Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Highway Maintenance Workers actually take home in Kentucky?
4.0% flat rate — 18.7% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Highway Maintenance Workers earning $40,400 in Kentucky (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $40,400 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$2,864 | 7.1% |
| Kentucky State Income Tax | -$1,616 | 4.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$2,504 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$585 | 1.4% |
| Total Taxes | -$7,570 | 18.7% |
| Take-Home Pay | $32,829 | 81.3% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Highway Maintenance Workers in Kentucky.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $30,030 | -$5,118 | $24,911 | 17.0% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $37,200 | -$6,813 | $30,386 | 18.3% |
| Median (P50) | $40,400 | -$7,570 | $32,829 | 18.7% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $46,750 | -$9,072 | $37,677 | 19.4% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $50,750 | -$10,018 | $40,731 | 19.7% |
After federal income tax ($2,864), state tax ($1,616), and FICA ($3,090), a Highway Maintenance Workers in Kentucky takes home $32,829 per year — or $2,735 per month. The effective tax rate of 18.7% is relatively low compared to the national range.
A Highway Maintenance Workers in Kentucky faces an effective total tax rate of only 18.7%, keeping 81.3% of every gross dollar. That leaves $32,829 net out of $40,400 gross — a favorable outcome compared to states with combined rates above 30%.
Kentucky applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Highway Maintenance Workers salary that contributes $1,616 to the 4.0% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Highway Maintenance Workers salary is $2,864 (38%), but combined state ($1,616, 21%) + FICA ($3,091, 41%) make up the other 62% of the bill.
A Highway Maintenance Workers earning this gross in a no-income-tax state (e.g., Texas, Florida) would take home approximately $34,445 — only $1,616 (4.9%) more than in Kentucky.
Kentucky sits near the bottom (#44 of 49) for Highway Maintenance Workers after-tax earnings. Relocation, negotiation, or credential stacking typically show the clearest ROI in bottom-quartile states.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $32,829 net/year works out to $2,736/month or $1,263/bi-weekly for this Highway Maintenance Workers in Kentucky — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Highway Maintenance Workers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Kentucky ranks #44 out of 49 states for Highway Maintenance Workers after-tax take-home pay.
A Highway Maintenance Workers in Kentucky earning a median salary of $40,400 will take home approximately $32,829 per year after federal income tax ($2,864), state income tax ($1,616), and FICA ($3,090). That is $2,735 per month or $1,262 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Highway Maintenance Workers in Kentucky is 18.7%, broken down as: federal income tax 7.1%, Kentucky state tax 4.0%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.6%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Kentucky has a 4.0% flat rate. On a Highway Maintenance Workers's median salary of $40,400, the state income tax amounts to $1,616 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.0%.
After all taxes, a Highway Maintenance Workers in Kentucky takes home approximately $2,735 per month, or about $15.78 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 $40,400 for Highway Maintenance Workers 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 — $32,829/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