Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in Lexington-Fayette, KY make a median of $179,520 a year, or about $86.31 an hour. The range runs from $80K at the entry level to $515K for experienced workers.
So what does $180K get you in Lexington-Fayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lexington-Fayette’s Regional Price Parity (92.9). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About chief executives
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What this looks like in Lexington-Fayette
Pay for chief executives in Lexington-Fayette runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $214K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,272/month, 12.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.9 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Lexington-Fayette can be a reasonable trade-off for chief executivess who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chief executives in metros near Lexington-Fayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $214K | , |
| Bowling Green | $164K | , |
| Owensboro | $172K | , |
| Elizabethtown | $159K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lexington-Fayette, KY
Entry-level chief executives (10th percentile) start around $80K. Mid-career wages sit at $180K. Top earners bring in $515K or more, a $435K spread from bottom to top.
Chief Executives pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chief Executives salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $342K | +60% | 910 |
| Washington | $340K | +59% | 3,170 |
| Illinois | $332K | +55% | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $314K | +47% | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $311K | +45% | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $310K | +45% | 2,430 |
| Connecticut | $295K | +38% | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $282K | +32% | 470 |
| South Dakota | $281K | +31% | 510 |
| New York | $258K | +21% | 8,430 |
| Texas | $258K | +20% | 8,780 |
| Michigan | $256K | +19% | 4,950 |
| Indiana | $254K | +19% | 1,820 |
| Maryland | $249K | +16% | 3,180 |
| Rhode Island | $235K | +10% | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $233K | +9% | 8,850 |
| California | $219K | +2% | 34,700 |
| Nebraska | $215K | +0% | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $213K | -0% | N/A |
| Iowa | $211K | -1% | 3,050 |
| Wisconsin | $208K | -3% | N/A |
| Georgia | $208K | -3% | 4,080 |
| Delaware | $200K | -7% | 390 |
| Tennessee | $199K | -7% | 4,700 |
| Minnesota | $196K | -9% | 6,740 |
| Montana | $182K | -15% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $180K | -16% | 2,070 |
| Idaho | $177K | -17% | 2,920 |
| Ohio | $176K | -18% | 4,470 |
| Vermont | $175K | -18% | 360 |
| Missouri | $172K | -19% | 2,550 |
| Utah | $172K | -20% | 3,140 |
| South Carolina | $169K | -21% | 1,740 |
| New Hampshire | $169K | -21% | N/A |
| Alaska | $167K | -22% | 640 |
| Alabama | $166K | -22% | 810 |
| North Dakota | $165K | -23% | 380 |
| Oklahoma | $164K | -23% | 2,390 |
| Kansas | $158K | -26% | 1,960 |
| West Virginia | $152K | -29% | 1,700 |
| Nevada | $150K | -30% | 1,370 |
| Wyoming | $148K | -31% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $139K | -35% | 310 |
| Maine | $139K | -35% | 1,580 |
| New Mexico | $124K | -42% | 100 |
| Arkansas | $120K | -44% | 3,550 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chief executives salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lexington-Fayette numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lexington-Fayette?
Yes — at the median salary of $180K, rent takes 12.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in Lexington-Fayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $80K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,784/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in Lexington-Fayette?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $180K here vs. $214K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lexington-Fayette compare to the national average for chief executives?
Lexington-Fayette pays $180K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $193K — below the national median.
How much do chief executives make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The median is $179,520 a year, that works out to about $86 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $79,740, and experienced chief executives can clear $515,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $180K enough to live in Lexington-Fayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,541/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 12.1% 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 Lexington-Fayette?
Lexington-Fayette has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chief executives salary is worth about $193,240 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.