Editors Salary
In Lexington-Fayette, KY, editors earn $60,830 at the median, or about $29.25 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.89), which stretches that salary to about $65,486 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 31.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Lexington-Fayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lexington-Fayette’s Regional Price Parity (92.89). 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 editors
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What this looks like in Lexington-Fayette
Pay for editors in Lexington-Fayette runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $78K. Rent runs $1,272/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for editors in metros near Lexington-Fayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $80K | $78K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $64K | $67K |
| Cleveland | $74K | $79K |
| Kansas City | $65K | $70K |
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 editors (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $64K spread from bottom to top.
Editors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Editors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $101K | +30% | 16,800 |
| California | $98K | +26% | 14,830 |
| Connecticut | $86K | +10% | 1,050 |
| District of Columbia | $84K | +8% | 3,310 |
| Massachusetts | $83K | +7% | 3,100 |
| New Jersey | $82K | +5% | 2,120 |
| Virginia | $81K | +3% | 2,720 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +0% | 340 |
| Colorado | $78K | -0% | 1,830 |
| Washington | $78K | -0% | 1,860 |
| Georgia | $77K | -2% | 1,920 |
| Illinois | $76K | -2% | 4,560 |
| Maryland | $76K | -3% | 1,850 |
| Delaware | $75K | -4% | 170 |
| Florida | $74K | -5% | 3,790 |
| North Carolina | $74K | -5% | 1,870 |
| Nevada | $73K | -7% | N/A |
| Ohio | $72K | -7% | 1,800 |
| Oregon | $72K | -8% | 1,110 |
| Vermont | $67K | -14% | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $67K | -15% | 250 |
| Utah | $65K | -17% | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -18% | 1,510 |
| New Mexico | $64K | -18% | 230 |
| Alaska | $64K | -18% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | -19% | 3,240 |
| Alabama | $63K | -19% | 530 |
| Arizona | $63K | -19% | 820 |
| Michigan | $63K | -19% | 1,690 |
| Minnesota | $63K | -20% | 1,970 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -20% | 500 |
| Kansas | $62K | -21% | 500 |
| Montana | $62K | -21% | 200 |
| Missouri | $62K | -21% | 880 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -22% | 200 |
| Tennessee | $60K | -24% | 1,390 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -24% | 490 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -24% | 330 |
| Iowa | $57K | -27% | 900 |
| South Dakota | $57K | -27% | 140 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -27% | 260 |
| Indiana | $56K | -28% | 830 |
| Hawaii | $55K | -29% | 100 |
| Mississippi | $54K | -30% | 290 |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -35% | 500 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -36% | 260 |
| Maine | $50K | -36% | 300 |
| Wyoming | $47K | -40% | 110 |
| Nebraska | $46K | -41% | 360 |
| Texas | $46K | -41% | 6,460 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track editors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lexington-Fayette numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a editor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lexington-Fayette?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 31.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for editors in Lexington-Fayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new editors typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,489/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 51% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is editor a high-paying job in Lexington-Fayette?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $61K here vs. $78K 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 editors?
Lexington-Fayette pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — below the national median.
How much do editors make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The median is $60,830 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,480, and experienced editors can clear $105,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Lexington-Fayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,040/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 31.5% 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 editors salary go in Lexington-Fayette?
Lexington-Fayette has a Regional Price Parity of 92.89 (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 editors salary is worth about $65,486 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do editors 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.