Counties in Kentucky by wages and salaries paid

Jefferson County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 120 counties in 2013, at $21.86 billion. Robertson County had the lowest, at $8.31 million. The median was $163.95 million and the figure for Kentucky was $78.28 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest21,864.3Jefferson County
Median164120 counties
Kentucky78,277.4History

Map of counties, 2013

Adair County: 147.9 USD millionAllen County: 141.7 USD millionAnderson County: 159.4 USD millionBallard County: 125.1 USD millionBarren County: 576.2 USD millionBath County: 57.6 USD millionBell County: 284.9 USD millionBoone County: 3,492.4 USD millionBourbon County: 271 USD millionBoyd County: 1,215.4 USD millionBoyle County: 535.2 USD millionBracken County: 50.5 USD millionBreathitt County: 111.3 USD millionBreckinridge County: 113.9 USD millionBullitt County: 722.6 USD millionButler County: 95.8 USD millionCaldwell County: 134.8 USD millionCalloway County: 529.6 USD millionCampbell County: 1,147.4 USD millionCarlisle County: 28.6 USD millionCarroll County: 332.1 USD millionCarter County: 184 USD millionCasey County: 112.5 USD millionChristian County: 3,121.5 USD millionClark County: 508.3 USD millionClay County: 143 USD millionClinton County: 112 USD millionCrittenden County: 64 USD millionCumberland County: 53.7 USD millionDaviess County: 1,723.9 USD millionEdmonson County: 49.9 USD millionElliott County: 27 USD millionEstill County: 79 USD millionFayette County: 8,370.2 USD millionFleming County: 102.4 USD millionFloyd County: 426.8 USD millionFranklin County: 1,287.6 USD millionFulton County: 83.6 USD millionGallatin County: 103.2 USD millionGarrard County: 70.3 USD millionGrant County: 172.3 USD millionGraves County: 391.9 USD millionGrayson County: 237.8 USD millionGreen County: 57.6 USD millionGreenup County: 341.6 USD millionHancock County: 282.6 USD millionHardin County: 2,461.6 USD millionHarlan County: 280.7 USD millionHarrison County: 186.3 USD millionHart County: 157.2 USD millionHenderson County: 735.6 USD millionHenry County: 105.9 USD millionHickman County: 32.2 USD millionHopkins County: 743.7 USD millionJackson County: 64.6 USD millionJefferson County: 21,864.3 USD millionJessamine County: 576.1 USD millionJohnson County: 199.8 USD millionKenton County: 3,080.4 USD millionKnott County: 95.2 USD millionKnox County: 248.2 USD millionLarue County: 80.5 USD millionLaurel County: 840.3 USD millionLawrence County: 122.1 USD millionLee County: 52.9 USD millionLeslie County: 72.5 USD millionLetcher County: 168.6 USD millionLewis County: 64.2 USD millionLincoln County: 137.9 USD millionLivingston County: 124.5 USD millionLogan County: 318.9 USD millionLyon County: 65.3 USD millionMcCracken County: 1,590.1 USD millionMcCreary County: 96.8 USD millionMcLean County: 54.5 USD millionMadison County: 1,248.2 USD millionMagoffin County: 68.4 USD millionMarion County: 282.4 USD millionMarshall County: 510.9 USD millionMartin County: 143.8 USD millionMason County: 339.2 USD millionMeade County: 149.9 USD millionMenifee County: 28.4 USD millionMercer County: 279.8 USD millionMetcalfe County: 61.7 USD millionMonroe County: 91.1 USD millionMontgomery County: 410.5 USD millionMorgan County: 104.8 USD millionMuhlenberg County: 398.6 USD millionNelson County: 540.3 USD millionNicholas County: 29.2 USD millionOhio County: 233.7 USD millionOldham County: 580.4 USD millionOwen County: 63.5 USD millionOwsley County: 18.8 USD millionPendleton County: 94 USD millionPerry County: 492.7 USD millionPike County: 963.6 USD millionPowell County: 74.4 USD millionPulaski County: 824.4 USD millionRobertson County: 8.3 USD millionRockcastle County: 110.7 USD millionRowan County: 328.9 USD millionRussell County: 184.7 USD millionScott County: 1,234.2 USD millionShelby County: 566.9 USD millionSimpson County: 313.6 USD millionSpencer County: 63.2 USD millionTaylor County: 343.1 USD millionTodd County: 78.8 USD millionTrigg County: 99.7 USD millionTrimble County: 45.4 USD millionUnion County: 257.2 USD millionWarren County: 2,293.8 USD millionWashington County: 114.1 USD millionWayne County: 159.3 USD millionWebster County: 173.3 USD millionWhitley County: 446 USD millionWolfe County: 34.7 USD millionWoodford County: 388.5 USD million
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USD million, 2013. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2013

