Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education Salary in Lexington, KY

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area earn a median $61,460 a year — 4% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $49,530 take-home, or $4,127 a month.

Median salary
$61,460
$29.55 per hour
Typical range
$47,140 – $82,820
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Lexington, KY
2,420
0.95× national concentration
▼1.4%
Pay trend: The median for elementary school teachers, except special education in Lexington, KY fell from $62,360 (May 2024) to $61,460 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 3.8%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median elementary school teachers, except special education salary in Lexington, KY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in Lexington, KY
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$49,530
per year · effective tax rate 19.4%
$4,127Monthly
$2,064Twice a month
$1,905Every 2 weeks
$23.81Hourly
  • Federal income tax$5,195
  • Social Security (6.2%)$3,811
  • Medicare (1.45%)$891
  • Kentucky income tax$2,034
  • Take-home pay$49,530

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.50% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education pay by experience in Lexington, KY

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$47,140$22.66$38,525$3,210
25th percentile$51,420$24.72$41,814$3,484
Median (50th)$61,460$29.55$49,530$4,127
75th percentile$72,640$34.92$57,507$4,792
90th percentile (top earners)$82,820$39.82$64,313$5,359

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Kentucky resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $61,460 buys in Lexington, KY

Prices in Lexington, KY are 7.1% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 23% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median elementary school teachers, except special education's $49,530 take-home pay has the buying power of $53,321 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,079
26% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,272
31% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$3,048
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education jobs are about as common in Lexington, KY as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.95).

Best-paying cities for elementary school teachers, except special education, adjusted for cost of living

Lexington, KY ranks #59 of 99 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Seattle, WA $102,920$81,234$73,096
2Visalia, CA $98,430$71,872$71,998
3Modesto, CA $101,640$73,789$70,878
4Sacramento, CA $103,390$74,835$70,156
5Bridgeport, CT $98,600$74,347$69,572
6Dayton, OH $80,360$63,936$68,975
7Stockton, CA $97,400$71,256$67,805
8Riverside, CA $98,520$71,925$67,572
59Lexington, KY$61,460$49,530$53,321

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 99 metros →

About the job: elementary school teachers, except special education

Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school level.

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
-0.4% (slower than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education salaries elsewhere in Kentucky

Frequently asked questions

How much does a elementary school teachers, except special education make in Lexington, KY?

The median elementary school teachers, except special education salary in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area is $61,460 a year, or about $29.55 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $51,420 and $72,640.

What is a elementary school teachers, except special education’s take-home pay in Lexington, KY?

On the median $61,460 salary, a single filer living in Kentucky takes home about $49,530 a year ($4,127 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,034 in Kentucky taxes in 2026.

Is Lexington, KY a good place to work as a elementary school teachers, except special education?

Pay here is 4% below the national median of $63,970. Local prices are 7.1% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $53,321 would in a typical U.S. city. Lexington, KY ranks #59 of 99 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a elementary school teachers, except special education afford rent in Lexington, KY?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Lexington, KY is $1,079 a month ($1,272 for two bedrooms) — 26% of a median elementary school teachers, except special education’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

Cost of living & all salaries in Lexington, KY →