Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Health Education Specialists actually take home in Kentucky?
4.0% flat rate — 21.2% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Health Education Specialists earning $65,370 in Kentucky (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $65,370 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$6,222 | 9.5% |
| Kentucky State Income Tax | -$2,614 | 4.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$4,052 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$947 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$13,838 | 21.2% |
| Take-Home Pay | $51,531 | 78.8% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Health Education Specialists in Kentucky.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $44,610 | -$8,566 | $36,043 | 19.2% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $58,450 | -$11,839 | $46,610 | 20.3% |
| Median (P50) | $65,370 | -$13,838 | $51,531 | 21.2% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $79,650 | -$18,643 | $61,006 | 23.4% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $98,030 | -$24,828 | $73,201 | 25.3% |
After federal income tax ($6,222), state tax ($2,614), and FICA ($5,000), a Health Education Specialists in Kentucky takes home $51,531 per year — or $4,294 per month. The effective tax rate of 21.2% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 21.2%, a Health Education Specialists in Kentucky keeps $51,532 of $65,370 gross — roughly typical for U.S. middle-income earners once federal, FICA and state taxes are combined.
Kentucky applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Health Education Specialists salary that contributes $2,615 to the 4.0% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Health Education Specialists salary is $6,222 (45%), but combined state ($2,615, 19%) + FICA ($5,001, 36%) make up the other 55% of the bill.
Moving this same Health Education Specialists salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $54,147 net — a gain of $2,615 (5.1%) per year versus Kentucky.
Kentucky ranks #20 of 51 states for Health Education Specialists after-tax pay — comfortably in the upper half.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $51,532 net/year works out to $4,294/month or $1,982/bi-weekly for this Health Education Specialists in Kentucky — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Health Education Specialists keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Kentucky ranks #20 out of 51 states for Health Education Specialists after-tax take-home pay.
A Health Education Specialists in Kentucky earning a median salary of $65,370 will take home approximately $51,531 per year after federal income tax ($6,222), state income tax ($2,614), and FICA ($5,000). That is $4,294 per month or $1,982 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Health Education Specialists in Kentucky is 21.2%, broken down as: federal income tax 9.5%, 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 Health Education Specialists's median salary of $65,370, the state income tax amounts to $2,614 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.0%.
After all taxes, a Health Education Specialists in Kentucky takes home approximately $4,294 per month, or about $24.77 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 $65,370 for Health Education Specialists 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 — $51,531/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.
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