BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

09/16/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/16/2025 09:33

County Employment and Wages in Kentucky — First Quarter 2025

News Release Information

25-1394-ATL
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Employment increased in 2 of the 3 largest counties in Kentucky from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Boone County had the larger over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 1.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

View Chart Data

Among the three largest counties in Kentucky, employment was highest in Jefferson (478,100) in March 2025. Together, the three largest counties accounted for 39.6 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Large county average weekly wages in the first quarter 2025

All three large Kentucky counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Fayette had the largest increase (+3.1 percent), followed by Boone (+2.6 percent) and Jefferson (+2.4 percent).

View Chart Data

Weekly wages in all large counties in Kentucky were below the national average of $1,589. Jefferson had the highest average weekly wage ($1,485), followed by Fayette ($1,300) and Boone ($1,156).

Smaller county average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 117 small counties in Kentucky, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 116 of the 117 smaller counties were below the national average. Hancock reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,750). Nicholas reported the lowest average weekly wage ($699) in the state.

Among all 120 Kentucky counties, 16 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 34 had wages from $800 to $899, 27 had wages from $900 to $999, 19 had wages from $1,000 to $1,099, and 24 had average weekly wages of $1,100 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Kentucky, first quarter 2025

(U.S. Average = $ 1,589)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages news release for second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

County Changes for the 2025 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2024 are included in this release and will be included in future 2025 releases. Four counties have been added to the nationwide publication tables: Pinal, AZ; Henry, GA; Wood, OH; and Comal, TX. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Gregg, TX.

Area Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage
March 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
March
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change 		First quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level 		Percent change,
first quarter
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change

United States

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 -- 1,589 -- 4.1 --

Kentucky

159.6 1,986.3 0.0 -- 1,213 44 2.4 51

Boone

6.4 102.7 1.3 56 1,156 315 2.6 247

Fayette

15.3 205.7 0.7 127 1,300 209 3.1 199

Jefferson

34.0 478.1 -0.5 287 1,485 112 2.4 257

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Area Establishments Employment March 2025 Average weekly wage ($)

