Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Kentucky | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $101,050 | $107,639 | -6% |
| Median hourly wage | $48.58 | $51.75 | -6% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $112,029.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | $90,554 | $63,700 | $118,300 | 89 |
The median annual salary for a Mechanical Engineer in Kentucky is $101,050, or about $48.58 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Mechanical Engineers is $107,639. Kentucky is -6% below the national median.
Entry-level mechanical engineers in Kentucky typically earn from $63,700 depending on the city and employer.
With 4,170 mechanical engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $101,050, Kentucky offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 74 of the 699 occupations reported in Kentucky — higher than 89% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Aerospace Engineers at $126,130, Chemical Engineers at $117,170, Computer Hardware Engineers at $116,200 — all figures are median annual wages for Kentucky.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Kentucky levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 89.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 74 of the 699 occupations reported in Kentucky — higher than 89% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Kentucky | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineers | $126,130 | $290 |
| Chemical Engineers | $117,170 | $190 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $116,200 | $500 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $107,760 | $300 |
| Environmental Engineers | $107,520 | $350 |
| Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | $103,300 | $230 |
Kentucky levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 89.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 699 occupations in Kentucky.