SOC 13-1082

Project Management Specialist Salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + KY + Municipal
COL Index: 96.93 (-3.1% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 70.2% Realized
$59,347 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $84,520 $40.63/hr
Effective Tax Drag 23.78% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$20,102 $773.15/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $40.63 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$5,071/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,116/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$8,649
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,240
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,226
Kentucky Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,663
Lexington-Fayette occupational and school tax
2.75%
-$2,324
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$59,347 ($2,282.57 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Lexington-Fayette, KY Project Management Specialist Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $84,520
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $55.6k 25th $66.3k Median: $84,520 50th (Median) $84.5k 75th $106k 90th $134k You: $84,520
10th (Entry) $55,640 $26.75/hr
25th (Junior) $66,280 $31.87/hr
50th (Median) $84,520 $40.63/hr
75th (Senior) $105,690 $50.81/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $134,240 $64.54/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Project Management Specialist in Lexington-Fayette, KY
1
Associate Project CoordinatorProject scheduling, CAPM cert, task tracking (Jira/Asana), meeting minutes
$49,562$23.83/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Project Management SpecialistPMP certification, budget management, scope governance, risk registers
$79,299$38.12/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Project / Program ManagerMulti-million dollar portfolio management, cross-functional stakeholder alignment
$109,037$52.42/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Director of Program ManagementEnterprise PMO governance, strategic initiative execution
$140,426$67.51/hr · 8+ Years
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Lexington-Fayette, KY under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
24% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,205/month Requires minimum annual gross of $48,200
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,416/month Requires minimum annual gross of $56,640
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $21.44/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.42/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Lexington-Fayette, KY.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$84,520-$20,102$59,347$2,282.57
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$100,368-$25,549$68,797$2,646.03
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$116,215-$30,996$78,247$3,009.48
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$132,063-$36,489$87,650$3,371.14
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$147,910-$42,234$96,802$3,723.14
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Project Management Specialist in Lexington-Fayette, KY: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Kentucky tax codes.

Market Baseline
$84,520/yr
$40.63/hr · SOC 13-1082
Statutory Tax Drag
23.78% Effective
-$20,102 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
24% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,741/mo
Post-$1,205/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 13-1082
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Project Management Specialist in Lexington-Fayette, KY: Market Snapshot

Project Management Specialist roles in Lexington-Fayette, KY report a median annual wage of $84,520, 17.4% below the national median of $102,320. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $55,640 to $134,240, and HUD’s $1,205 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 17.1% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $21.44 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Project Management Specialist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Dothan, AL$135,260+60.0%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$135,120+59.9%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$135,040+59.8%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$130,380+54.3%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$127,030+50.3%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$126,660+49.9%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$125,940+49.0%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$124,350+47.1%
Peoria, IL$123,730+46.4%
Boulder, CO$122,040+44.4%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Lexington-Fayette, KY

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$179,520$86.31/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$161,450$77.62/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$161,170$77.49/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$144,160$69.31/hr
Fundraising Managers$140,090$67.35/hr
Education Administrators, Postsecondary$137,250$65.99/hr
Financial Manager$135,760$65.27/hr
Purchasing Managers$128,910$61.98/hr
Marketing Managers$127,040$61.08/hr
Sales Managers$124,860$60.03/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 389 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Project Management Specialist Salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY (2026) Overview

Project Management Specialist median pay in Lexington-Fayette, KY is $84,520 a year ($40.63/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Project Management Specialist in Lexington-Fayette, KY compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Project Management Specialist in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

The median annual wage is $84,520 ($40.63 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $55,640 and $134,240. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Project Management Specialist in Lexington-Fayette, KY after taxes?

On the median wage of $84,520, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $63,125 a year ($5,260 a month) after $21,395 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 25.31%, using 2026 tax rules.