United States

12,249,320 154,523,785 1,589

Kentucky

159,643 1,986,260 1,213

Adair

518 5,137 796

Allen

432 5,037 926

Anderson

574 5,046 946

Ballard

218 1,958 1,255

Barren

1,319 15,747 991

Bath

303 1,974 866

Bell

613 8,346 822

Boone

6,361 102,739 1,156

Bourbon

633 7,097 1,060

Boyd

1,782 26,321 1,105

Boyle

1,076 14,398 1,031

Bracken

226 1,557 913

Breathitt

345 2,651 894

Breckinridge

438 3,833 871

Bullitt

1,833 29,712 1,045

Butler

311 2,924 909

Caldwell

370 4,771 840

Calloway

1,343 15,655 901

Campbell

3,522 32,111 1,106

Carlisle

141 1,068 902

Carroll

371 7,781 1,423

Carter

656 5,615 806

Casey

371 3,969 869

Christian

2,196 31,482 1,096

Clark

1,087 13,452 1,090

Clay

425 4,101 916

Clinton

296 3,621 784

Crittenden

210 1,928 788

Cumberland

191 2,437 907

Daviess

3,576 47,609 1,059

Edmonson

194 1,673 824

Elliott

96 886 888

Estill

264 2,211 896

Fayette

15,256 205,668 1,300

Fleming

442 3,287 882

Floyd

1,178 11,200 892

Franklin

2,769 34,826 1,188

Fulton

217 2,246 824

Gallatin

162 2,541 1,472

Garrard

442 2,714 889

Grant

631 5,373 889

Graves

1,027 12,028 949

Grayson

696 7,407 920

Green

249 1,899 792

Greenup

819 7,060 928

Hancock

238 3,659 1,750

Hardin

3,761 49,045 1,068

Harlan

527 6,369 821

Harrison

434 5,268 1,028

Hart

415 5,572 991

Henderson

1,457 18,692 1,125

Henry

411 3,066 977

Hickman

113 963 774

Hopkins

1,224 17,452 1,090

Jackson

207 1,831 774

Jefferson

33,969 478,099 1,485

Jessamine

2,025 18,939 1,069

Johnson

643 5,308 860

Kenton

6,091 75,038 1,415

Knott

304 2,245 793

Knox

613 7,559 832

Larue

333 2,624 828

Laurel

1,799 25,920 944

Lawrence

356 3,794 851

Lee

163 1,742 844

Leslie

171 1,475 794

Letcher

499 4,169 884

Lewis

267 1,923 801

Lincoln

523 3,963 895

Livingston

260 3,369 1,169

Logan

799 8,867 1,151

Lyon

290 2,413 929

McCracken

2,896 40,458 1,141

McCreary

298 2,893 886

McLean

248 1,726 819

Madison

3,186 37,329 1,030

Magoffin

300 1,980 744

Marion

542 8,958 993

Marshall

1,054 11,357 1,211

Martin

224 1,834 1,024

Mason

723 7,865 987

Meade

546 5,523 1,208

Menifee

134 987 817

Mercer

592 6,388 1,241

Metcalfe

258 2,076 840

Monroe

309 3,223 920

Montgomery

901 10,217 937

Morgan

294 3,221 888

Muhlenberg

743 7,945 1,022

Nelson

1,532 18,395 1,082

Nicholas

127 989 699

Ohio

521 7,355 892

Oldham

2,537 16,840 1,237

Owen

186 1,651 1,021

Owsley

90 695 766

Pendleton

290 2,274 1,095

Perry

940 11,348 999

Pike

1,639 20,234 1,008

Powell

303 2,948 782

Pulaski

2,197 26,641 942

Robertson

59 320 754

Rockcastle

289 3,915 831

Rowan

815 10,636 922

Russell

553 5,996 857

Scott

1,844 31,124 1,376

Shelby

1,609 16,578 1,129

Simpson

721 9,242 992

Spencer

456 2,262 895

Taylor

914 11,810 875

Todd

333 2,938 900

Trigg

358 2,904 771

Trimble

163 1,024 1,260

Union

390 5,200 1,148

Warren

5,413 71,437 1,131

Washington

370 3,640 986

Wayne

460 5,172 782

Webster

291 2,834 1,068

Whitley

1,054 14,738 918

Wolfe

186 1,632 746

Woodford

1,105 10,152 1,030

Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

State Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage
March 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
March
2024-25 		First quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level 		Percent change,
first quarter
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change

United States

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 1,589 -- 4.1 --

Alabama

163.3 2,102.3 0.3 1,245 39 3.8 23

Alaska

25.3 323.5 1.3 1,452 20 5.8 4

Arizona

226.1 3,259.3 0.3 1,431 21 3.8 23

Arkansas

107.6 1,304.4 0.7 1,236 40 5.6 6

California

1,945.4 18,066.2 0.1 1,905 6 4.2 13

Colorado

242.4 2,862.7 0.1 1,681 8 4.2 13

Connecticut

148.5 1,671.7 0.5 1,980 4 3.8 23

Delaware

45.4 474.3 0.8 1,535 15 3.4 30

District of Columbia

51.5 748.9 -1.4 2,606 1 7.2 1

Florida

886.5 9,958.4 0.9 1,456 19 5.1 8

Georgia

394.8 4,860.7 0.4 1,491 17 3.4 30

Hawaii

60.3 644.8 0.6 1,363 27 6.7 2

Idaho

102.7 848.2 1.2 1,178 48 4.2 13

Illinois

407.1 5,988.9 0.2 1,662 9 3.2 38

Indiana

194.8 3,161.4 0.3 1,323 30 4.2 13

Iowa

111.3 1,537.7 -0.5 1,253 36 3.2 38

Kansas

104.3 1,428.0 0.8 1,246 38 4.0 19

Kentucky

159.6 1,986.3 0.0 1,213 44 2.4 51

Louisiana

157.0 1,921.2 0.5 1,227 42 2.8 49

Maine

66.6 629.6 0.1 1,283 34 2.7 50

Maryland

197.7 2,739.0 -0.2 1,634 10 3.2 38

Massachusetts

289.8 3,575.8 -0.7 2,107 3 4.6 11

Michigan

307.3 4,337.3 -0.3 1,391 24 2.9 48

Minnesota

211.8 2,878.6 -0.1 1,570 14 3.7 27

Mississippi

91.3 1,160.4 -0.4 1,018 51 4.1 17

Missouri

252.4 2,886.9 0.1 1,310 31 3.2 38

Montana

67.1 505.8 0.6 1,189 46 5.6 6

Nebraska

78.6 1,008.4 -0.1 1,231 41 3.1 42

Nevada

106.1 1,541.2 0.2 1,359 29 4.1 17

New Hampshire

66.3 681.0 0.1 1,606 11 4.8 9

New Jersey

338.9 4,259.0 1.1 1,815 7 3.0 44

New Mexico

66.8 868.2 0.3 1,203 45 3.9 22

New York

716.1 9,757.0 1.4 2,213 2 6.2 3

North Carolina

373.2 4,888.5 0.2 1,467 18 4.8 9

North Dakota

36.4 422.8 0.6 1,302 33 3.3 34

Ohio

344.2 5,466.8 0.2 1,361 28 3.5 28

Oklahoma

130.9 1,700.2 0.5 1,186 47 3.0 44

Oregon

186.2 1,965.7 -0.8 1,420 23 3.3 34

Pennsylvania

394.5 6,003.5 0.6 1,500 16 3.5 28

Rhode Island

49.0 489.3 1.0 1,429 22 3.0 44

South Carolina

198.7 2,304.9 1.7 1,247 37 4.4 12

South Dakota

40.5 450.5 0.2 1,163 49 3.0 44

Tennessee

221.0 3,251.5 -0.4 1,364 26 4.0 19

Texas

847.6 14,015.9 1.2 1,587 13 3.1 42

Utah

138.1 1,720.5 1.1 1,365 25 4.0 19

Vermont

33.5 306.8 -0.4 1,280 35 3.8 23

Virginia

321.9 4,108.8 0.8 1,605 12 3.4 30

Washington

240.9 3,583.7 0.9 1,935 5 5.8 4

West Virginia

61.9 694.6 0.0 1,149 50 3.3 34

Wisconsin

208.9 2,898.4 -0.2 1,305 32 3.4 30

Wyoming

31.0 274.6 0.0 1,216 43 3.3 34

Puerto Rico

52.0 946.1 -0.7 699 3.2

Virgin Islands

2.9 33.8 -7.5 1,034 2.7

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published this content on September 16, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 16, 2025 at 15:33 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]