SOC 23-1011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Lawyers — Owensboro
Owensboro, KY · 5 metro areas compared
The median wage for Lawyers in Owensboro, KY is $97,620 per year, substantially below the national median of $159,670 — a gap of 38.9%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.1%
- Openings per year
- 31,500
- Typical entry-level education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
11.9% 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 Owensboro, KY.
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 Lawyers in Owensboro, KY is $97,620 per year, substantially below the national median of $159,670 — a gap of 38.9%. Half of workers earn between $75,230 and $130,130. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $60,880 and the ninetieth at $163,800.
Employment stands at 110, or 2.2 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Louisville/Jefferson County records the highest median at $124,530. Of the 197 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 21st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $60,880 | −61.9% |
| 25th | $75,230 | −52.9% |
| Median (50th) | $97,620 | −38.9% |
| 75th | $130,130 | −18.5% |
| 90th | $163,800 | +2.6% |
| Mean | $109,230 | −31.6% |
Other metro areas in Kentucky
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville/Jefferson County | $124,530 | 2,000 | |
| 2 | Lexington | $111,040 | 1,040 | |
| 3 | Elizabethtown | $97,770 | 120 | |
| 4 | Paducah | $96,960 | 150 | |
| 5 | Bowling Green | $96,830 | 250 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Owensboro run 11.4% below the national average, so the median of $97,620 goes as far as $110,181 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 31.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$97,620as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$110,181US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $97,620 a year, 38.9% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $60,880 to $163,800 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 110 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Louisville/Jefferson County, at $124,530.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Lawyers in Owensboro, KY?
The median annual wage is $97,620, or $46.94 per hour, 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 $159,670, so pay in Owensboro, KY is 38.9% 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 Owensboro, KY earns more than $163,800 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $60,880 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 $124,530 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 110 jobs in this occupation in Owensboro, KY. Self-employed workers are not included.
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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