Insights / Healthcare pay below the U.S. median / Kentucky
5 healthcare jobs where pay in Kentucky lags the U.S. median
Read Kentucky Dental Hygienists as $78,830 so the comparison stays on the table.
Take Kentucky Dental Hygienists at $98,100 rather than a round number from memory.
Leave Kentucky Registered Nurses at $81,040 before a national midpoint replaces it.
Hold Kentucky Registered Nurses to $97,550 ahead of the posting you want.
Each occupation
1Dental Hygienists
- State median
- $78,830
- U.S. median
- $98,100
- State vs U.S.
- 0.80
2Registered Nurses
- State median
- $81,040
- U.S. median
- $97,550
- State vs U.S.
- 0.83
3Emergency Medical Technicians
- State median
- $36,800
- U.S. median
- $44,470
- State vs U.S.
- 0.83
4Speech-Language Pathologists
- State median
- $83,550
- U.S. median
- $97,870
- State vs U.S.
- 0.85
5Pharmacy Technicians
- State median
- $39,200
- U.S. median
- $45,750
- State vs U.S.
- 0.86
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Occupation | State median | U.S. median | State vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dental Hygienists | $78,830 | $98,100 | 0.80 |
| 2 | Registered Nurses | $81,040 | $97,550 | 0.83 |
| 3 | Emergency Medical Technicians | $36,800 | $44,470 | 0.83 |
| 4 | Speech-Language Pathologists | $83,550 | $97,870 | 0.85 |
| 5 | Pharmacy Technicians | $39,200 | $45,750 | 0.86 |
Takeaways
- Send Kentucky Medical Technicians out $36,800 so local pay stays visible.
- Bring Kentucky Medical Technicians in $44,470 and the figure stays beside the title.
- Cite Kentucky Speech-Language Pathologists $83,550 ahead of the compensation review.
- Cite Kentucky Speech-Language Pathologists $97,870 so the offer letter names the figure.
For recruiters
- Pin Kentucky Pharmacy Technicians beside $39,200 before the range goes out.
- List Kentucky Dental Hygienists at $78,830 inside the Hiring Pack on the req.
FAQ
- Are these posted wages or open jobs?
- No. The table is a government survey or a designation file.
- What should a recruiter do first?
- Follow the recruiter note on this page.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
An occupation is included only when the Kentucky OEWS median is at most 0.97 times the U.S. median for the same occupation. The 5 lowest comparisons are shown. States with fewer than 5 such occupations are omitted, rather than filled with occupations at or above the U.S. median. OEWS May 2025. Sorted by the lowest comparison, Kentucky is 14 of 31. A row links to the Kentucky metro page with the highest public market difficulty score for that occupation when one is published, and otherwise to the occupation page on the hiring grid. An unpublished percentile or employment count is shown as unpublished rather than replaced with a zero. The wages are annual OEWS figures. They are not job listings and they are not an employer's current offer. Read the comparison beside the dollar figures: a high state wage can still sit under the national median for that occupation, and a lower state wage can still sit above it. Rounded figures in the prose: $78,830 is stated as about $78.8K. $98,100 is stated as about $98.1K. a comparison of 0.80 is stated as 20 percent. $39,200 is stated as about $39.2K. $45,750 is stated as about $45.8K. a comparison of 0.86 is stated as 14 percent.
Sources
Run this opening as a Hiring Pack
The figures above are public statistics. A Hiring Pack starts from the role and the city on the req. One pack is $24.00. Starter is $149 a month for 30 packs and 3 users, Team is $299 for 100 packs and 10 users, and Pro is $699 for 300 packs and 25 users. Annual billing is 20% off, so those monthly prices are $119, $239, and $559. Enterprise is self-serve at $1,499, $2,499, and $3,999 a month.
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