RN contract pay in Kentucky — advertised weekly rates
Median $2,111 a week across 3,103 live RN listings in Kentucky with posted pay, as of September 16, 2026 — −3.8% against the national median of $2,194.
- $2,111median per week−3.8% vs national
- $1,914–$2,32225th–75th percentilemiddle half of listings
- $2,142mean per week−4.7% vs national
- $57.86median hourly equivalentfrom 2,997 listings with posted hours
- 3,103listings with posted paylive listings, updated every 6 hours
What these figures are
Advertised contract rates, not earned wages. Every number on this page comes from a live RN listing in Kentucky that posted a rate — 3,103 of them as of September 16, 2026. 95% are travel contracts, so the figures describe what agencies and employers are offering for contract work this week, usually including housing and meal stipends — not staff salaries and not what any nurse took home. A further 73 listings in Kentucky post no rate and are excluded. Weekly figures use the top of each advertised range; hourly equivalents divide by the posted hours where a listing gives them. These figures are complementary to BLS wage data, which reports earned staff wages annually — they are not a substitute for it. Full methodology.
| Group | Listings | 25th pct / wk | Median / wk | 75th pct / wk | Mean / wk | Median hourly equiv. | vs national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 3,103 | $1,914 | $2,111 | $2,322 | $2,142 | $57.86 (n=2,997) | −3.8% |
| National | 155,180 | $1,965 | $2,194 | $2,485 | $2,248 | $59.33 (n=147,568) | — |
By work type
| Work type | Listings | Median / wk | 25th–75th pct / wk | Mean / wk | Median hourly equiv. | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | 2,938 | $2,121 | $1,923–$2,335 | $2,157 | $58.11 (n=2,832) | −3.3% |
| Contract | 165 | $1,944 | $1,728–$2,088 | $1,880 | $53.00 (n=165) | −11.4% |
By shift
| Shift | Listings | Median / wk | 25th–75th pct / wk | Mean / wk | Median hourly equiv. | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nights | 1,489 | $2,065 | $1,879–$2,236 | $2,075 | $57.08 (n=1,487) | −5.9% |
| Days | 1,159 | $2,151 | $1,966–$2,417 | $2,188 | $58.50 (n=1,159) | −2.0% |
| Not stated | 361 | $2,190 | $1,927–$2,444 | $2,226 | $56.06 (n=257) | −0.2% |
| Rotating | 67 | $2,291 | $2,125–$2,409 | $2,291 | $61.64 (n=67) | +4.4% |
| Evenings | 27 | too few listings to report (under 30) | ||||
Specialties in Kentucky, ranked by median
| # | Specialty | Listings | Median / wk | 25th–75th pct / wk | Median hourly equiv. | vs national | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cath Lab | 172 | $2,519 | $2,389–$2,727 | $66.99 | +14.8% | 172 jobs |
| 2 | OR | 236 | $2,460 | $2,215–$2,610 | $63.05 | +12.1% | 236 jobs |
| 3 | Post Partum | 78 | $2,254 | $2,131–$2,341 | $61.33 | +2.7% | 78 jobs |
| 4 | L&D | 186 | $2,240 | $2,019–$2,387 | $62.00 | +2.1% | 186 jobs |
| 5 | PACU | 81 | $2,211 | $2,042–$2,400 | $59.39 | +0.8% | 81 jobs |
| 6 | PCU | 511 | $2,128 | $1,920–$2,315 | $59.00 | −3.0% | 511 jobs |
| 7 | Med-Surg | 561 | $2,077 | $1,918–$2,160 | $56.61 | −5.3% | 561 jobs |
| 8 | Telemetry | 229 | $2,044 | $1,756–$2,260 | $56.39 | −6.8% | 229 jobs |
| 9 | ICU | 331 | $2,033 | $1,800–$2,173 | $56.33 | −7.3% | 331 jobs |
| 10 | ER | 403 | $1,966 | $1,784–$2,120 | $54.03 | −10.4% | 403 jobs |
| 11 | Psych | 54 | $1,900 | $1,778–$2,027 | $52.50 | −13.4% | 54 jobs |
| 12 | Home Health | 60 | $1,868 | $1,668–$2,266 | $49.15 | −14.9% | 60 jobs |
Too few listings to rank (under 30): Rehab (29), Oncology (27), CVICU (25), Long Term Acute (18), CVOR (16), Orthopedics (16), Dialysis (13), LTC (10), NICU (10), Coronary Care (7), OB/GYN (5), Case Management (2), Endoscopy (2), Hospice (1), Pediatrics (1), Wound Care (1).
Cite this page
RN Jobs Near Me. (2026). RN contract pay in Kentucky — advertised weekly rates. Retrieved September 16, 2026 from https://rnjobsnearme.com/rn-salary/kentucky. Data as of September 16, 2026.
Licence: CC BY 4.0. Reproduce the figures, tables and charts freely — in print or online — with attribution to RN Jobs Near Me and a link. Figures are advertised contract rates from live listings, not earned wages; the methodology explains what is and is not counted. The numbers on this page are also available as CSV, with the citation and licence on its first line.