Nurse practitioners in Kentucky earn a mean of $125,010 per year and a median of $122,870. The median is the more useful figure for most hiring decisions because it is less affected by a small number of very high earners at the top of the market. When budgeting an offer, use the median as your baseline and adjust upward based on the candidate's experience and specialty area.
Nurse practitioner salary in Kentucky (2026)
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The average nurse practitioner salary in Kentucky is $125,010 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $122,870 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Kentucky employs 4,770 nurse practitioners, and the $2,140 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior nurse practitioners in Kentucky typically earn around $95,710, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $162,960 level at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a nurse practitioner hire in Kentucky, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $122,870 |
Average Annual Salary | $125,010 |
vs. National Average | 9.0% below the national mean of $137,300 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 4,770 employed nurse practitioners across Kentucky.
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Nurse practitioner salary percentiles in Kentucky
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $95,710 |
25th Percentile | $106,240 |
75th Percentile | $132,720 |
90th Percentile | $162,960 |
Employers setting an offer for a nurse practitioner in Kentucky should expect a wide range depending on experience level. Entry-level candidates typically fall near $95,710, while experienced senior practitioners reach $162,960 or beyond, giving you a spread of roughly $67,000 to work with across seniority levels.
Nurse practitioner salary by city in Kentucky
City | Average Annual Salary |
Owensboro | $129,790 |
Lexington | $127,400 |
Louisville | $126,690 |
Elizabethtown | $120,500 |
Bowling Green | $120,120 |
Location within Kentucky can meaningfully affect your compensation budget for a nurse practitioner hire. Owensboro leads at $129,790 on average, while Bowling Green sits at $120,120, a difference of nearly $9,700 per year. If you are hiring in a lower-cost metro like Bowling Green or Elizabethtown, you may have some flexibility relative to Owensboro or Lexington, but the gap is narrow enough that candidate experience and specialization will likely drive offer decisions more than geography.
How Kentucky compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Kentucky | $125,010 | $122,870 |
Virginia | $129,060 | $127,810 |
West Virginia | $126,780 | $127,320 |
Indiana | $126,600 | $128,830 |
Ohio | $122,910 | $124,870 |
Tennessee | $115,510 | $117,590 |
Kentucky sits near the middle of its regional peer group, making it a cost-comparable market for nurse practitioner hiring relative to most neighboring states. Virginia leads the group at a mean of $129,060, while Tennessee comes in lowest at $115,510, putting Kentucky's $125,010 mean closer to the upper half of the range. Employers in Kentucky should not expect a significant cost advantage over Indiana or West Virginia, but they will spend less than they would recruiting in Virginia.
Frequently asked questions about nurse practitioner salary in Kentucky
How much does an NP make in Kentucky?
What is the average nurse practitioner salary in Kentucky?
The average nurse practitioner salary in Kentucky is $125,010 per year. That figure sits 9.0% below the national mean of $137,300, which tells you that Kentucky is a somewhat lower-cost market for this role compared to the national picture. If you are competing for candidates who have offers in higher-paying states, you may need to lean on non-salary factors to close the gap.
What is the salary range for a nurse practitioner in Kentucky?
The salary range for a nurse practitioner in Kentucky runs from $95,710 at the 10th percentile to $162,960 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile sits at $106,240 and the 75th at $132,720, so the bulk of the market falls within that middle band. Use the 25th-to-75th percentile range as your core budgeting window and reserve the upper end for candidates with specialized credentials or significant experience.
What do the top-earning nurse practitioners make in Kentucky?
The top-earning nurse practitioners in Kentucky reach $162,960 at the 90th percentile. Senior specialists with advanced credentials or high-demand specialties are the candidates most likely to command offers at or above that level. When competing for that tier of talent, plan your offer around the upper end of the percentile range and factor in total compensation beyond base salary.
Nurse Practitioner salary by state
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 29-1171 (Nurse Practitioners).
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
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The Rippling Team
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