SOC 27-2021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Athletes and Sports Competitors — Kentucky
Kentucky · 1 metro areas compared
The median wage for Athletes and Sports Competitors in Kentucky is $63,020 per year, close to the national median of $66,710 for the same occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +5.5%
- Openings per year
- 2,100
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
20.7% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Kentucky.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Athletes and Sports Competitors in Kentucky is $63,020 per year, close to the national median of $66,710 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $39,290 at the tenth percentile to more than $137,370 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $46,960 to $80,630.
Among the 18 states with published data for this occupation, Kentucky ranks 10th by median wage. Louisville/Jefferson County leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $63,650. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 261st of 699 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $39,290 | −41.1% |
| 25th | $46,960 | −29.6% |
| Median (50th) | $63,020 | −5.5% |
| 75th | $80,630 | +20.9% |
| 90th | $137,370 | +105.9% |
| Mean | $74,190 | +11.2% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Kentucky
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville/Jefferson County | $63,650 | — |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Kentucky run 9.8% below the national average, so the median of $63,020 goes as far as $69,867 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 4.7% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$63,020as reported by BLSLocal price level
90.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$69,867US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $63,020 a year, 5.5% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $39,290 to $137,370 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- It ranks 10th of 18 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Louisville/Jefferson County, at $63,650.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Athletes and Sports Competitors in Kentucky?
The median annual wage is $63,020, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $66,710, so pay in Kentucky is 5.5% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Kentucky earns more than $137,370 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $39,290 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Louisville/Jefferson County, at $63,650 per year.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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