Kentucky (KY)
Login To Save ThisState Economic & Immigration Overview
An automated macro-level review of Kentucky's tech ecosystem.Kentucky Market Grade
Companies in Kentucky filed 347 work visa applications. Based on the local job market and salaries, this state earns an H1B Index Grade of "C".
High Talent Transfers
The job market in Kentucky is highly competitive. Approximately 67.8% of filings aggressively recruit professionals who already hold visas at rival companies.
Living Costs
It is important to look past the raw $97,968 salary figure. Because Kentucky collects a 5.0% state tax, actual localized purchasing power settles near $93,070.
High Approval Chances
Employers in Kentucky enjoy a strong 100.0% visa approval rate. On top of that, businesses here applied for 102 Green Cards to keep their international staff long-term.
Seniority Focused
This state strongly utilizes seasoned expertise. Federal tracking confirms that 43.5% of the labor market here operates strictly at higher, senior wage tiers.
Regional Hiring Trends
Most of the work visa opportunities in Kentucky are located in Louisville. Across the entire state, companies in the Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services sector lead the job market.
Layoff Radar & Risk Indicators
Top Metro Hubs in Kentucky
Hiring volume across major cities mapped against the state baseline compensation rate of $97,968.Talent Sourcing Pipeline
Are companies hiring fresh talent or poaching from competitors?State Wage Premium
On average, employers in Kentucky offer salaries that are $4,337 higher than the baseline prevailing wage required by the Department of Labor.
10-Year Salary Trends
Comparing state-level base compensation growth for temporary H-1B visas versus permanent Green Cards (PERM).Top Hiring Employers
Companies sponsoring the most visas in this state.O*NET Wage Level Distribution
Experience requirements matched against pay tiers across the state.| Experience Level | Total Filings | Cohort Size | Minimum Base | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (Level I) | 44 | 12.7% | $43,590 | $69,250 |
| Qualified (Level II) | 141 | 40.6% | $60,000 | $90,831 |
| Experienced (Level III) | 69 | 19.9% | $72,000 | $118,719 |
| Fully Competent (Level IV) | 82 | 23.6% | $62,880 | $130,645 |
| Not Disclosed (Blank) | 11 | 3.2% | $90,200 | $196,682 |
Geographic Deployment & Worksites
The top locations where state employers place their workers.| City/Metro Area | Workforce % | City Median Pay | Wage (Level IV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY | 56.2% (195 Filings) | $95,000 | 28.2% |
| Lexington, KY | 8.9% (31 Filings) | $75,000 | 6.5% |
| Erlanger, KY | 6.6% (23 Filings) | $140,000 | 52.2% |
| Frankfort, KY | 5.2% (18 Filings) | $113,000 | 22.2% |
| Florence, KY | 4.0% (14 Filings) | $114,400 | 0.0% |
| Covington, KY | 2.9% (10 Filings) | $94,432 | 20.0% |
| La Grange, KY | 1.4% (5 Filings) | $142,808 | 60.0% |
| Richmond, KY | 1.2% (4 Filings) | $81,000 | 0.0% |
| Union, KY | 1.2% (4 Filings) | $111,720 | 0.0% |
| Hopkinsville, KY | 1.2% (4 Filings) | $124,071 | 0.0% |
| Bowling Green, KY | 0.9% (3 Filings) | $83,940 | 0.0% |
| Georgetown, KY | 0.9% (3 Filings) | $114,483 | 33.3% |
| Ashland, KY | 0.6% (2 Filings) | $150,775 | 0.0% |
| Bardstown, KY | 0.6% (2 Filings) | $70,275 | 0.0% |
| Highland Heights, KY | 0.6% (2 Filings) | $105,000 | 0.0% |
| Fisherville, KY | 0.6% (2 Filings) | $140,000 | 50.0% |
| Russellville, KY | 0.6% (2 Filings) | $90,000 | 0.0% |
| Crestwood, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $140,585 | 100.0% |
| Crestview Hills, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $65,719 | 0.0% |
| Carrollton, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $95,000 | 0.0% |
| Cynthiana, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $80,621 | 0.0% |
