Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary in Kentucky
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in Kentucky have a median of $61,560 a year, below the national $72,040 (−15%); the state ranks 37th of 51 states by median. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education earn 31% more than the median across all occupations in Kentucky ($46,920). Among neighbouring states, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, Indiana and Tennessee pay more (up to $79,990 in Illinois) and Missouri and West Virginia pay less (down to $56,610 in West Virginia). Kentucky employs 12,780 secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, 6.39 per 1,000 jobs, the 29th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.93 is close to the national share.
Kentucky vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 12,780 | 6.39 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $47,130 | $49,990 | $61,560 | $75,290 | $83,310 | $63,450 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,065,210 | – | – |
| Annual | $48,780 | $59,980 | $72,040 | $92,570 | $107,600 | $76,320 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 37th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 29th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.93
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.39
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Kentucky's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Kentucky
9 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Kentucky publish a row for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | * | $74,040 | $49,180 | $93,990 | 3,960 | 5.78 | 0.84 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | * | $66,190 | $48,660 | $101,150 | 8,450 | 7.67 | 1.12 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | * | $64,850 | $48,560 | $83,310 | 1,540 | 5.36 | 0.78 |
| Owensboro, KY | * | $62,150 | $48,570 | $78,150 | 320 | 6.53 | 0.95 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | * | $61,560 | $48,610 | $76,030 | 320 | 6.11 | 0.89 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | * | $61,540 | $49,130 | $74,260 | 250 | 4.97 | 0.73 |
| Bowling Green, KY | * | $61,520 | $48,620 | $73,190 | 560 | 6.86 | 1.00 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | * | $61,300 | $46,970 | $79,820 | 920 | 6.57 | 0.96 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | * | $60,720 | $43,550 | $76,660 | 930 | 9.04 | 1.32 |
| West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | * | $61,000 | $45,690 | $74,040 | 1,080 | 8.41 | 1.23 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | * | $60,640 | $46,540 | $73,140 | 1,430 | 8.28 | 1.21 |
| East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | * | $60,270 | $41,590 | $64,100 | 990 | 10.80 | 1.58 |
| Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | * | $60,260 | $46,170 | $73,560 | 1,340 | 7.77 | 1.13 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (every state ranked) and the Kentucky wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Kentucky estimates.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.