Accountant salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY
For this job Lexington-Fayette sits between the state and national figures, with a median of $77,780 a year1. That is 3.3% above the Kentucky statewide median of $75,270, and 7.1% below the US median of $83,680. Among US areas it comes in at #200 of 521. BLS counts about 1,830 people in this job here, 15% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Lexington-Fayette, KY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lexington-Fayette against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $53,900 | $77,780 | $125,880 | |
| Kentucky | $50,750 | $75,270 | $121,230 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
Accountants at the 90th percentile earn $125,880, 2.3 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.6. The middle half of accountants in Lexington-Fayette earns $62,750–$99,490. The mean ($84,220) is 8% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $36,740 wide, between the figure for Kentucky ($35,740) and the US figure ($42,790).
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $53,900 | $4,492 | $25.91 | $69,548 |
| 25th percentile | $62,750 | $5,229 | $30.17 | $80,968 |
| Median | $77,780 | $6,482 | $37.39 | $100,361 |
| 75th percentile | $99,490 | $8,291 | $47.83 | $128,374 |
| 90th percentile | $125,880 | $10,490 | $60.52 | $162,426 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $21,710 a year in pay and about $28,013 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $15,030 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 Lexington-Fayette, and the Kentucky statewide median of $75,270 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Lexington-Fayette
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $22,581 to the $77,780 median and brings it to $100,361 a year. 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 Lexington-Fayette
Of the 17 roles we track in Lexington-Fayette, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($84,520); recruiters come next at $69,990.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +8.7% | 2,020 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,830 | |
| Recruiter | -10.0% | 1,320 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -16.1% | 1,140 | |
| Executive Assistant | -16.6% | 580 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Lexington-Fayette (-7.1%), between e-commerce order specialists (-6.6%) and recruiters (-7.8%). The typical role here is at -7.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 6.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Lexington-Fayette, 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. The one area in Kentucky with more accountants, Louisville, KY-IN ($76,320), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Lexington-Fayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owensboro, KY | +0.0% | 250 | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | this area | 1,830 | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -1.9% | 4,590 | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | -4.8% | 250 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | -5.3% | 280 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | -8.0% | 390 | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -9.1% | 1,070 |
Lexington-Fayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lexington-Fayette is #109 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Kentucky, Lewiston and Wilmington pay just above Lexington-Fayette and Prescott Valley-Prescott and Lafayette-West Lafayette just below. All four are within $140 a year of the median in Lexington-Fayette. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lexington-Fayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +14.9% | 1,860 | jobs | |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | +14.3% | 1,860 | jobs | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | +2.4% | 1,870 | jobs | |
| Wilmington, NC | +0.2% | 1,520 | pay | |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | +0.0% | 150 | pay | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | this area | 1,830 | ||
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | -0.0% | 500 | pay | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | -0.1% | 570 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
About $100,361 a year at the median, or $8,363 a month: $77,780 in pay plus about $22,581 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Lexington-Fayette?
The median was $77,780 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $53,900, the 90th $125,880, and the middle half earned $62,750 to $99,490.
Is Lexington-Fayette cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for accountants?
No, it costs more: a median of $77,780 against $75,270 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Owensboro at $77,800, the next down Louisville at $76,320.
How many accountants work in Lexington-Fayette?
BLS counts about 1,830 in the May 2025 survey. That is 15% of the Kentucky total of 11,930. Only Louisville has more in Kentucky.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Lexington-Fayette?
Yes: $7,790 a year more at the median. The medians are $77,780 and $69,990.
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.