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Kentucky Paycheck Calculator 2026

Enter your salary or hourly wage to estimate take-home pay after federal and Kentucky taxes. Updated for 2026 tax rates.

Your pay

Salary Hourly

Annual salary

Hourly rate Hours per week

Overtime hours per week paid at 1.5x

Pay frequency Filing status

State Children under 17

Pre-tax deductions

401(k) (% of pay) Health insurance per paycheck ($)

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Kentucky take-home pay by salary

Single filer, paid every two weeks, no pre-tax deductions, 2.2% local tax.

Salary	Per paycheck	Per year	Effective tax rate
$30,000	$949.72	$24,693	17.7%
$40,000	$1,236.83	$32,158	19.6%
$50,000	$1,523.95	$39,623	20.8%
$60,000	$1,811.06	$47,088	21.5%
$75,000	$2,209.04	$57,435	23.4%
$100,000	$2,830.68	$73,598	26.4%
$150,000	$4,052.25	$105,359	29.8%

Kentucky hourly paycheck examples

Single filer, 40 hours a week, paid weekly.

Hourly wage	Weekly gross	Weekly take-home
$15.00/hr	$600.00	$492.08
$20.00/hr	$800.00	$641.38
$25.00/hr	$1,000.00	$790.68
$30.00/hr	$1,200.00	$939.98
$40.00/hr	$1,600.00	$1,206.47

Kentucky paycheck taxes for 2026

Kentucky taxes wages at a flat 3.5% rate. For 2026, federal income tax uses seven brackets from 10% to 37%. The standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, and $24,150 for heads of household. Social Security takes 6.2% of wages up to $184,500, and Medicare takes 1.45% of all wages plus 0.9% on wages above $200,000.

Kentucky's flat income tax rate is 3.5% for 2026, down from 4% in 2025.
The 2026 Kentucky standard deduction is $3,360.
Many Kentucky cities and counties also charge an occupational license tax on wages; Louisville Metro residents pay 2.2% in total.

Kentucky deductions and exemptions

Filing status	Standard deduction	Personal exemption
Single	$3,360	$0
Married filing jointly	$3,360	$0
Head of household	$3,360	$0

Local income tax

Many Kentucky cities and counties levy occupational license taxes on wages, sometimes with school board taxes on top. Default 2.2% is the Louisville Metro resident rate (1.25% Metro, 0.20% transit, 0.75% school boards). Rates elsewhere vary.

Frequently asked questions

How much is taken out of a paycheck in Kentucky?

A single filer earning $60,000 a year and paid every two weeks takes home about $1,811.06 per paycheck in Kentucky, an effective tax rate of about 21.5%. The deductions are federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Kentucky income tax, and local income tax.

Does Kentucky have a state income tax?

Yes. Kentucky taxes wages at a flat 3.5% rate.

Are there local income taxes in Kentucky?

Yes. Many Kentucky cities and counties levy occupational license taxes on wages, sometimes with school board taxes on top. Default 2.2% is the Louisville Metro resident rate (1.25% Metro, 0.20% transit, 0.75% school boards). Rates elsewhere vary.

Is this Kentucky paycheck calculator accurate?

It estimates your yearly tax using 2026 federal and Kentucky rules, then divides by your number of paychecks. Your employer's withholding can differ because of your W-4 choices, bonuses, other income, or benefits not entered here. Use it for planning and check your pay stub for exact amounts.

Sources

Tax data last reviewed 2026-09-16. How this calculator works.