Electrical Engineers Salary
In Kentucky, electrical engineers earn $98,550 at the median, or about $47.38 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $138K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $109,221 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,110/month, or 17.8% 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 $99K actually covers in Kentucky, month by month
About electrical engineers
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What this looks like in Kentucky
Pay for electrical engineers in Kentucky runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $121K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,110/month, 18.1% 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 electrical engineers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level electrical engineers (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $99K. Top earners bring in $138K or more, a $75K spread from bottom to top.
Electrical Engineers salary by metro in Kentucky
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | $101K | +2% | 40 |
| Lexington-Fayette | $98K | -0% | 200 |
| Elizabethtown | $98K | -1% | 30 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $98K | -1% | 660 |
| Paducah | $96K | -3% | 50 |
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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 electrical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
Yes — at the median salary of $99K, rent takes 18.1% 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 electrical engineers in Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electrical engineers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,195/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is electrical engineer a high-paying job in Kentucky?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $99K here vs. $121K 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 electrical engineers?
Kentucky pays $99K median vs. the U.S. average of $121K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $109K — below the national median.
How much do electrical engineers make in Kentucky?
The median is $98,550 a year, that works out to about $47 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,270, and experienced electrical engineers can clear $138,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $99K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,148/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 18.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a electrical engineers 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 electrical engineers salary is worth about $109,221 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do electrical engineers 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.