SOC 11-1011 · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro

Chief Executives Salary in Louisville, KY

The average salary for chief executives in Louisville, Kentucky is $260,320 a year ($125.15 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $213,920: half of the 640 people in this job in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($281,693).

$260,320average per year

$125.15 / hourMedian $213,920Take-home ≈ $175,236

  • $82K10th
  • $130K25th
  • $214KMedian
  • $324K75th
  • $467K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

640people in this job
-8%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 6Kentucky metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Chief Executives pay range in Louisville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $81,800 a year or less, while the top 10% make $466,660 or more. The middle half of chief executives in Louisville earn between $129,540 and $324,270.

  • $82K10th
  • $130K25th
  • $214KMedian
  • $324K75th
  • $467K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$260,320$21,693$125.15
Median$213,920$17,827$102.85
Entry level (25th percentile)$129,540$10,795$62.28
Experienced (75th percentile)$324,270$27,022$155.90

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Chief Executives salary after taxes in Louisville

On the average salary of $260,320, a single filer in Louisville takes home about $175,236 a year, or $14,603 a month and $6,740 every two weeks. Taxes take 33% of gross pay.

The Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$182,177$15,181
Working in KY$175,236$14,603

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Louisville's local income tax (2.2%).

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Is Louisville a good place for chief executives? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Louisville area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.1), so the average $260,320 buys what about $279,691 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 4.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Louisville ($48,370). A typical home costs $283,232, or 1.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $260,320 is worth in another city

Chief Executives salary in other Kentucky cities

Louisville ranks 1st of 6 Kentucky metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Chief Executives salaries in Kentucky

Highest-paying cities for chief executives

Medford, OR pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($503,650).

Chief Executives salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Chief Executives in Louisville, KY.

Chief Executives salary in Louisville: questions

How much do chief executives make an hour in Louisville?

$125.15 an hour on average, and $102.85 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level chief executives salary in Louisville?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $81,800 a year and the 25th percentile is $129,540, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the chief executives take-home pay in Louisville?

About $175,236 a year ($14,603 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $260,320. Includes Louisville's local income tax (2.2%).

Do chief executives earn more in Louisville than elsewhere?

The average here is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($281,693).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 11-1011; area Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (31140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.7%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Louisville's local income tax (2.2%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.72, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.72).

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