Quick answer: Kentucky employs about 1,130 nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through your state board of nursing and the programs you are targeting. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Compare nursing education programs enrolling now:
There is no separate license for nurse educators. The prerequisite is an active registered nurse license from a state board of nursing, and the qualification for the teaching role is set by the hiring program and its accreditor, CCNE or ACEN, rather than nationally. Faculty-qualification expectations differ substantially between community-college instruction and university appointments.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state board of nursing and the programs you are targeting that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 3 schools within 50 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 3 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary in Kentucky earn a median $71,920 per year, below the national median of $80,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Kentucky | National | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $71,920 | $80,250 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 10th percentile | $47,730 | $48,800 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 25th percentile | $59,550 | $63,510 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 75th percentile | $83,830 | $101,090 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 90th percentile | $105,880 | $129,500 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Employment | 1,130 | 77,960 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Location quotient | 1.12 | 1.00 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected change (2024-34) | not published by state | 16.8% | BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34 |
The Kentucky median of $71,920 sits below the national median of $80,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 1.12 puts Kentucky slightly above the national average, so the occupation is a little more common here than in the typical state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary in Kentucky is $71,920, below the national median of $80,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $59,550 at the 25th percentile to $83,830 at the 75th.
Kentucky holds about 1,130 nurse educator jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 77,960, and BLS projects about 8,600 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
There is no separate license for nurse educators. The prerequisite is an active registered nurse license from a state board of nursing, and the qualification for the teaching role is set by the hiring program and its accreditor, CCNE or ACEN, rather than nationally. Faculty-qualification expectations differ substantially between community-college instruction and university appointments. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state board of nursing and the programs you are targeting before you enroll in any program.
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state board of nursing and the programs you are targeting.
BLS does not publish separate metro-level estimates for nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary in Kentucky, so the statewide median of $71,920 is the best available figure (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
On pay, the state median of $71,920 sits below the national $80,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 1.12 means the occupation is more concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
