How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Kentucky in 2026?

A typical Physician Assistant in Kentucky earns about $58.06 per hour, or $120,760 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Broken down further, that comes to roughly $10,063 a month and $2,322 a week, both figures calculated from the annual number. Pay for this role varies by setting and experience, but this figure represents the typical wage for the profession statewide.

That figure sits 11% below the national typical pay of $135,880 a year (or $65.33 an hour), placing Kentucky 46th out of 51 states and the District of Columbia. Nearby states such as Ohio and Indiana pay noticeably more for the same role. Kentucky employs 1,360 Physician Assistants, a workforce size that puts these numbers in context. Lower pay in Kentucky tends to track its lower cost of living compared with higher-paying states.

Entry-level positions in Kentucky typically offer around $38.24 an hour, or about $79,550 a year, for Physician Assistants just starting out. Pay in this range usually reflects fewer years of clinical experience or a role in a lower-paying setting. Within a few years, most Physician Assistants see their pay move up toward the state's typical figure of $120,760 a year. Experience, credentialing, and specialty all play a part in that climb.

Experienced Physician Assistants in Kentucky often earn upwards of $65.43 an hour, or about $136,080 a year, and the top 10% of earners make over $161,820 annually. That leaves a spread of $82,270 between entry-level and top-tier pay in the state. Setting, years of experience, and location within Kentucky all factor into where an individual PA lands on that scale.

Physician Assistant pay in Kentucky has climbed steadily over the past decade, from $94,760 in 2015 to $120,760 in 2025. That's a gain of $26,000, or 27%, over ten years. The rise wasn't perfectly steady; pay dipped in 2019 and 2020 before climbing again through 2025.

Nationally, Physician Assistant pay rose 38% over the same decade, faster than Kentucky's climb. Pay in the state has still moved up meaningfully for anyone starting a career now, even if the national trend has outpaced it. There's no guarantee future years will match this rise, but the decade-long direction has been upward.

Louisville pays Physician Assistants the most in Kentucky, with typical pay of $130,830 a year, about 8% above the state figure. These figures reflect pay across the full Louisville-area metro, not just the city itself. Ashland and Paducah also pay above the state typical figure, at $125,690 and $124,990 a year.

Lexington, in Fayette County, pays the least among Kentucky's tracked metros, with typical pay of $112,230 a year, a spread of $18,600 between the highest- and lowest-paying cities. Louisville also has the largest Physician Assistant workforce among Kentucky cities, with 380 employed there. Pay differences between cities like these usually track differences in local living costs.

Kentucky's neighbors generally pay Physician Assistants more. Virginia offers the highest typical pay nearby at $135,940 a year, 13% above Kentucky's figure, and Missouri follows close behind at $135,130, 12% higher. Tennessee is the exception, paying 2% less than Kentucky at $118,240 a year. A Physician Assistant license earned in Kentucky can often be endorsed or transferred into a neighboring state, which can make crossing state lines for better pay a realistic option.

Physician Assistants in Kentucky typically earn $120,760 a year, a figure that has risen 27% over the past decade even as it remains below the national typical pay. Anyone considering the role in Kentucky can check the state licensing board or registry for current requirements, and look at city-level pages for local pay figures in places like Louisville, Lexington, or Ashland before deciding where to practice.