Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health Salary
In Kentucky, environmental science and protection technicians, including healths earn $46,840 at the median, or about $22.52 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $83K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $51,912 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,110/month, about 34.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kentucky. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $47K get you in Kentucky?
About environmental science and protection technicians, including healths
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What this looks like in Kentucky
Pay for environmental science and protection technicians, including health in Kentucky runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,110/month, which is 35.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. 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. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level environmental science and protection technicians, including healths (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $83K or more, a $46K spread from bottom to top.
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health salary by metro in Kentucky
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $48K | +3% | 170 |
| Lexington-Fayette | $47K | +0% | 90 |
| Paducah | $41K | -12% | 50 |
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Track environmental science and protection technicians, including health salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental science and protection technicians, including health afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 35.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,110/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths in Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental science and protection technicians, including healths typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,215/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 50% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is environmental science and protection technicians, including health a high-paying job in Kentucky?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $47K here vs. $55K 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including healths?
Kentucky pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do environmental science and protection technicians, including healths make in Kentucky?
The median is $46,840 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,910, and experienced environmental science and protection technicians, including healths can clear $83,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,150/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 35.2% 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including health 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including health salary is worth about $51,912 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do environmental science and protection technicians, including healths 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.