Accountant salary in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area
Hiring an accountant costs less in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area than in Kentucky or the country as a whole. The median is $70,670 a year1: 6.1% below the Kentucky statewide median of $75,270 and 15.5% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#434 of 521). About 1,070 accountants work here, 9% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | $49,040 | $70,670 | $105,800 | |
| Kentucky | $50,750 | $75,270 | $121,230 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area earns $58,850–$87,280. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $105,800, only 2.2 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $28,430 wide, against $35,740 across Kentucky and $42,790 nationally: employers in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,040 | $4,087 | $23.58 | $63,277 |
| 25th percentile | $58,850 | $4,904 | $28.29 | $75,935 |
| Median | $70,670 | $5,889 | $33.98 | $91,187 |
| 75th percentile | $87,280 | $7,273 | $41.96 | $112,619 |
| 90th percentile | $105,800 | $8,817 | $50.87 | $136,516 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $16,610 a year in pay and about $21,432 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $11,820 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area, and the Kentucky statewide median of $75,270 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area
At the $70,670 median, a local hire costs about $91,187 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $20,517 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($76,260); recruiters come next at $63,900.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +7.9% | 960 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,070 | |
| Recruiter | -9.6% | 880 | |
| Office Manager | -10.1% | 1,620 | |
| Executive Assistant | -18.6% | 370 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area (-15.5%), between payroll specialists (-14.2%) and recruiters (-15.9%). The typical role here is at -16.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 6.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area, 6.0% across Kentucky and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $64,450 in the East Kentucky nonmetro area to $77,800 in Owensboro, a gap of $13,350 a year. All 2 areas in Kentucky with more accountants than the Central Kentucky nonmetro area also pay more, among them Louisville, KY-IN ($76,320) and Lexington-Fayette, KY ($77,780).
| Area | Median | vs the Central Kentucky nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown, KY | +4.7% | 250 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | +4.2% | 280 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | +1.2% | 390 | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,070 | |
| South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -0.1% | 810 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -3.7% | 600 | |
| East Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -8.8% | 450 |
the Central Kentucky nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Central Kentucky nonmetro area is #177 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Kentucky, Jackson and Huntington-Ashland pay just above the Central Kentucky nonmetro area and St. George and Chambersburg just below. All four are within $180 a year of the median in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Central Kentucky nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | +9.2% | 1,060 | jobs | |
| Amarillo, TX | +7.8% | 1,070 | jobs | |
| Corpus Christi, TX | +6.9% | 1,070 | jobs | |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY | +0.2% | 850 | pay | |
| Jackson, MS | +0.1% | 2,590 | pay | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,070 | ||
| St. George, UT | -0.2% | 530 | pay | |
| Chambersburg, PA | -0.3% | 370 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Central Kentucky (Nonmetro)?
About $91,187 a year at the median, or $7,599 a month: $70,670 in pay plus about $20,517 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $70,670 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $49,040, the 90th $105,800, and the middle half earned $58,850 to $87,280.
Is the Central Kentucky nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $70,670 against $75,270 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Bowling Green at $71,540, the next down the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area at $70,620.
How many accountants work in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,070 in the May 2025 survey. That is 9% of the Kentucky total of 11,930. Only Louisville and Lexington-Fayette have more in Kentucky.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in the Central Kentucky nonmetro area?
Yes: $6,770 a year more at the median. The medians are $70,670 and $63,900.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.