StateRates

Louisville/Jefferson County salaries

The median worker in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area earned $47,750 a year in 2024, about $22.96 an hour. That ranks #151 of the 391 metro areas published here, 3.5% below the national median.

Kentucky Indiana

Median pay $47,750 $22.96 per hour
Vs national -3.5% U.S. $49,500
Workers 686,050 wage and salary
Metro rank #151 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Louisville/Jefferson County pays 4.4% more than Kentucky as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved +2.4% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +34.1% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Louisville/Jefferson County.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 5.9× 590 $53,670
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels 3.99× 630 $81,510
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 3.8× 2,950 $61,930
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 3.52× 22,810 $47,130
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other 3.25× 2,190 $78,640
Millwrights 2.87× 520 $71,510
Residential Advisors 2.57× 950 $28,990
Cargo and Freight Agents 2.55× 1,110 $48,190
Tool and Die Makers 2.53× 620 $71,570
Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers 2.39× 780 $48,620
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2.2× 29,200 $45,870
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters 2.16× 510 $52,710

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Louisville/Jefferson County
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Chief Executives $205,570 $98.83 960
Dentists, General $159,460 $76.67 300
Architectural and Engineering Managers $138,190 $66.44 490
Pharmacists $136,890 $65.81 1,690
Computer and Information Systems Managers $136,260 $65.51 1,290
Sales Managers $133,660 $64.26 2,870
Financial Managers $132,750 $63.82 2,360
Optometrists $132,000 $63.46 200
Marketing Managers $131,770 $63.35 1,040
Managers, All Other $130,980 $62.97 880
Physician Assistants $126,150 $60.65 450
Human Resources Managers $121,000 $58.17 740
Purchasing Managers $119,790 $57.59 280
Nurse Practitioners $118,790 $57.11 1,710
Database Architects $117,370 $56.43 220
Computer Network Architects $116,170 $55.85 600
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $113,950 n/a 1,240
Commercial Pilots $109,770 n/a 200
Industrial Production Managers $109,000 $52.40 1,530
Medical and Health Services Managers $108,170 $52.01 2,650
Public Relations Managers $107,440 $51.65 220
Software Developers $106,470 $51.19 2,850
Training and Development Managers $106,440 $51.18 280
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $105,930 $50.93 270
Administrative Services Managers $104,970 $50.47 950
Lawyers $103,860 $49.93 2,600
Information Security Analysts $103,760 $49.88 730
Civil Engineers $103,410 $49.72 1,180
Veterinarians $102,070 $49.07 350
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $102,040 $49.06 1,000
Computer Programmers $101,930 $49.01 550
Electrical Engineers $99,370 $47.77 580
Construction Managers $99,110 $47.65 810
Mechanical Engineers $99,090 $47.64 1,040
Physical Therapists $98,880 $47.54 1,300
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $98,310 $47.26 370
Speech-Language Pathologists $98,120 $47.17 770
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $96,760 $46.52 330
Industrial Engineers $96,560 $46.42 1,970
Data Scientists $96,480 $46.38 760
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $96,410 $46.35 1,470
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $94,230 $45.30 260
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $91,950 $44.21 200
Facilities Managers $90,570 $43.55 390
Database Administrators $89,390 $42.98 260
Web Developers $89,040 $42.81 200
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $88,330 $42.46 510
Occupational Therapists $88,030 $42.32 820
Management Analysts $88,000 $42.31 1,960
Computer Systems Analysts $86,970 $41.81 1,860
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $86,820 $41.74 1,030
Engineers, All Other $86,720 $41.69 200
General and Operations Managers $84,670 $40.71 18,560
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $82,830 $39.82 290
Project Management Specialists $82,490 $39.66 3,340
Computer Occupations, All Other $82,280 $39.56 780
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists $82,130 $39.48 270
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels $81,510 $39.19 630
Registered Nurses $81,200 $39.04 17,300
Operations Research Analysts $81,190 $39.04 390

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Louisville/Jefferson County by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 29,200 $45,870 $22.05
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 22,810 $47,130 $22.66
General and Operations Managers 18,560 $84,670 $40.71
Registered Nurses 17,300 $81,200 $39.04
Retail Salespersons 16,080 $30,090 $14.47
Customer Service Representatives 16,040 $39,540 $19.01
Stockers and Order Fillers 16,040 $38,180 $18.36
Fast Food and Counter Workers 15,970 $28,340 $13.63
Cashiers 12,250 $29,110 $14.00
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 11,890 $58,820 $28.28
Office Clerks, General 10,700 $38,050 $18.30
Waiters and Waitresses 10,250 $25,680 $12.35
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 9,680 $33,260 $15.99
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 9,660 $34,070 $16.38
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 7,330 $47,690 $22.93
Light Truck Drivers 6,940 $43,720 $21.02
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 6,890 $48,740 $23.44
Nursing Assistants 6,800 $38,360 $18.44
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 6,590 $65,220 $31.36
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks 6,570 $44,620 $21.45

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Kentucky metro areas

Louisville/Jefferson County pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Louisville/Jefferson County?

The median across all occupations is $47,750, or $22.96 an hour, covering 686,050 wage and salary workers. The mean is $60,330, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Louisville/Jefferson County pay more than the rest of Kentucky?

Yes. The metro median of $47,750 is 4.4% above the Kentucky median of $45,740. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Louisville/Jefferson County?

Chief Executives ($205,570), Dentists, General ($159,460), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($138,190). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Louisville/Jefferson County unusually full of?

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, at 5.9× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.