Registered Nurse Salary in Kentucky
Median annual pay in Kentucky
$81,040
$38.96/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Adjusted for cost of living in Kentucky
$89,886
Regional Price Parity: 90.159 (U.S. = 100)
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Difference from the U.S. median ($97,550): −$16,510 (−16.9%)
Kentucky ranks 42nd of 51 states by median pay, and 37th of 51 after adjusting for cost of living.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,170 | $30.85 |
| 25th percentile | $75,670 | $36.38 |
| Median | $81,040 | $38.96 |
| 75th percentile | $97,200 | $46.73 |
| 90th percentile | $111,750 | $53.73 |
Employment
- Employment in Kentucky
- 50,300
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Comparison
Compared with the U.S.
- Median annual pay in Kentucky
- $81,040
- Median annual pay in the U.S.
- $97,550
- Difference
- −$16,510 (−16.9%)
Cost of living
$81,040 ÷ 90.159 × 100 = $89,886
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Ranking
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | ||
| 40th | $81,780 | $90,049 36th |
| Tennessee | ||
| 41st | $81,500 | $88,712 44th |
| Kentucky This page | ||
| 42nd | $81,040 | $89,886 37th |
| North Dakota | ||
| 43rd | $80,730 | $90,750 33rd |
| Louisiana | ||
| 44th | $80,230 | $90,957 31st |
Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Nurse Practitioner salary in Kentucky
$122,870/year Kentucky
- Nurse Anesthetist salary in Kentucky
$222,520/year Kentucky
- Physician Assistant salary in Kentucky
$120,760/year Kentucky
- Nursing Assistant salary in Kentucky
$38,370/year Kentucky
- Paramedic salary in Kentucky
$49,890/year Kentucky
- Emergency Medicine Physician salary in the U.S.
$335,550/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +5.6%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Bachelor's degree
BLS publishes employment projections only for the U.S. as a whole. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
Specialties included in this occupation
- Acute Care Nurses
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
- Critical Care Nurses
- Clinical Nurse Specialists
BLS publishes one wage figure for all Registered Nurses; it does not publish separate data for these specialties.
O*NET 31.0
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Registered Nurse salary in nearby places
- Registered Nurse salary in Illinois
$95,990/year Illinois
- Registered Nurse salary in Indiana
$83,500/year Indiana
- Registered Nurse salary in Missouri
$81,780/year Missouri
- Registered Nurse salary in Ohio
$82,510/year Ohio
- Registered Nurse salary in Tennessee
$81,500/year Tennessee
- Registered Nurse salary in Virginia
$93,600/year Virginia
- Registered Nurse salary in West Virginia
$80,130/year West Virginia
- Registered Nurse salary in the U.S.
$97,550/year U.S.
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations and specialties: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
- Neighboring states: U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024.
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