Highway Maintenance Workers Salary
In Kentucky, highway maintenance workers earn $40,400 at the median, or about $19.42 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $51K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $44,774 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,110/month, about 40.3% 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 $40K get you in Kentucky?
About highway maintenance workers
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What this looks like in Kentucky
Pay for highway maintenance workers in Kentucky runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $50K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,110/month, which is 40.5% 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. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for highway maintenance workerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level highway maintenance workers (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $51K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Highway Maintenance Workers salary by metro in Kentucky
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette | $47K | +17% | 180 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $46K | +13% | 490 |
| Paducah | $45K | +12% | 80 |
| Elizabethtown | $42K | +5% | 100 |
| Owensboro | $40K | +0% | 50 |
| Bowling Green | $39K | -3% | 90 |
Compare to other states
Track highway maintenance workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kentucky numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a highway maintenance worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 40.5% 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 highway maintenance workers in Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new highway maintenance workers typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,802/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is highway maintenance worker a high-paying job in Kentucky?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $40K here vs. $50K 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 highway maintenance workers?
Kentucky pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — below the national median.
How much do highway maintenance workers make in Kentucky?
The median is $40,400 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,030, and experienced highway maintenance workers can clear $50,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,740/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 40.5% 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 highway maintenance workers 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 highway maintenance workers salary is worth about $44,774 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do highway maintenance workers 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.