Jefferson County: 21,864.3 USD millionJefferson County21,864.3Fayette County: 8,370.2 USD millionFayette County8,370.2Boone County: 3,492.4 USD millionBoone County3,492.4Christian County: 3,121.5 USD millionChristian County3,121.5Kenton County: 3,080.4 USD millionKenton County3,080.4Hardin County: 2,461.6 USD millionHardin County2,461.6Warren County: 2,293.8 USD millionWarren County2,293.8Daviess County: 1,723.9 USD millionDaviess County1,723.9McCracken County: 1,590.1 USD millionMcCracken County1,590.1Franklin County: 1,287.6 USD millionFranklin County1,287.6Madison County: 1,248.2 USD millionMadison County1,248.2Scott County: 1,234.2 USD millionScott County1,234.2Boyd County: 1,215.4 USD millionBoyd County1,215.4Campbell County: 1,147.4 USD millionCampbell County1,147.4Pike County: 963.6 USD millionPike County963.6Laurel County: 840.3 USD millionLaurel County840.3Pulaski County: 824.4 USD millionPulaski County824.4Hopkins County: 743.7 USD millionHopkins County743.7Henderson County: 735.6 USD millionHenderson County735.6Bullitt County: 722.6 USD millionBullitt County722.6Oldham County: 580.4 USD millionOldham County580.4Barren County: 576.2 USD millionBarren County576.2Jessamine County: 576.1 USD millionJessamine County576.1Shelby County: 566.9 USD millionShelby County566.9Nelson County: 540.3 USD millionNelson County540.3Boyle County: 535.2 USD millionBoyle County535.2Calloway County: 529.6 USD millionCalloway County529.6Marshall County: 510.9 USD millionMarshall County510.9Clark County: 508.3 USD millionClark County508.3Perry County: 492.7 USD millionPerry County492.7Whitley County: 446 USD millionWhitley County446Floyd County: 426.8 USD millionFloyd County426.8Montgomery County: 410.5 USD millionMontgomery County410.5Muhlenberg County: 398.6 USD millionMuhlenberg County398.6Graves County: 391.9 USD millionGraves County391.9Woodford County: 388.5 USD millionWoodford County388.5Taylor County: 343.1 USD millionTaylor County343.1Greenup County: 341.6 USD millionGreenup County341.6Mason County: 339.2 USD millionMason County339.2Carroll County: 332.1 USD millionCarroll County332.1Jefferson County: 21,864.3 USD millionJefferson County21,864.3Fayette County: 8,370.2 USD millionFayette County8,370.2Boone County: 3,492.4 USD millionBoone County3,492.4Christian County: 3,121.5 USD millionChristian County3,121.5Kenton County: 3,080.4 USD millionKenton County3,080.4Hardin County: 2,461.6 USD millionHardin County2,461.6Warren County: 2,293.8 USD millionWarren County2,293.8Daviess County: 1,723.9 USD millionDaviess County1,723.9McCracken County: 1,590.1 USD millionMcCracken County1,590.1Franklin County: 1,287.6 USD millionFranklin County1,287.6Madison County: 1,248.2 USD millionMadison County1,248.2Scott County: 1,234.2 USD millionScott County1,234.2Boyd County: 1,215.4 USD millionBoyd County1,215.4Campbell County: 1,147.4 USD millionCampbell County1,147.4Pike County: 963.6 USD millionPike County963.6Laurel County: 840.3 USD millionLaurel County840.3Pulaski County: 824.4 USD millionPulaski County824.4Hopkins County: 743.7 USD millionHopkins County743.7Henderson County: 735.6 USD millionHenderson County735.6Bullitt County: 722.6 USD millionBullitt County722.6Oldham County: 580.4 USD millionOldham County580.4Barren County: 576.2 USD millionBarren County576.2Jessamine County: 576.1 USD millionJessamine County576.1Shelby County: 566.9 USD millionShelby County566.9Nelson County: 540.3 USD millionNelson County540.3Boyle County: 535.2 USD millionBoyle County535.2Calloway County: 529.6 USD millionCalloway County529.6Marshall County: 510.9 USD millionMarshall County510.9Clark County: 508.3 USD millionClark County508.3Perry County: 492.7 USD millionPerry County492.7Whitley County: 446 USD millionWhitley County446Floyd County: 426.8 USD millionFloyd County426.8Montgomery County: 410.5 USD millionMontgomery County410.5Muhlenberg County: 398.6 USD millionMuhlenberg County398.6Graves County: 391.9 USD millionGraves County391.9Woodford County: 388.5 USD millionWoodford County388.5Taylor County: 343.1 USD millionTaylor County343.1Greenup County: 341.6 USD millionGreenup County341.6Mason County: 339.2 USD millionMason County339.2Carroll County: 332.1 USD millionCarroll County332.1
