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Production & Manufacturing

Food Processing Workers, All Other Salary

in Kentucky

Food Processing Workers, All Others in Kentucky make a median of $37,450 a year, or about $18.01 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $41,505 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,110/month, about 43.5% of take-home, which is tight.

Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kentucky. Jump to a metro for precise data:

$37K
Median annual
$18.01/hr
Hourly rate
$37K
Entry level (10th %)
$45K
Senior level (90th %)

So what does $37K get you in Kentucky?

Estimated monthly take-home$2,553/mo
Median 2BR rent-$1,110/mo
Rent as % of take-home43.5% (above 30% guideline)
Cost-of-living adjusted salary$41,505/yr
Monthly remaining after rent$1,443/mo

About food processing workers, all others

Education: High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employed: 65,000
Kentucky employed: 690
Category: Production & Manufacturing

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What this looks like in Kentucky

Food processing workers, all other pay in Kentucky tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $40K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,110/month, which is 43.5% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.

Compensation breakdown

Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky

Bar chart showing Food Processing Workers, All Other salary percentiles in Kentucky: 10th percentile $37,130, 25th percentile $37,140, median $37,450, 75th percentile $41,970, 90th percentile $44,610. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.10th$37K25th$37KMedian$37K75th$42K90th$45K
Bar chart showing Food Processing Workers, All Other salary percentiles in Kentucky: 10th percentile $37,130, 25th percentile $37,140, median $37,450, 75th percentile $41,970, 90th percentile $44,610. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Entry-level food processing workers, all others (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $7K spread from bottom to top.

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Food Processing Workers, All Other salary by metro in Kentucky

1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay

Metro areaMedian salaryvs. stateEmployment
Louisville/Jefferson County$45K+19%70

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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kentucky numbers change.

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Frequently asked questions

Can a food processing workers, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 43.5% 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 $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

What’s the entry-level salary for food processing workers, all others in Kentucky?

The 10th-percentile wage — what new food processing workers, all others typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,228/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 food processing workers, all other a high-paying job in Kentucky?

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $40K nationally, a 6% difference.

How does Kentucky compare to the national average for food processing workers, all others?

Kentucky pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.

How much do food processing workers, all others make in Kentucky?

The median is $37,450 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,130, and experienced food processing workers, all others can clear $44,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

Is $37K enough to live in Kentucky?

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,553/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 43.5% 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 food processing workers, all other 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 food processing workers, all other salary is worth about $41,505 in national-average purchasing power.

Where do food processing workers, all others 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.

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