| Dayton, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $95,044 | 0.0% |
| Elizabethtown, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $119,000 | 0.0% |
| Elzabethtown, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $88,275 | 0.0% |
| Lexington,, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $99,840 | 0.0% |
| Hazard, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $64,480 | 0.0% |
| Glendale, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $80,000 | 0.0% |
| Fort Mitchell, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $79,722 | 0.0% |
| Paducah, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $55,141 | 0.0% |
| Louisville,, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $76,543 | 0.0% |
| Lousiville, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $103,834 | 100.0% |
| Morganfield, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $43,590 | 0.0% |
| Pikeville, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $350,000 | 0.0% |
| Park Hills, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $124,800 | 0.0% |
| Paris, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $273,520 | 0.0% |
| Prospect, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $173,930 | 0.0% |
| Robard, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $70,000 | 0.0% |
| Richomond, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $350,000 | 0.0% |
| Russell Springs, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $88,500 | 0.0% |
| Vanceburg, KY | 0.3% (1 Filings) | $71,053 | 0.0% |
Most Poached Roles
Roles with the highest volume of H-1B transfers, indicating aggressive headhunting.Dominant Industries
Distribution of cases by broad industry sector.Historical Retention Rate
Year-over-year percentage of successful visa renewals and extensions.Top Third-Party End Clients i
Where consultants are deployed.Highest Compensation Roles i
Top positions ranked by median base pay.Law Firms & Third-Party Work i
Leading legal counsel for visas.
Visa Volume & Success
-85.2% YoY Decline
LCA approvals, denials, and overall certification rates.
USCIS Petition Processing
New vs. Renewed approvals and denials in the state.Green Card Sponsorships
PERM residency applications and median GC wages.Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines
Complete Employers Matrix
A detailed ledger of all corporate clients operating in Kentucky.Complete Jobs Matrix
The job titles most frequently sponsored in this state.| Job Title in State | LCA Count | Median Pay | Salary Variance | Legal Wage Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | 14 | $94,900 | $54,268 Range | +$2,298 Over Min |
| Medical Technologist | 10 | $77,885 | $27,789 Range | +$29,775 Over Min |
| Architect | 8 | $80,806 | $41,995 Range | +$11,002 Over Min |
| Developer | 7 | $90,813 | $24,187 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Assistant Professor | 6 | $120,000 | $45,000 Range | +$56,060 Over Min |
| Software Engineer | 5 | $118,719 | $18,169 Range | +$6,025 Over Min |
| Senior Software Engineer | 5 | $130,645 | $26,408 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Director Of Delivery & Recruiting â It Consulting | 5 | $85,000 | $15,000 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Technical Recruiter | 4 | $69,500 | $22,000 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Lead Software Engineer | 4 | $130,645 | $8,983 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Senior Data Analyst | 4 | $113,000 | Fixed Pay | +$6,442 Over Min |
| Packaged App Development Assoc Manager | 4 | $119,100 | $24,190 Range | +$24,190 Over Min |
| Analyst | 4 | $73,507 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Project Delivery Specialist | 3 | $73,237 | $3,536 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Instructor | 3 | $100,008 | $48,458 Range | +$32,283 Over Min |
