Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers actually take home in Kentucky?
4.0% flat rate — 19.0% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers earning $42,220 in Kentucky (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $42,220 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$3,082 | 7.3% |
| Kentucky State Income Tax | -$1,688 | 4.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$2,617 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$612 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$8,001 | 19.0% |
| Take-Home Pay | $34,218 | 81.0% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers in Kentucky.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $34,640 | -$6,208 | $28,431 | 17.9% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $36,650 | -$6,683 | $29,966 | 18.2% |
| Median (P50) | $42,220 | -$8,001 | $34,218 | 19.0% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $57,780 | -$11,680 | $46,099 | 20.2% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $60,050 | -$12,217 | $47,832 | 20.3% |
After federal income tax ($3,082), state tax ($1,688), and FICA ($3,229), a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers in Kentucky takes home $34,218 per year — or $2,851 per month. The effective tax rate of 19.0% is relatively low compared to the national range.
A Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers in Kentucky faces an effective total tax rate of only 19.0%, keeping 81.0% of every gross dollar. That leaves $34,219 net out of $42,220 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 Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers salary that contributes $1,689 to the 4.0% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers salary is $3,082 (39%), but combined state ($1,689, 21%) + FICA ($3,230, 40%) make up the other 61% of the bill.
A Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers earning this gross in a no-income-tax state (e.g., Texas, Florida) would take home approximately $35,908 — only $1,689 (4.9%) more than in Kentucky.
Kentucky ranks #20 of 37 states for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers after-tax pay — lower half of the national distribution. Either gross wages trail the national median, state tax is elevated, or both.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $34,219 net/year works out to $2,852/month or $1,316/bi-weekly for this Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers in Kentucky — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Kentucky ranks #20 out of 37 states for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers after-tax take-home pay.
A Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers in Kentucky earning a median salary of $42,220 will take home approximately $34,218 per year after federal income tax ($3,082), state income tax ($1,688), and FICA ($3,229). That is $2,851 per month or $1,316 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers in Kentucky is 19.0%, broken down as: federal income tax 7.3%, 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 Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers's median salary of $42,220, the state income tax amounts to $1,688 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.0%.
After all taxes, a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers in Kentucky takes home approximately $2,851 per month, or about $16.45 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 $42,220 for Painting, Coating, and Decorating 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 — $34,218/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