USD million. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2013
USD million
Change on 2012
1Jefferson County21,864.3+2.3%
2Fayette County8,370.2+3.1%
3Boone County3,492.4+2.4%
4Christian County3,121.5-2.9%
5Kenton County3,080.4-0.4%
6Hardin County2,461.6-0.1%
7Warren County2,293.8+3.6%
8Daviess County1,723.9+2.2%
9McCracken County1,590.1+0.3%
10Franklin County1,287.6+1%
11Madison County1,248.2+5.4%
12Scott County1,234.2+7.2%
13Boyd County1,215.4-0.4%
14Campbell County1,147.4+0.2%
15Pike County963.6-5.6%
16Laurel County840.3+2.4%
17Pulaski County824.4+0.9%
18Hopkins County743.7+1.3%
19Henderson County735.6-0.7%
20Bullitt County722.6+5.7%
21Oldham County580.4+6.9%
22Barren County576.2+0.1%
23Jessamine County576.1+0.8%
24Shelby County566.9+4.6%
25Nelson County540.3+3.6%
26Boyle County535.2+1.6%
27Calloway County529.6+0.7%
28Marshall County510.9+5.1%
29Clark County508.3+7%
30Perry County492.7-6.2%
31Whitley County446+0.1%
32Floyd County426.8-5.8%
33Montgomery County410.5+3.1%
34Muhlenberg County398.6+2.2%
35Graves County391.9+3.3%
36Woodford County388.5+4%
37Taylor County343.1+5%
38Greenup County341.6+2.2%
39Mason County339.2+7.6%
40Carroll County332.1+8.7%
41Rowan County328.9-0.2%
42Logan County318.9+0.1%
43Simpson County313.6+1%
44Bell County284.9-3.3%
45Hancock County282.6+7.7%
46Marion County282.4+7.8%
47Harlan County280.7-14%
48Mercer County279.8+3.3%
49Bourbon County271-3.3%
50Union County257.2-2.1%
51Knox County248.2-1.8%
52Grayson County237.8-0.6%
53Ohio County233.7+2.9%
54Johnson County199.8+0.8%
55Harrison County186.3+1.3%
56Russell County184.7-6.4%
57Carter County184-1.9%
58Webster County173.3+0.8%
59Grant County172.3+2.2%
60Letcher County168.6-15.8%
61Anderson County159.4+3.7%
62Wayne County159.3+1.1%
63Hart County157.2+4.2%
64Meade County149.9+0.5%
65Adair County147.9-0.5%
66Martin County143.8-1.5%
67Clay County143-0.9%
68Allen County141.7+2.2%
69Lincoln County137.9-2.2%
70Caldwell County134.8+2.4%
71Ballard County125.1-1.2%
72Livingston County124.5+17.6%
73Lawrence County122.1-3.1%
74Washington County114.1+1.4%
75Breckinridge County113.9+3.2%
76Casey County112.5+6.4%
77Clinton County112+2.5%
78Breathitt County111.3+0.3%
79Rockcastle County110.7+5.1%
80Henry County105.9-0.3%
81Morgan County104.8-0.1%
82Gallatin County103.2+0.9%
83Fleming County102.4+2.4%
84Trigg County99.7-1.5%
85McCreary County96.8+0.8%
86Butler County95.8+3.5%
87Knott County95.2-21%
88Pendleton County94+6.8%
89Monroe County91.1+0.5%
90Fulton County83.6-4.3%
91Larue County80.5+4.4%
92Estill County79-1.5%
93Todd County78.8+0.5%
94Powell County74.4+3%
95Leslie County72.5-12%
96Garrard County70.3+8.4%
97Magoffin County68.4+2.5%
98Lyon County65.3-0.2%
99Jackson County64.6-3.7%
100Lewis County64.2+3.3%
101Crittenden County64+3.7%
102Owen County63.5+3.7%
103Spencer County63.2+4.3%
104Metcalfe County61.7+1.6%
105Green County57.6-0.2%
106Bath County57.6+6.8%
107McLean County54.5+3.3%
108Cumberland County53.7+10.5%
109Lee County52.9-2.9%
110Bracken County50.5+3.7%
111Edmonson County49.9+2.1%
112Trimble County45.4+0.3%
113Wolfe County34.7-1.1%
114Hickman County32.2+3.2%
115Nicholas County29.2+0.7%
116Carlisle County28.6+11.6%
117Menifee County28.4-1.3%
118Elliott County27+1.1%
119Owsley County18.8-4.3%
120Robertson County8.3+0.1%

