The Salary Index
Salary data is based on the Bowling Green, KY metropolitan area and applied to Frankfort using local cost-of-living adjustments.

Ophthalmologists Salaries in Frankfort, KY

Average Base Pay

$193,073/yr

5% below national average

Monthly

$16,089

Hourly

$93

Cost Index

82

Ophthalmologists in Frankfort, KY earn an average of $193,073 per year, with most salaries falling between $154,458 and $231,688 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 5% below the national average, Frankfort offers a more modest rate for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 82. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Frankfort.

Salary Range

The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.

$145K
Low
$193K
Median
$241K
High
25th percentile: $164K75th percentile: $222K

About Ophthalmologists

Physicians diagnose and treat illnesses, injuries, and medical conditions across a wide range of specialties. General practitioners and family medicine physicians manage undifferentiated health problems and chronic conditions for patients of all ages, serving as the primary point of care and coordinating specialist referrals. Internists focus on adult medicine and often subspecialize in areas such as cardiology, gastroenterology, oncology, or pulmonology. Surgeons perform operative procedures to treat conditions ranging from appendicitis and cancer to orthopedic injuries and heart disease. Psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental health conditions using medication management and psychotherapy. Emergency physicians manage acute and life-threatening conditions in high-acuity settings. Pediatricians care for infants, children, and adolescents. Pathologists diagnose disease through laboratory analysis of tissue, blood, and other specimens. Radiologists interpret medical imaging studies. The educational pathway requires four years of medical school following a bachelor's degree, three to seven years of residency training, and often additional fellowship training in a subspecialty. Physicians are licensed by state medical boards and must maintain board certification through continuous medical education and periodic examinations.

What Ophthalmologists Do

  • Obtain patient history and perform physical examinations
  • Diagnose conditions based on clinical findings and diagnostic test results
  • Develop and implement individualized treatment plans
  • Prescribe medications and therapies
  • Order and interpret diagnostic tests including laboratory studies and imaging
  • Perform procedures appropriate to specialty
  • Coordinate care with specialists, nurses, and allied health professionals
  • Maintain accurate medical records and complete documentation

Key Skills & Qualifications

  • Clinical assessment and diagnostic reasoning
  • Medical knowledge across pathophysiology, pharmacology, and treatment
  • Procedure-specific technical skills relevant to specialty
  • Patient communication and shared decision-making
  • Interpretation of laboratory and radiographic data
  • Electronic health record documentation
  • MD or DO degree, residency completion, and board certification
  • Medical licensure in state(s) of practice

Career Path

  1. Medical Student
  2. Resident Physician
  3. Attending Physician
  4. Subspecialty Fellow
  5. Department Chief / Medical Director

Ophthalmologists Market in Frankfort, KY

Salary Competitiveness

Frankfort currently pays 5% below the national median for Ophthalmologists. This gap can reflect a lower regional cost base, thinner employer density, or a surplus of qualified candidates relative to open roles—factors worth factoring into any offer negotiation or relocation calculation.

Cost of Living Impact

Frankfort's cost of living runs below the national average, which works in favor of this salary. Essential monthly expenses account for approximately 18% of take-home pay—a ratio that leaves meaningful room for savings, debt reduction, and discretionary spending compared with higher-cost metros.

Effective Purchasing Power

After adjusting for local taxes and cost of living, a Ophthalmologists earning $193,073 in Frankfort reaches a strong purchasing-power position. The effective standard of living this income supports is materially higher than the gross number alone implies—a useful data point for professionals comparing offers across metro areas.

vs. National Avg

-5%

Cost Pressure

18%

Purchasing Power

Strong

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.

$
Take-home (73%)Taxes (27%)

Annual Net

$140,943

Monthly

$11,745

Weekly

$2,710

Eff. Tax Rate

27%

A gross salary of $193,073 for a Ophthalmologists in Frankfort translates to roughly $11,745 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,124—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $9,621 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Frankfort's current market.

How far does this salary go in Frankfort?

Cost of Living in Frankfort

Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Frankfort, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.

Cost Index

82

Below Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).

🏠Housing / Rent$1,222/mo
🍔Food & Groceries$407/mo
🚗Transportation$110/mo
💡Utilities$143/mo
🏥Healthcare$242/mo
Monthly$2,124
Annual$25,488
Disposable Income$9,621

Financial Reality Check

This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Frankfort to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.

Monthly Take-Home

$11,745

Living Costs

$2,124

Disposable

$9,621

Cost Index

82

Lifestyle

Comfortable

With a monthly take-home of $11,745, your estimated living costs in Frankfort are $2,124 ($25,488/yr). This leaves $9,621 per month in disposable income, indicating a comfortable standard of living. Frankfort's cost of living is 18% below the national average.

Overall, a Ophthalmologists earning $193,073 in Frankfort falls into a comfortable lifestyle tier and has meaningful room to save, invest, and absorb unexpected expenses without financial stress. With a cost index of 82, Frankfort is 18% more affordable than the national average, which extends your purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Frankfort continue to evolve.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Ophthalmologists · Frankfort, KY5% below avg

Gross Salary

$193,073/yr

Take-home

$11,745/mo

Disposable

$9,621/mo

Lifestyle

Comfortable

Source: thesalaryindex.com · BLS data

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Salary estimates are based on BLS metro data and adjusted using cost-of-living indices.