Surgeon Salary in Kentucky (2026)

Worth knowing: The UofL hand transplant program is among the country's pioneering hand + face transplant programs and a feature most national surgeon surveys understate for KY. UofL Health (Louisville academic medical center, post-2000 ULP + Kentucky One Health acquisitions creating modern UofL Health system) Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery operated the country's first successful US hand transplant in 1999 + has performed substantial subsequent hand + face transplants establishing UofL as a national leader in composite tissue allotransplantation. Senior UofL transplant surgeons + microsurgeons clear $565K-$1.19M+ TC. UK HealthCare (~12K, the only OR academic medical center in KY operating Level 1 trauma + Markey Cancer + Kentucky Children's Hospital) operates substantial cardiothoracic + neurosurgery + complex surgical subspecialty. UK + UofL combined operate the only Level 1 adult trauma centers in KY (alongside University of Tennessee Knoxville providing trauma services for far eastern KY). Norton Children's Hospital Louisville operates the only Level 1 pediatric trauma center in KY. KY joined IMLC in 2017. KY's flat 4% rate is substantially lower than OR/MN's 9.85-9.9% tops — supporting senior surgeon retention + KY's lower cost of living + Bourbon Trail + Bluegrass lifestyle creates substantial physician + surgeon recruitment appeal vs Northeast/West Coast.