Sales Engineers Salary
The median pay for a sales engineers in Kentucky is $90,190/year ($43.36/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $150K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $99,956 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,110/month, or 19.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kentucky. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $90K get you in Kentucky?
About sales engineers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Kentucky
Pay for sales engineers in Kentucky runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $125K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,110/month, 19.5% 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 sales engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level sales engineers (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $90K. Top earners bring in $150K or more, a $87K spread from bottom to top.
Sales Engineers salary by metro in Kentucky
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette | $92K | +2% | 60 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $90K | +0% | 130 |
Compare to other states
Track sales engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kentucky numbers change.
Related careers in Sales
Frequently asked questions
Can a sales engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
Yes — at the median salary of $90K, rent takes 19.5% 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 sales engineers in Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sales engineers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,795/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is sales engineer a high-paying job in Kentucky?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $90K here vs. $125K 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 sales engineers?
Kentucky pays $90K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — below the national median.
How much do sales engineers make in Kentucky?
The median is $90,190 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,250, and experienced sales engineers can clear $150,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $90K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,686/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 19.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a sales 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 sales engineers salary is worth about $99,956 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do sales 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.