Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in Kentucky make a median of $179,530 a year, or about $86.31 an hour. The range runs from $73K at the entry level to $467K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $198,969 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,110/month, or 10.2% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kentucky. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $180K actually covers in Kentucky, month by month
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What this looks like in Kentucky
Pay for chief executives in Kentucky runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $214K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,110/month, 10.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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. Lower pay, lower costs, Kentucky can be a reasonable trade-off for chief executives who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level chief executives (10th percentile) start around $73K. Mid-career wages sit at $180K. Top earners bring in $467K or more, a $394K spread from bottom to top.
Chief Executives 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 | $214K | +19% | 640 |
| Lexington-Fayette | $180K | -0% | 270 |
| Owensboro | $172K | -4% | 50 |
| Bowling Green | $164K | -9% | 80 |
| Elizabethtown | $159K | -12% | 40 |
| Paducah | $149K | -17% | 40 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Kentucky numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
Yes — at the median salary of $180K, rent takes 10.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,110/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $73K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,724/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 23% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in Kentucky?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $180K here vs. $214K 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 chief executives?
Kentucky pays $180K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $199K — below the national median.
How much do chief executives make in Kentucky?
The median is $179,530 a year, that works out to about $86 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $72,800, and experienced chief executives can clear $466,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $180K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,541/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 10.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chief executives 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 chief executives salary is worth about $198,969 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chief executives 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.