Salary · KY · SOC 29-1141

Registered Nurse (RN) salary in Kentucky, per year and per hour

BLS data for May 2025. Median, mean, and percentile pay for registered nurses in Kentucky, with every metro area BLS publishes.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, released May 15, 2026. Publisher page

Quick answer

The median pay for registered nurses in Kentucky was $81,040 a year, or $38.96 an hour, in May 2025 (BLS). The middle 80% earned $64,170 to $111,750. About 50,300 were employed.

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Registered Nurse pay in Kentucky vs the US

Registered Nurse wages in Kentucky and the US, May 2025
Measure	KY annual	KY hourly	US annual
Median (50th percentile)	$81,040	$38.96	$97,550
Mean (average)	$86,140	$41.41	$101,420
10th percentile	$64,170	$30.85	$68,940
25th percentile	$75,670	$36.38	$80,330
75th percentile	$97,200	$46.73	$112,350
90th percentile	$111,750	$53.73	$137,470

Employment in Kentucky: 50,300. Location quotient: 1.16 (1.0 = the national share of jobs).

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

Registered Nurse salary by metro area in Kentucky

Registered Nurse median wage by metro area, Kentucky
Metro area	Median annual	Median hourly	Employed
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	$84,850	$40.79	18,180
Lexington-Fayette, KY	$79,040	$38.00	8,070
Bowling Green, KY	$79,120	$38.04	1,870
Paducah, KY-IL	$79,920	$38.42	1,720
Elizabethtown, KY	$77,930	$37.47	870
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	$83,650	$40.22	28,520
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH	$81,010	$38.95	5,580
Clarksville, TN-KY	$79,450	$38.20	1,670

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

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Registered Nurse salary in Kentucky

Median pay: $81,040 a year ($38.96 an hour)

Middle 80% earn $64,170 to $111,750 a year

Employed: 50,300

BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: Rivvi

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<div style="font:14px/1.45 system-ui,sans-serif;color:#222;border:1px solid #E6E6EE;border-radius:12px;padding:14px 16px;max-width:360px;background:#fff"><div style="font-weight:600;font-size:15px;margin-bottom:6px">Registered Nurse salary in Kentucky</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Median pay: <strong>$81,040</strong> a year ($38.96 an hour)</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Middle 80% earn $64,170 to $111,750 a year</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Employed: 50,300</div><div style="margin-top:8px;font-size:12px;color:#555">BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: <a href="https://rivvi.ai/salary/registered-nurse/ky" style="color:#3C38C9">Rivvi</a></div></div>

Questions

How much does an RN make per hour in Kentucky?

The median hourly wage was $38.96 in May 2025, per BLS. The 10th percentile was $30.85 and the 90th was $53.73.

What is the average RN salary in Kentucky?

BLS reports a mean (average) of $86,140 a year and a median of $81,040 for May 2025. The median is the middle wage; the mean is pulled up by the highest earners.

Do registered nurses in Kentucky earn more than the US median?

The Kentucky median of $81,040 is 17% lower than the US median of $97,550 (BLS, May 2025).

How does Kentucky rank for registered nurse pay?

Kentucky ranks 42 of 51 states (plus DC) by median annual wage for registered nurses (BLS, May 2025).

Where do these numbers come from?

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, SOC 29-1141. Figures BLS did not publish are left out.