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Kentucky · SOC 17-2041

Chemical Engineer Salary in Kentucky

Verified

Published wages for chemical engineers in Kentucky, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.

Chemical Engineers in Kentucky earn a median of $112,390 per year ($114,760 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $95,670–$131,480; the top 10% earn $153,210. That is 8% below the national median of $121,860, ranking Kentucky #21 of 43 states that publish this occupation.

Median wage

Verified

$112,390

-8% vs national

Top 10% earn

$153,210

90th percentile

Employed in state

230

Reliability Good (7.4% RSE)

Exhibit 1

Chemical Engineer pay distribution — Kentucky vs national

Verified

Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.

Kentucky230 employed
$81,260$112,390$153,210
United States20,330 employed
$78,520$121,860$182,150
PercentileAnnual wagevs national
10th percentileentry / low$81,260+3%
25th percentile$95,670
Median50th percentile$112,390-8%
75th percentile$131,480-14%
90th percentiletop earners$153,210-16%
Meanaverage$114,760-11%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — SOC 17-2041 (Chemical Engineers), Kentucky · n = 230 employed · 7.4% RSE on employment. Official release.
Exhibit 2

Where chemical engineers earn most in Kentucky

Verified

Metro areas in Kentucky where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2041. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.

Metro areaMedianTop 10%Employed
CincinnatiCincinnati, OH-KY-IN$115,970$161,300270
LouisvilleLouisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$107,370$161,96060
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan area estimates for SOC 17-2041 (Chemical Engineers). 7 other Kentucky metros had no published figure for this occupation and are omitted.
Exhibit 3

Kentucky engineering labor market

Estimate

Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.

Location quotient

0.89

Jobs per 1,000

0.12

State rank (pay)

#21 of 43

All engineering roles

$100,716

A location quotient of 0.89 means Kentucky employs chemical engineers at roughly the national rate.

Method: Employment-weighted average of 11 published BLS OEWS May 2024 occupation medians for Kentucky. Every input is a published BLS figure; the weighting is ours.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a chemical engineer make in Kentucky?
The median annual wage for chemical engineers in Kentucky is $112,390, according to BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn between $95,670 and $131,480, and the top 10% earn over $153,210.
Is Kentucky a good state for chemical engineers?
Kentucky pays 8% below the national median for this occupation and ranks 21 of 43 states with published data. BLS reports 230 chemical engineers employed in the state.
What is the highest salary for a chemical engineer in Kentucky?
BLS reports the 90th-percentile wage in Kentucky at $153,210 per year. Individual pay above that range exists but is not captured in the published percentiles.
Source details

Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2041 (Chemical Engineers), Kentucky (state).

Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →

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