Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Locomotive Engineers actually take home in Colorado?
4.4% flat rate — 24.9% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Locomotive Engineers earning $89,360 in Colorado (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $89,360 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$11,500 | 12.9% |
| Colorado State Income Tax | -$3,931 | 4.4% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$5,540 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,295 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$22,268 | 24.9% |
| Take-Home Pay | $67,091 | 75.1% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Locomotive Engineers in Colorado.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $57,730 | -$11,900 | $45,829 | 20.6% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $76,670 | -$17,947 | $58,722 | 23.4% |
| Median (P50) | $89,360 | -$22,268 | $67,091 | 24.9% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $99,800 | -$25,822 | $73,977 | 25.9% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $125,830 | -$34,900 | $90,929 | 27.7% |
After federal income tax ($11,500), state tax ($3,931), and FICA ($6,836), a Locomotive Engineers in Colorado takes home $67,091 per year — or $5,590 per month. The effective tax rate of 24.9% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 24.9%, a Locomotive Engineers in Colorado keeps $67,092 of $89,360 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 Locomotive Engineers salary that contributes $3,932 to the 4.4% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Locomotive Engineers salary is $11,500 (52%), but combined state ($3,932, 18%) + FICA ($6,836, 31%) make up the other 48% of the bill.
Moving this same Locomotive Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $71,024 net — a gain of $3,932 (5.9%) per year versus Colorado.
Colorado ranks #11 of 35 states for Locomotive Engineers after-tax pay — comfortably in the upper half.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $67,092 net/year works out to $5,591/month or $2,580/bi-weekly for this Locomotive Engineers in Colorado — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Locomotive Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Colorado ranks #11 out of 35 states for Locomotive Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Locomotive Engineers in Colorado earning a median salary of $89,360 will take home approximately $67,091 per year after federal income tax ($11,500), state income tax ($3,931), and FICA ($6,836). That is $5,590 per month or $2,580 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Locomotive Engineers in Colorado is 24.9%, broken down as: federal income tax 12.9%, Colorado state tax 4.4%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.6%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Colorado has a 4.4% flat rate. On a Locomotive Engineers's median salary of $89,360, the state income tax amounts to $3,931 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.4%.
After all taxes, a Locomotive Engineers in Colorado takes home approximately $5,590 per month, or about $32.26 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 $89,360 for Locomotive Engineers 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 — $67,091/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