Is Kentucky a good state for your salary to go far?

Kentucky ranks #37 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 97.0 across 370 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 90.2 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.

What is the cost of living in Kentucky?

Kentucky's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 90.2, where the US average is 100. That is at or below the national average, so a dollar buys as much as or more than it does nationally. The Gera US Real Pay Index divides take-home pay by this figure to express salaries in purchasing-power-equivalent dollars.

GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Kentucky

Where Your Salary Goes Furthest in Kentucky

Kentucky ranks #37 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index (mean 97.0, base = 100). Cost of living 90.2 (US = 100); top income tax 4.00%.

Does a salary go further in Kentucky? (cost of living + state tax)

In Kentucky, the cost of living is 90.2 on the BEA index (US = 100) and the Gera US Real Pay Index averages 97.0 across 370 occupations, ranking it #37 of 51 states for how far pay goes after 2025 state income tax and 2024 BEA cost of living. Real BLS OEWS; re-dated annually.

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)·As of May 2025 state estimates · updated annually · last refreshed 19 June 2026

Gera US Real Pay Index

Kentucky ranks #37 of 51 states. Mean across 370 occupations; 100 = the average state, 97.0 means pay goes -3.0% less far after tax and cost of living.

How this is calculated

97.0

Real pay by occupation in Kentucky (best first)

Occupation	BLS median	Real pay	Index
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other	$91,560	$97,637	146.3
Manicurists and Pedicurists	$45,310	$48,391	129.8
Rehabilitation Counselors	$58,540	$62,478	129.1
Physicians, All Other	$327,390	$348,745	123.7
Food Batchmakers	$46,900	$50,084	121.7
Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other	$68,230	$72,795	120.2
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$58,770	$62,723	118.5
Education Administrators, All Other	$102,610	$109,403	116.9
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other	$58,150	$62,062	116.6
Education Administrators, Postsecondary	$114,310	$121,861	115.2
Photographers	$47,170	$50,371	115.1
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks	$45,840	$48,955	115.0
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators	$47,950	$51,202	114.9
Social Workers, All Other	$85,160	$90,822	114.6
Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other	$49,970	$53,352	113.2
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	$45,450	$48,540	113.0
Printing Press Operators	$48,000	$51,255	112.6
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping	$49,140	$52,469	111.9
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	$36,440	$38,946	111.1
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	$42,770	$45,686	110.9
Physical Therapist Aides	$35,490	$37,934	110.9
Postmasters and Mail Superintendents	$98,570	$105,101	110.6
Environmental Engineers	$107,520	$114,631	110.4
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$47,110	$50,307	110.1
Packers and Packagers, Hand	$36,850	$39,382	109.8
Helpers--Production Workers	$42,130	$45,004	109.6
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity	$54,550	$58,229	109.4
Civil Engineers	$100,930	$107,614	109.0
Bill and Account Collectors	$48,330	$51,606	108.6
Postal Service Clerks	$62,610	$66,811	108.3
Chemical Technicians	$60,830	$64,916	108.2
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval	$97,680	$104,153	107.8
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals	$38,030	$40,639	107.7
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers	$60,700	$64,778	107.6
Fundraisers	$68,270	$72,838	107.5
First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other	$73,920	$78,854	107.5
Medical Equipment Preparers	$46,880	$50,062	107.4
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	$59,100	$63,074	107.3
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping	$50,400	$53,810	107.3
Food Service Managers	$70,410	$75,117	107.2

Showing the 40 highest real-pay occupations of 370 BLS publishes for Kentucky. Real pay = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the 2024 BEA cost of living (90.2, US = 100).

Where does your salary go furthest?

Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.

Gross annual salary (USD)Compare against state

In Kentucky, a $85,000 salary is worth about $90,507 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.

State income tax $3,400 (flat 4.00%) · take-home $81,600 · BEA cost of living 90.2 (US = 100).

The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $95,952, a $5,445 gain over Kentucky.

#	State	Real value	Cost (RPP)
1	South Dakota	$95,952	88.6
2	Arkansas	$93,959	86.9
3	Louisiana	$93,473	88.2
4	Mississippi	$93,453	87.0
5	Iowa	$93,172	87.8
6	North Dakota	$93,161	89.0
7	Tennessee	$92,522	91.9
8	Oklahoma	$92,167	87.8
9	Wyoming	$91,703	92.7
10	Alabama	$90,911	88.8
11	Kentucky	$90,507	90.2
12	West Virginia	$90,397	89.5

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Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).

Kentucky real pay — FAQ

Is Kentucky a good state for your salary to go far?: Kentucky ranks #37 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 97.0 across 370 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 90.2 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.
What is the cost of living in Kentucky?: Kentucky's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 90.2, where the US average is 100. That is at or below the national average, so a dollar buys as much as or more than it does nationally. The Gera US Real Pay Index divides take-home pay by this figure to express salaries in purchasing-power-equivalent dollars.

Compare other states

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Related on GeraJobs

Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked
Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
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Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for Kentucky is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.