Cost of hiring in Paducah, KY-IL
Customer Support Specialist is the largest of these 15 jobs in Paducah, with about 860 people1. Medians run from $32,130 a year for virtual receptionists to $78,090 for project coordinators.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Paducah
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | -1.8% | 40 | |
| Paralegal | -6.0% | 90 | |
| Bookkeeper | -8.6% | 610 | |
| Accountant | -12.0% | 280 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -12.0% | 410 | |
| Recruiter | -15.1% | 210 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -15.5% | 240 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -16.5% | 810 | |
| Office Manager | -17.3% | 440 | |
| Executive Assistant | -17.9% | 60 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -18.6% | 860 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -19.0% | 50 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -20.3% | 270 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -22.9% | 150 | |
| Project Coordinator | -23.7% | 280 |
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 $36,460 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $47,045 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Paducah against the US
Paducah pays below the US median for all 15 roles. The gap is smallest for payroll specialists (-1.8%) and paralegals (-6.0%) and largest for project coordinators (-23.7%). The middle gap across all 15 is -16.5%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for payroll specialists, #160 of 486 areas by median pay; its lowest is for data entry specialists, #378 of 394.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Paducah has more medical administrative assistants (16.9% of these jobs here, against 6.1% nationally) and bookkeepers (12.7% against 8.7%), and fewer executive assistants (1.2% against 2.9%) and marketing specialists (3.1% against 5.7%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ is nearest, at -16.5%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | -16.4% | 15 | 7,860 |
| Jackson, TN | -16.5% | 17 | 7,250 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | -16.5% (this area) | 15 | 4,800 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | -16.5% | 15 | 5,000 |
| Columbia, MO | -16.5% | 16 | 10,200 |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -16.6% | 14 | 9,120 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Paducah span $35,490–$122,860, the widest band (3.5×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $31,630–$46,980. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 8 of 15 roles, marketing specialists most ($43,390–$155,480 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, recruiters, executive assistants and 3 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($68,580 against a $55,780 median for sales development representatives).
Paducah against Kentucky
Against Kentucky as a whole, Paducah pays more for 2 of 15 roles, led by payroll specialists (+8.2%) and sales development representatives (+5.7%), and less for 11, most of all data entry specialists (-9.1%). It has the highest median in Kentucky for sales development representatives.
Other areas in Kentucky
By jobs in these roles, Paducah is #9 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 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 30,310 | 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 |
| Owensboro, KY | 4,240 | 14 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Paducah?
Of the 15 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $78,090 a year, about $100,761 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $32,130.
Is hiring in Paducah cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 15 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for project coordinators (-23.7%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.