What is the average wage in ?

Updated Apr. 11, 2026Refreshed monthly
The average wage was $1,067 per week in January 2026, 3.5% higher than a year before. The average weekly wage, the typical earnings that employees bring home for one week of work, is a valuable indicator to assess economic conditions, labor market health, and wage trends. When accounting for the cost of living, Kentucky’s average weekly wage of $1,067 has the purchasing power of $1,183.

$1.07K

average weekly earnings, January 2026

3.5%

higher than a year before (adjusted for inflation)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases monthly statistics tracking the wages of all employees who don’t work for the government. In January 2026, the average weekly wage in Kentucky was $1,067. That represents the wages of 1.7 million private-sector workers in the state.

As of January 2026, average weekly earnings for workers in Kentucky was lower than the US overall.

12-month rolling average of average weekly earnings, 2007-2026, adjusted for inflation

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As with other averages, most people earn more or less than the average weekly wage. Pay varies based on industry and occupation.

Which occupations have the highest wages?

In Kentucky, workers in the construction sector had the highest average weekly earnings at $1,489 per week, as of January 2026. Leisure and hospitality workers had the lowest average weekly wage at $454.

In Kentucky, construction workers had the highest average weekly wage.

Average weekly earnings, by industry (January 2026)

How do wages in Kentucky compare to the national average?

Cost of living, which also varies based on location, impacts how far a person’s earnings can go. Someone earning the weekly average will have more or less purchasing power depending on location. In Kentucky, cost of living is lower than the US overall, and the state’s average weekly wage of $1,067 has purchasing power equal to $1,183.
Kentucky’s average weekly wage is below the national average, ranking 45th among states. When accounting for regional cost of living differences, Kentucky ranks 36th among states.

Accounting for cost of living, Kentucky had an average weekly wage of $1,183 in January 2026.

Average weekly wage, January 2026, adjusted with regional price parity (2024)

Which metro areas in Kentucky have the highest wages?

Among 8 metro areas at least partially located in Kentucky, the Huntington, WV area has the highest average weekly wage at $1,266, when accounting for the cost of living.

Among Kentucky metro areas, the Huntington, WV area had the highest wages, accounting for cost of living.

Average weekly wage, January 2026, adjusted with regional price parity (2024)

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

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USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.