 | $69.31 | 470 |
| 18 | Fundraising Managers | $140,090 | $67.35 | 60 |
| 19 | Optometrists | $139,060 | $66.85 | 40 |
| 20 | Physics Teachers, Postsecondary | $138,980 | Not published | 50 |
| 21 | Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary | $138,890 | Not published | 80 |
| 22 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $137,250 | $65.99 | 200 |
| 23 | Pharmacists | $136,530 | $65.64 | 1,060 |
| 24 | Financial Managers | $135,760 | $65.27 | 940 |
| 25 | Psychiatrists | $132,450 | $63.68 | 70 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Lexington metro area 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.