Ophthalmologists Salaries in Louisville, KY
Average Base Pay
$186,665/yr
8% below national average
Monthly
$15,555
Hourly
$90
Cost Index
79
Ophthalmologists in Louisville, KY earn an average of $186,665 per year, with most salaries falling between $149,332 and $223,998 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 8% below the national average, Louisville offers a more modest rate for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 79. 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 Louisville.
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.
Low
Median
High
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
- Medical Student
- Resident Physician
- Attending Physician
- Subspecialty Fellow
- Department Chief / Medical Director
Ophthalmologists Market in Louisville, KY
Salary Competitiveness
Louisville currently pays 8% 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
Louisville's cost of living runs below the national average, which works in favor of this salary. Essential monthly expenses account for approximately 19% 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 $186,665 in Louisville 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
-8%
Cost Pressure
19%
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.
Annual Net
$136,265
Monthly
$11,355
Weekly
$2,620
Eff. Tax Rate
27%
A gross salary of $186,665 for a Ophthalmologists in Louisville translates to roughly $11,355 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,130—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $9,225 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 Louisville's current market.
How far does this salary go in Louisville?
Cost of Living in Louisville
Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Louisville, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.
Cost Index
79
Below Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).
Financial Reality Check
This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Louisville to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.
Monthly Take-Home
$11,355
Living Costs
$2,130
Disposable
$9,225
Cost Index
79
Lifestyle
Comfortable
With a monthly take-home of $11,355, your estimated living costs in Louisville are $2,130 ($25,560/yr). This leaves $9,225 per month in disposable income, indicating a comfortable standard of living. Louisville's cost of living is 21% below the national average.
Overall, a Ophthalmologists earning $186,665 in Louisville 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 79, Louisville is 21% 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 Louisville continue to evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
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See how Ophthalmologists salary in Louisville stacks up against other cities.
- vs. Kailua, HI
$264,834/yr+$78,169
vs Louisville - vs. Pearl City, HI
$264,834/yr+$78,169
vs Louisville - vs. Hilo, HI
$264,834/yr+$78,169
vs Louisville - vs. San Diego, CA
$255,864/yr+$69,199
vs Louisville
Full breakdown: cost of living, net pay, lifestyle score
Compare Cities
Same role, different locations
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Other roles in the same area
City Rankings for Ophthalmologists
Share this salary
Gross Salary
$186,665/yr
Take-home
$11,355/mo
Disposable
$9,225/mo
Lifestyle
Comfortable
Source: thesalaryindex.com · BLS data
Louisville City Overview
COL index, rent benchmarks, top jobs, and affordability score.
Explore Louisville →Explore More Salary Data
Related pages — all links are live salary pages
Ophthalmologists in Other Cities
- Joplin, MO$186,665
- San Angelo, TX$175,132
- Augusta, ME$190,510
- Waxahachie, TX$211,550
- Norman, OK$190,510
- Corpus Christi, TX$189,228
- Utica, NY$193,073
- Manassas, VA$214,857
- Baton Rouge, LA$187,947
- Topeka, KS$172,569
- Norwalk, CT$228,953
- Marietta, GA$211,013
- Aurora, IL$209,732
- Oxnard, CA$239,205
- Centennial, CO$219,983
- Sandy Springs, GA$211,013
- Kenosha, WI$193,073
- Mesquite, TX$211,550
- Provo, UT$202,043
- Waco, TX$184,103
Other Jobs in Louisville
- Electrical And Electronics Installers And Repairers$75,232
- Airline Pilots$149,848
- Adult Basic Education$54,035
- Tank Car$49,056
- Aircraft Mechanics And Service Technicians$70,770
- Construction Laborers$44,934
- Bookkeeping$44,902
- Janitors And Cleaners$31,346
- Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners$31,036
- Funeral Attendants$31,478
- Captains$76,800
- Medical Transcriptionists$32,910
- Counter And Rental Clerks$34,163
- Opticians$41,712
- Architectural And Engineering Managers$147,148
- Biochemists And Biophysicists$85,324
- Animal Trainers$33,953
- Commercial And Industrial Designers$69,475
- Audiovisual Equipment Installers And Repairers$45,812
- Athletic Trainers$56,143
Top Salary Comparisons
vs. Louisville
- Pearl City, HI+$78,169
- Boulder, CO+$61,510
- Gaithersburg, MD+$49,977
- Bethesda, MD+$49,977
- Frederick, MD+$49,977
- Schenectady, NY+$43,570
- Norwalk, CT+$42,288
- Baltimore, MD+$49,977
- Mount Vernon, NY+$43,570
- Newburgh, NY+$43,570
Highest-Paying Markets
Cities where Ophthalmologists pays most
- Kailua, HI$264,834
- Pearl City, HI$264,834
- Hilo, HI$264,834
- San Diego, CA$255,864
- Washington, DC$254,583
- Boulder, CO$248,175
- Naples, FL$241,768
- Oxnard, CA$239,205
Most Affordable Markets
Cities with lowest cost of living
- Toledo, OH$172,569
- Brownsville, TX$172,569
- Mcallen, TX$195,636
- Topeka, KS$172,569
- Gulfport, MS$180,258
- Wichita Falls, TX$173,851
- Canton, OH$173,851
- Laredo, TX$175,132
Salary estimates are based on BLS metro data and adjusted using cost-of-living indices.