Career Atlas USA

Mechanical Engineers Salary in Kentucky

According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Mechanical Engineers in Kentucky is $101,050. BLS estimates approximately 4,170 people work in this occupation in Kentucky. Kentucky is 2.9% below the national median ($104,110).

Median salary
$101,050
Average salary
$103,320
Median hourly
$48.58
Employment
4,170

Salary Distribution

Not everyone earns the median. Percentile wages show the range of pay within this occupation.

PercentileAnnual wageHourly wage
10th percentile$65,370$31.43
25th percentile$80,350$38.63
Median (50th)$101,050$48.58
75th percentile$120,690$58.02
90th percentile$139,810$67.22

Data Reliability

BLS OEWS is a survey, not a full census — every estimate carries a margin of error. The relative standard error (RSE) below is BLS’s own measure of how much an estimate could vary; lower is more precise.

Wage estimate
RSE 1.8% — Very reliable
Employment estimate
RSE 10.5% — Reliable

Where Does Your Salary Fall?

Enter an annual salary to see roughly where it falls among reported wages for this occupation, based on the percentile points above.

$

Concentration

Jobs per 1,000
2.084
Location quotient
1.09

Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary

Kentucky’s regional price level is below the national average (index 90.159, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $112,080 at the national price level.

This is a Career Atlas USA calculation based on BLS wage data and BEA Regional Price Parities. It is not a separate BLS wage estimate. Wage data: May 2025. Cost-of-living data: 2024.

Opportunity Score

65.2/ 100

A Career Atlas USA score combining cost-adjusted salary, job density, concentration and employment availability, ranked against every other state for this career. How we calculate this score →

Sources

Wage data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)May 2025 (release 25).

Figures shown as “Not available” reflect wages the source does not publish (e.g. suppressed for reliability), not zero.

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Mechanical Engineers Salary in Kentucky: Pay & Job Data | Career Atlas USA