Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Kentucky | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $56,340 | $57,715 | -2% |
| Median hourly wage | $27.09 | $27.75 | -2% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $62,461.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Truck Driver in Kentucky is $56,340, or about $27.09 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Truck Drivers is $57,715. Kentucky is -2% below the national median.
Entry-level truck drivers in Kentucky typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 31,760 truck driver jobs on record and a median salary of $56,340, Kentucky offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, truck drivers rank 354 of the 699 occupations reported in Kentucky — higher than 49% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $350,950, Commercial Pilots at $129,990, Air Traffic Controllers at $127,800 — 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, truck drivers rank 354 of the 699 occupations reported in Kentucky — higher than 49% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Kentucky | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $350,950 | $6,260 |
| Commercial Pilots | $129,990 | $800 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $127,800 | $230 |
| Airfield Operations Specialists | $123,290 | $290 |
| Ship Engineers | $120,550 | — |
| Transportation Inspectors | $83,970 | $260 |
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.