2023 Jobs Fest and Wage Survey Findings

03/15/2023

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The South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council is pleased to release the summary findings of our wage and skill survey conducted with regional manufacturers and industries.  Wages continued strong growth buoyed by a record year for overall economic growth as the region announced over 1,000 new jobs and over $1,350,000,000 in direct capital investment.

Highlights include:

  • 25 regional industries participated in the survey.
  • Regional entry level positions range from $17.93+ per hour for operators/ production/ warehouse employees to over $24.20 per hour for maintenance. 
  • Regional industrial salaries top-out at $22-$31 per hour based on job classification and experience.
  • Regional engineers can expect to earn over $100,000 per year with experience.
  • SWK industries are offering competitive benefits packages and sign-on bonuses.
  • SWK industries primarily advertise open positions on social media, job boards, website, and radio.
  • SWK industries are interested in participating in job fairs, workforce programs, and with regional high schools.

SWK EDC Associate Director Tony Prim commented, “We’re thankful to the industries that took time to complete our wage and skill survey.  This invaluable information will allow us to better serve our existing industries and to partner with our regional workforce and education partners to ensure we continue to deliver a strong workforce for our industrial partners.  We remind our regional residents to follow the SWK EDC on our Facebook pages and website as we routinely share job information as provided by our regional employers.”

The South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council is also proud to announce the Jobs Fest 2023 for regional high school seniors.  The SWK EDC is a sponsor of the Jobs Fest 2023 which will include students from our regional schools in an effort to better connect them to job and career opportunities.  Jobs Fest 2023 is a part of the SWK IGNITE initiative.  Companies interested in Jobs Fest 2023, contact Tony Prim, Associate Director of Business, Retention and Expansion, at 270-885-1499 or tprim@southwesternky.com.

SWK EDC Executive Director Carter Hendricks stated, “We are excited to celebrate continued success in our region leading to job and wage growth. As new opportunities are created, we remain committed to ensuring that our region’s young people have the opportunity and ability to take full advantage of these incredible career opportunities.”

For questions regarding this release, information about development sites and region or the SWK EDC, please contact Carter Hendricks, at 270-885-1499.