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

Project Management Specialist Salary in Louisville, KY

Project Management Specialists in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area earn a median $82,660 a year — 19% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $64,206 take-home, or $5,350 a month.

Median salary
$82,660
$39.74 per hour
Typical range
$55,520 – $129,630
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Louisville, KY
3,630
0.77× national concentration
▲0.2%
Pay trend: The median for project management specialists in Louisville, KY rose from $82,490 (May 2024) to $82,660 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 2.2%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median project management specialist salary in Louisville, KY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Project Management Specialist in Louisville, KY
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$64,206
per year · effective tax rate 22.3%
$5,350Monthly
$2,675Twice a month
$2,469Every 2 weeks
$30.87Hourly
  • Federal income tax$9,355
  • Social Security (6.2%)$5,125
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,199
  • Kentucky income tax$2,776
  • Take-home pay$64,206

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 3.50% state

The Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro spans Kentucky, Indiana. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.

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

Project Management Specialist pay by experience in Louisville, KY

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$55,520$26.69$44,965$3,747
25th percentile$65,210$31.35$52,411$4,368
Median (50th)$82,660$39.74$64,206$5,350
75th percentile$104,160$50.08$78,579$6,548
90th percentile (top earners)$129,630$62.32$95,449$7,954

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

What $82,660 buys in Louisville, KY

Prices in Louisville, KY are 6.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 21% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median project management specialist's $64,206 take-home pay has the buying power of $68,984 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,026
19% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,248
23% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$4,324
per month for everything else

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

Project Management Specialist jobs are less concentrated in Louisville, KY than nationally (location quotient 0.77), so openings may be scarcer.

Best-paying cities for project management specialists, adjusted for cost of living

Louisville, KY ranks #61 of 64 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Seattle, WA $130,380$100,381$90,325
2Boulder, CO $122,040$90,019$85,568
3San Jose, CA $135,120$93,527$84,699
4Des Moines, IA $101,150$76,797$83,747
5Washington, DC $127,030$90,262$82,897
6Colorado Springs, CO $111,740$83,231$82,647
7Austin, TX $102,390$80,861$82,456
8Kansas City, MO $101,050$76,107$82,239
61Louisville, KY$82,660$64,206$68,984

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 64 metros →

About the job: project management specialists

Analyze and coordinate the schedule, timeline, procurement, staffing, and budget of a product or service on a per project basis. Lead and guide the work of technical staff. May serve as a point of contact for the client or customer.

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+6.7% (faster than average)

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

Frequently asked questions

How much does a project management specialist make in Louisville, KY?

The median project management specialist salary in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area is $82,660 a year, or about $39.74 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $65,210 and $104,160.

What is a project management specialist’s take-home pay in Louisville, KY?

On the median $82,660 salary, a single filer living in Kentucky takes home about $64,206 a year ($5,350 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,776 in Kentucky taxes in 2026.

Is Louisville, KY a good place to work as a project management specialist?

Pay here is 19% below the national median of $102,320. Local prices are 6.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $68,984 would in a typical U.S. city. Louisville, KY ranks #61 of 64 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a project management specialist afford rent in Louisville, KY?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Louisville, KY is $1,026 a month ($1,248 for two bedrooms) — 19% of a median project management specialist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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