Economists Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $67K, rent takes 43.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,930/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new economists typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,052/month.

Local pay runs 46% below the national median — $67K here vs. $125K nationally.

Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area pays $67K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -46%.

The median is $67,110 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,020, and experienced economists can clear $83,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,410/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,930/month, which eats 43.8% 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.

Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 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 economists salary is worth about $67,110 in national-average purchasing power.

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.