| Computer Programmer | 3 | $91,000 | $3,710 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Azure Data Factory Developer | 3 | $100,630 | Fixed Pay | +$5,865 Over Min |
| Senior Application Architect | 3 | $128,000 | $11,621 Range | +$16,200 Over Min |
| Senior Full Stack Engineer | 3 | $131,834 | $1,465 Range | +$1,189 Over Min |
| Rn Float Pool Ii | 3 | $78,749 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Manager Jc50 - Computer Systems Engineers/Architects | 2 | $90,813 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Dot Net Developer | 2 | $114,754 | Fixed Pay | +$24,316 Over Min |
| Engineer | 2 | $114,483 | Fixed Pay | +$8,278 Over Min |
| Financial Risk Specialists - Kbgfjg201434-11 | 2 | $165,902 | Fixed Pay | +$84,449 Over Min |
| Exceptional Child Visually Impaired Instructor | 2 | $50,586 | Fixed Pay | +$3,926 Over Min |
| User Interface Designer | 2 | $74,391 | $18,866 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Senior Software Development Engineer | 2 | $131,500 | $3,000 Range | +$36,735 Over Min |
| Sr. .Net Developer | 2 | $114,400 | Fixed Pay | +$23,130 Over Min |
| Senior Solutions Architect | 2 | $138,034 | $14,778 Range | +$16,811 Over Min |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | 2 | $63,214 | $3,572 Range | +$14,313 Over Min |
| Process Engineer | 2 | $94,342 | $1,317 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Senior Database Administrator | 2 | $146,286 | Fixed Pay | +$52,333 Over Min |
| Senior Data Engineer | 2 | $120,274 | $39,453 Range | +$10,106 Over Min |
| Senior Applications Developer | 2 | $116,296 | Fixed Pay | +$3,602 Over Min |
| Etl Tester | 2 | $86,271 | $19,457 Range | +$13,034 Over Min |
| Lead Application Architect | 2 | $155,304 | $607 Range | +$43,504 Over Min |
| It Operations Analyst Ii | 2 | $75,000 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| .Net Developer | 2 | $96,500 | $1,000 Range | +$6,062 Over Min |
| Staff Data Engineer | 2 | $135,262 | $18,429 Range | +$9,214 Over Min |
| Test Lead | 2 | $88,546 | Fixed Pay | +$4,462 Over Min |
Historical Compensation Ledger
Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.| Fiscal Year | YoY Growth | Maximum | Median | Top-Heavy Skew i | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | In Progress | $300,000 | $95,000 | +6.5% Skew | $28.00/hr |
| 2025 | +0.6% | $400,000 | $89,086 | +10.0% Skew | $17.00/hr |
| 2024 | +4.9% | $400,000 | $88,587 | +9.4% Skew | $15.00/hr |
| 2023 | +3.0% | $400,000 | $84,443 | +7.8% Skew | $11.00/hr |
| 2022 | +4.4% | $400,000 | $82,014 | +10.9% Skew | $17.00/hr |
| 2021 | +7.7% | $400,000 | $78,582 | +10.5% Skew | $11.00/hr |
| 2020 | +3.4% | $400,000 | $72,987 | +10.3% Skew | $15.00/hr |
| 2019 | +1.2% | $400,000 | $70,574 | +12.3% Skew | $16.00/hr |
| 2018 | +9.0% | $400,000 | $69,750 | +13.9% Skew | $15.00/hr |
| 2017 | +2.4% | $400,000 | $64,000 | +17.3% Skew | $13.00/hr |
| 2016 | N/A | $400,000 | $62,500 | +19.3% Skew | $9.00/hr |
Recent Visa Filings (FY 2026)
Raw, unedited federal disclosures processed in this state.State Intelligence (FAQ)
Common questions and insights regarding Kentucky.What is the best-paying market in Kentucky?
Currently, Louisville operates as the most lucrative market in Kentucky, offering professionals a median wage of $95,000.
Do employers in Kentucky offer permanent residency?
There is an active pathway to permanent residency here. Employers recently submitted 102 PERM applications, establishing a 29.4% Green Card rate.
Which business sector leads H-1B hiring in Kentucky?
The local hiring market is dominated largely by the Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services industry, responsible for 46.7% of all certified applications.
How much state tax will I pay on an H-1B salary in Kentucky?
Local state income tax averages approximately 5.0%. An H-1B worker taking home $97,968 here will pay an estimated $4,898 to the state.