Other periods

About this ranking

Total wages and salaries paid to employees for jobs located in a place, including tips, bonuses and pay in kind, before deductions, in millions of current US dollars. United States: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional accounts, table SAINC4 line 50 for the nation and states and CAINC4 line 50 for counties.

Counted where the jobs are, not where the workers live, so places with many commuters coming in can pay more in wages than their residents receive in personal income (the District of Columbia does). Excludes employer contributions to pensions, insurance and social security, and the income of the self-employed.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2026). CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents (Counties in Kentucky by wages and salaries paid, 2013) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip

MLA 9

CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in Kentucky by wages and salaries paid, 2013. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 5 Feb. 2026, https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/kentucky-counties?period=2013. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2026. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Counties in Kentucky by wages and salaries paid, 2013. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/kentucky-counties?period=2013.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2026) CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in Kentucky by wages and salaries paid, 2013 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/kentucky-counties?period=2013 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_kentucky_by_2013,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis}},
  title = {{CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in Kentucky by wages and salaries paid, 2013}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/kentucky-counties?period=2013. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
TI  - CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in Kentucky by wages and salaries paid, 2013
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/05
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/kentucky-counties?period=2013
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/kentucky-counties?period=2013.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest wages and salaries paid?

Jefferson County, with $21.86 billion in 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Robertson County, with $8.31 million in 2013.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Wages and salaries paid: other rankings

Counties in Kentucky: more rankings