Cashiers Salary
Cashiers in Kentucky make a median of $28,590 a year, or about $13.75 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $31,686 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,110/month, about 54.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kentucky. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $29K get you in Kentucky?
About cashiers
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What this looks like in Kentucky
Pay for cashiers in Kentucky runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $33K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,110/month, which is 55.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.23 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cashierss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level cashiers (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $36K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Cashiers salary by metro in Kentucky
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $31K | +7% | 12,630 |
| Lexington-Fayette | $30K | +3% | 5,250 |
| Paducah | $29K | -0% | 1,400 |
| Bowling Green | $29K | -0% | 1,670 |
| Elizabethtown | $28K | -1% | 1,340 |
| Owensboro | $28K | -3% | 1,130 |
Compare to other states
Track cashiers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kentucky numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cashier afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 55.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,110/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cashiers in Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cashiers typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,303/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 85% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cashier a high-paying job in Kentucky?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $29K here vs. $33K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kentucky compare to the national average for cashiers?
Kentucky pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $33K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do cashiers make in Kentucky?
The median is $28,590 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,720, and experienced cashiers can clear $35,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,989/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 55.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cashiers salary go in Kentucky?
Kentucky has a Regional Price Parity of 90.23 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cashiers salary is worth about $31,686 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cashiers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.