Sales Development Representative salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY
Lexington-Fayette is a lower-cost market for sales development representatives: the median of $50,690 a year1 is 3.9% below the Kentucky statewide median of $52,750, and 27.6% below the US median of $69,990. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#422 of 520). BLS counts about 1,950 people in this job here, 16% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 41-3091, 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 | $35,100 | $50,690 | $123,230 | |
| Kentucky | $33,120 | $52,750 | $116,880 | |
| United States | $37,980 | $69,990 | $148,840 |
The middle half of sales development representatives in Lexington-Fayette earns $41,260–$77,290. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $123,230, only 3.5 times the bottom tenth, against 3.9 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($66,420) is 31% 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 only $36,030 wide, against $38,190 across Kentucky and $52,810 nationally: employers in Lexington-Fayette pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a sales development representative here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,100 | $2,925 | $16.88 | $45,290 |
| 25th percentile | $41,260 | $3,438 | $19.84 | $53,239 |
| Median | $50,690 | $4,224 | $24.37 | $65,406 |
| 75th percentile | $77,290 | $6,441 | $37.16 | $99,729 |
| 90th percentile | $123,230 | $10,269 | $59.25 | $159,006 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $26,600 over the median, the 25th only $9,430 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $34,323 a year in employer cost. 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 $69,990 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Lexington-Fayette, and the Kentucky statewide median of $52,750 falls there too.
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 $14,716 to the $50,690 median and brings it to $65,406 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 sales development representatives 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 #10 by median pay, between HR assistants ($50,690) and bookkeepers ($48,000). Project Coordinator is the highest at $84,520.
| Role | Median | vs sales development representative | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +10.9% | 190 | |
| HR Assistant | +0.0% | 150 | |
| Sales Development Representative | this role | 1,950 | |
| Bookkeeper | -5.3% | 3,120 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -5.7% | 2,500 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the lowest paid of the 17 roles we track in Lexington-Fayette (-27.6%); paralegals come first (+1.2%). The typical role here is at -7.8%, so, measured against the US, sales development representatives cost less in Lexington-Fayette than the area's general pay level would suggest. Sales development representatives hold 6.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Lexington-Fayette, 6.0% across Kentucky and 7.9% 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 $47,590 in Owensboro to $55,780 in Paducah, a gap of $8,190 a year. The one area in Kentucky with more sales development representatives, Louisville, KY-IN ($55,190), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Lexington-Fayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY-IN | +8.9% | 5,190 | |
| South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | +2.1% | 570 | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | +1.3% | 230 | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | this area | 1,950 | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -0.7% | 620 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | -3.9% | 340 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -5.7% | 450 |
Lexington-Fayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lexington-Fayette is #81 of 518 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Kentucky, Rapid City and Charleston pay just above Lexington-Fayette and San Antonio-New Braunfels and Amarillo just below. All four are within $190 a year of the median in Lexington-Fayette. Of the three markets with about as many sales development representatives, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lexington-Fayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | +18.9% | 1,920 | jobs | |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL | +15.9% | 1,920 | jobs | |
| Charleston, WV | +0.4% | 270 | pay | |
| Rapid City, SD | +0.0% | 130 | pay | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | this area | 1,950 | ||
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -0.2% | 9,460 | pay | |
| Amarillo, TX | -0.3% | 780 | pay | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -2.6% | 1,910 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a sales development representative in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
About $65,406 a year at the median, or $5,451 a month: $50,690 in pay plus about $14,716 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do sales development representatives earn in Lexington-Fayette?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $50,690 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,100, the 90th $123,230, and the middle half earned $41,260 to $77,290.
Is Lexington-Fayette cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for sales development representatives?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $50,690 against $52,750 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Elizabethtown at $51,360, the next down the Central Kentucky nonmetro area at $50,320.
How many sales development representatives work in Lexington-Fayette?
BLS counts about 1,950 in the May 2025 survey. That is 16% of the Kentucky total of 11,860. Only Louisville has more in Kentucky.
Does a sales development representative cost more than a bookkeeper in Lexington-Fayette?
Yes: $2,690 a year more at the median. The medians are $50,690 and $48,000.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 41-3091: 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.