Software Developers in Kentucky. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
The median Software Developer in Kentucky earned $106,200 in 2024, about 23% below the US median of $138,520. That gap is real, but it is not the whole picture.
Kentucky's cost of living runs roughly 9% below the national baseline. After adjusting for what the money actually buys, the effective median sits closer to $117,000 in national-baseline dollars. The headline gap narrows to around 15%.
The spread between low and high earners is wide. The bottom tenth of Kentucky's Software Developers earned around $71,330 in 2024. The top tenth earned $164,770, more than twice as much. That 2-to-1 ratio reflects how much experience, specialization, and the specific employer can move pay within a single state. A mid-career developer in Louisville working in financial services lands in a very different part of that range than someone at an early-stage firm in Lexington.
The mean wage of $114,200 runs above the median by about $8,000. A smaller group of higher earners pulls the average up, so the median is the more useful anchor for someone gauging what to expect early in a career here.
On the employment side, BLS projects 15.8% growth for this occupation nationally between 2024 and 2034, placing it in the much-faster-than-average category. Kentucky's 7,070 employed Software Developers in 2024 is a relatively small base, so even modest absolute growth could produce noticeable percentage gains at the state level.
Salary distribution
Where Kentucky software developers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $91,960 and $136,090, with a median of $109,010.
Software Developers in Kentucky: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 652 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $112,694. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 50 | $77,438 |
| Level II — qualified | 306 | $96,700 |
| Level III — experienced | 133 | $121,680 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 142 | $140,000 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Software Developers in Kentucky. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humana Inc. | Senior Software Engineer | 66 | $130,645 |
| Archer Daniels Midland Company | GT SAP Development Engineer | 57 | $150,000 |
| COMPUNNEL SOFTWARE GROUP, INC | Software Developer | 14 | $96,000 |
| Fidelity Technology Group, LLC d/b/a Fidelity Investments | Senior Software Engineer/Developer | 14 | $105,282 |
| UPS Worldwide Forwarding, Inc. | Senior Software Development Engineer | 13 | $116,580 |
| LTIMindtree Limited | Software Developer | 12 | $103,540 |
| Fujitsu North America, Inc. | Computer Software Engineer, Applications | 9 | $112,840 |
| Harvey Nash Inc. | Senior .NET Developer | 9 | $116,730 |
| V-Soft Consulting Group, INC | ServiceNow Developer | 8 | $94,000 |
| Deloitte Consulting LLP | Project Delivery Specialist | 7 | $118,377 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Lead Data Engineer at Humana Inc.$140,000LouisvilleWage Level IVDecided Mar 31, 2026I-200-26083-725426
- Cloud Engineer at IT America, Inc.$112,700LouisvilleWage Level IIIDecided Mar 30, 2026I-200-26082-723728
- Software Developer at 3B Staffing LLC$94,765LouisvilleWage Level IIDecided Mar 30, 2026I-200-26082-722341
- SENIOR MICROSOFT DEVELOPER at MP INFOTECH CORP.$126,714FRANKFORTWage Level IIIDecided Mar 26, 2026I-200-26078-716167
- Senior Software Development Engineer at Sonos, Inc.$120,000LouisvilleWage Level IIDecided Mar 25, 2026I-200-26077-713826
- iOS Developer at COOLSOFT LLC$94,765LouisvilleWage Level IIDecided Mar 24, 2026I-200-26076-709623
- Software Development Engineer II at UPS Worldwide Forwarding, Inc.$95,322LouisvilleWage Level IIDecided Mar 20, 2026I-200-26072-701264
- Enterprise Architect at Archer Daniels Midland Company$160,000ErlangerWage Level IVDecided Mar 20, 2026I-200-26072-701258
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
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Software Developers pay by experience level in Kentucky
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Software Developers specialties in Kentucky
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 342 certified offers. The most common variant is Software Developer at a median of $96,700.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | COMPUNNEL SOFTWARE GROUP, INC | 143 | $96,700 |
| Senior Software Engineer | Humana Inc. | 100 | $120,000 |
| .NET DEVELOPER | Harvey Nash Inc. | 17 | $100,000 |
| Senior Full Stack Engineer | Humana Inc. | 15 | $130,645 |
| Senior Software Development Engineer | UPS Worldwide Forwarding, Inc. | 13 | $118,740 |
| Computer Software Engineer, Applications | Fujitsu North America, Inc. | 9 | $112,840 |
| Manager | ExlService.com, LLC | 8 | $123,482 |
| Dot Net Developer | APPLAB SYSTEMS INC | 8 | $112,466 |
| DevOps Engineer | Cambridge Technology, INC. | 8 | $99,998 |
| Principal Software Engineer/Developer | Fidelity Technology Group, LLC d/b/a Fidelity Investments | 8 | $112,882 |
| Data Engineer | Archer Daniels Midland Company | 7 | $130,645 |
| DEVELOPER | TECHSMART GLOBAL, INC. | 6 | $110,500 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Software Developers in Kentucky, by industry
Median offered wage across 642 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $98,114.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | COMPUNNEL SOFTWARE GROUP, INC | 357 | $98,114 |
| Professional services | Humana Inc. | 137 | $128,586 |
| Manufacturing | Archer Daniels Midland Company | 81 | $142,233 |
| Finance and insurance | Fidelity Technology Group, LLC d/b/a Fidelity Investments | 47 | $126,000 |
| Retail and wholesale | CVS Shared Services Resources LLC | 13 | $142,100 |
| Media and entertainment | Churchill Downs Technology Initiatives Company | 2 | $117,766 |
| Transportation and logistics | United Parcel Service General Services, Co. | 1 | $115,200 |
| Energy and utilities | Constellation Energy Generation LLC | 1 | $130,645 |
| Healthcare | RIVERSIDE HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATION, INC. D/B/A RIVERSIDE HEALTH | 1 | $123,300 |
| Real estate | U-Haul International, Inc | 1 | $124,800 |
| Education | University of Louisville | 1 | $83,629 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Kentucky over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
Common tasks (O*NET)
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+15.8%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing much faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in Kentucky
Metro-level salary data for software developers in major Kentucky metropolitan areas.
- Louisville$110,270
Compare Software Developers pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare Kentucky with another state
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Software Developers in Kentucky?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Software Developers in Kentucky is $109,010.
- How does Kentucky compare to the national median for Software Developers?
- The Kentucky median is -23.7% versus the BLS national figure of $142,947.
- What is the salary range for Software Developers in Kentucky?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $76,310 and the 90th-percentile at $168,110, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Software Developers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 15.8% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Software Developers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.