Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Chemical Engineers actually take home in Kentucky?
4.0% flat rate — 26.7% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Chemical Engineers earning $117,170 in Kentucky (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $117,170 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$17,659 | 15.1% |
| Kentucky State Income Tax | -$4,686 | 4.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$7,264 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,698 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$31,309 | 26.7% |
| Take-Home Pay | $85,860 | 73.3% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Chemical Engineers in Kentucky.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $89,040 | -$21,802 | $67,237 | 24.5% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $106,000 | -$27,510 | $78,490 | 26.0% |
| Median (P50) | $117,170 | -$31,309 | $85,860 | 26.7% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $136,450 | -$38,182 | $98,267 | 28.0% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $161,500 | -$47,113 | $114,386 | 29.2% |
After federal income tax ($17,659), state tax ($4,686), and FICA ($8,963), a Chemical Engineers in Kentucky takes home $85,860 per year — or $7,155 per month. The effective tax rate of 26.7% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Chemical Engineers in Kentucky loses 26.7% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $117,170 gross, $85,860 lands in the paycheck after federal ($17,659), state ($4,687), and FICA ($8,964) withholding.
Kentucky applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Chemical Engineers salary that contributes $4,687 to the 4.0% effective state-tax burden.
Federal income tax ($17,659) accounts for 56% of the total tax bill — the single largest deduction. FICA adds $8,964 (29%), and state tax the remaining $4,687 (15%).
Moving this same Chemical Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $90,547 net — a gain of $4,687 (5.5%) per year versus Kentucky.
Kentucky ranks #19 of 41 states for Chemical Engineers after-tax pay — comfortably in the upper half.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $85,860 net/year works out to $7,155/month or $3,302/bi-weekly for this Chemical Engineers in Kentucky — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Chemical Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Kentucky ranks #19 out of 41 states for Chemical Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Chemical Engineers in Kentucky earning a median salary of $117,170 will take home approximately $85,860 per year after federal income tax ($17,659), state income tax ($4,686), and FICA ($8,963). That is $7,155 per month or $3,302 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Chemical Engineers in Kentucky is 26.7%, broken down as: federal income tax 15.1%, Kentucky state tax 4.0%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.7%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Kentucky has a 4.0% flat rate. On a Chemical Engineers's median salary of $117,170, the state income tax amounts to $4,686 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.0%.
After all taxes, a Chemical Engineers in Kentucky takes home approximately $7,155 per month, or about $41.28 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $117,170 for Chemical Engineers in Kentucky, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), Kentucky state income tax (4.0% flat rate), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $85,860/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR