Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health actually take home in Colorado?
4.4% flat rate — 24.6% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health earning $85,990 in Colorado (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $85,990 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$10,758 | 12.5% |
| Colorado State Income Tax | -$3,783 | 4.4% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$5,331 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,246 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$21,120 | 24.6% |
| Take-Home Pay | $64,869 | 75.4% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in Colorado.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $65,260 | -$14,062 | $51,197 | 21.5% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $65,670 | -$14,201 | $51,468 | 21.6% |
| Median (P50) | $85,990 | -$21,120 | $64,869 | 24.6% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $106,690 | -$28,168 | $78,521 | 26.4% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $140,340 | -$40,131 | $100,208 | 28.6% |
After federal income tax ($10,758), state tax ($3,783), and FICA ($6,578), a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in Colorado takes home $64,869 per year — or $5,405 per month. The effective tax rate of 24.6% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 24.6%, a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in Colorado keeps $64,869 of $85,990 gross — roughly typical for U.S. middle-income earners once federal, FICA and state taxes are combined.
Colorado applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health salary that contributes $3,784 to the 4.4% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health salary is $10,759 (51%), but combined state ($3,784, 18%) + FICA ($6,578, 31%) make up the other 49% of the bill.
Moving this same Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $68,653 net — a gain of $3,784 (5.8%) per year versus Colorado.
Colorado ranks #14 of 51 states for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health after-tax pay — comfortably in the upper half.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $64,869 net/year works out to $5,406/month or $2,495/bi-weekly for this Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in Colorado — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Colorado ranks #14 out of 51 states for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health after-tax take-home pay.
A Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in Colorado earning a median salary of $85,990 will take home approximately $64,869 per year after federal income tax ($10,758), state income tax ($3,783), and FICA ($6,578). That is $5,405 per month or $2,494 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in Colorado is 24.6%, broken down as: federal income tax 12.5%, Colorado state tax 4.4%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.7%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Colorado has a 4.4% flat rate. On a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health's median salary of $85,990, the state income tax amounts to $3,783 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.4%.
After all taxes, a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in Colorado takes home approximately $5,405 per month, or about $31.19 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 $85,990 for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in Colorado, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), Colorado state income tax (4.4% flat rate), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $64,869/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