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Marketing Specialist salary and cost of hiring in Kentucky

The median marketing specialist in Kentucky earned $61,480 a year in May 2025[1], 21.9% below the US median of $78,760. That puts Kentucky at #43 of 51 states for this job.

$5,123median pay per month in Kentucky
$7,319employer cost per month with benefits
$29.56median pay per hour
6,290people in this job in Kentucky

BLS occupation 13-1161. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Kentucky$37,970$61,480$103,300
United States$43,390$78,760$155,480
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of marketing specialists in Kentucky earns $47,950–$78,290; the top tenth earns $103,300 or more, 2.7 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Kentucky median that makes about $87,829 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for marketing specialists 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$87,829local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Kentucky

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Lexington-Fayette, KY
$65,280
$86,8701,140
Elizabethtown, KY
$64,460
$79,960130
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
$63,280
$81,1902,290
Paducah, KY-IL
$60,720
$70,220150
Bowling Green, KY
$60,200
$75,790240
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area
$57,380
$72,310370
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area
$56,380
$72,420270
Owensboro, KY
$53,950
$78,330110
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area
$52,160
$66,300240
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area
$48,420
$64,310120

Lexington-Fayette, KY pays the most ($65,280) and East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area the least ($48,420): $16,860 a year apart for the same job.

What a marketing specialist does

A marketing specialist plans and runs campaigns: email, social, content and paid ads, and measures what brings customers.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Kentucky
Oklahoma
$61,940
+0.7%
North Dakota
$61,580
+0.2%
Kentucky
$61,480
+0.0%
Wyoming
$60,990
-0.8%
Idaho
$60,970
-0.8%

Questions

How much does a marketing specialist earn in Kentucky?

The median was $61,480 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $47,950 to $78,290.

What does it cost to employ a marketing specialist in Kentucky?

About $87,829 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Kentucky do marketing specialists earn the most?

Lexington-Fayette, KY, with a median of $65,280 a year.

Other roles in Kentucky

Hire marketing specialists remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131161.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.