Cost of hiring in Lexington-Fayette, KY
BLS counts about 30,310 people in these 17 roles in Lexington-Fayette1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($84,520 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($33,970), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 5,200 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Lexington-Fayette
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +1.2% | 640 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +0.5% | 2,500 | |
| HR Assistant | +0.2% | 150 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -3.2% | 4,600 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -3.5% | 190 | |
| Bookkeeper | -5.3% | 3,120 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -6.6% | 100 | |
| Accountant | -7.1% | 1,830 | |
| Recruiter | -7.8% | 1,320 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -10.6% | 1,410 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -12.5% | 5,200 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -13.3% | 470 | |
| Office Manager | -14.7% | 3,090 | |
| Executive Assistant | -15.3% | 580 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -17.1% | 1,140 | |
| Project Coordinator | -17.4% | 2,020 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -27.6% | 1,950 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $39,160 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $50,529 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Lexington-Fayette against the US
Lexington-Fayette pays above the US median for only one of the 17 roles, paralegals (+1.2%), and below it for 14, furthest for sales development representatives (-27.6%). For administrative assistants and HR assistants it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -7.8%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for paralegals, #74 of 506 areas by median pay; its lowest is for data entry specialists, #336 of 394.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Lexington-Fayette has more medical administrative assistants (15.2% of these jobs here, against 6.1% nationally) and data entry specialists (1.6% against 0.8%), and fewer payroll specialists (0.6% against 1.0%) and executive assistants (1.9% against 2.9%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Huntsville, AL is nearest, at -7.8%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL | -7.8% | 14 | 6,740 |
| Huntsville, AL | -7.8% | 16 | 24,650 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | -7.8% (this area) | 17 | 30,310 |
| Lebanon, PA | -7.9% | 15 | 3,880 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | -7.9% | 16 | 5,220 |
| Spartanburg, SC | -8.0% | 17 | 13,230 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, marketing specialists in Lexington-Fayette span $40,680–$156,200, the widest band (3.8×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $35,310–$54,450. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 10 of 17 roles, paralegals most ($44,740–$101,500 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists, data entry specialists and 4 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($66,420 against a $50,690 median for sales development representatives).
Lexington-Fayette against Kentucky
Against Kentucky as a whole, Lexington-Fayette pays more for 13 of 17 roles, led by medical administrative assistants (+14.7%) and administrative assistants (+8.1%), and less for 3, most of all office managers (-6.1%). It has the highest median in Kentucky for project coordinators, marketing specialists and executive assistants and 4 more roles.
Other areas in Kentucky
By jobs in these roles, Lexington-Fayette is #2 of 10 areas in Kentucky. The table shows the other 9.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY-IN | 67,530 | 17 |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | 15,920 | 17 |
| South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | 15,900 | 17 |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | 10,320 | 17 |
| East Kentucky (Nonmetro) | 8,740 | 16 |
| Bowling Green, KY | 6,960 | 15 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | 5,430 | 15 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | 4,800 | 15 |
| Owensboro, KY | 4,240 | 14 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Lexington-Fayette?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $84,520 a year, about $109,058 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $33,970.
Is hiring in Lexington-Fayette cheaper than the US median?
For 14 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all sales development representatives (-27.6%). One pays more than the US median: paralegals (+1.2%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.