Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Physician Assistants actually take home in Colorado?
4.4% flat rate — 28.3% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Physician Assistants earning $134,540 in Colorado (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $134,540 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$21,828 | 16.2% |
| Colorado State Income Tax | -$5,919 | 4.4% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$8,341 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,950 | 1.4% |
| Total Taxes | -$38,040 | 28.3% |
| Take-Home Pay | $96,499 | 71.7% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Physician Assistants in Colorado.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $104,590 | -$27,453 | $77,136 | 26.2% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $124,100 | -$34,276 | $89,823 | 27.6% |
| Median (P50) | $134,540 | -$38,040 | $96,499 | 28.3% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $156,400 | -$45,920 | $110,479 | 29.4% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $174,090 | -$51,957 | $122,132 | 29.8% |
After federal income tax ($21,828), state tax ($5,919), and FICA ($10,292), a Physician Assistants in Colorado takes home $96,499 per year — or $8,041 per month. The effective tax rate of 28.3% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Physician Assistants in Colorado loses 28.3% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $134,540 gross, $96,500 lands in the paycheck after federal ($21,828), state ($5,920), and FICA ($10,292) withholding.
Colorado applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Physician Assistants salary that contributes $5,920 to the 4.4% effective state-tax burden.
Federal income tax ($21,828) accounts for 57% of the total tax bill — the single largest deduction. FICA adds $10,292 (27%), and state tax the remaining $5,920 (16%).
Moving this same Physician Assistants salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $102,420 net — a gain of $5,920 (6.1%) per year versus Colorado.
Colorado ranks #29 of 51 states for Physician Assistants 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, $96,500 net/year works out to $8,042/month or $3,712/bi-weekly for this Physician Assistants in Colorado — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Physician Assistants keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Colorado ranks #29 out of 51 states for Physician Assistants after-tax take-home pay.
A Physician Assistants in Colorado earning a median salary of $134,540 will take home approximately $96,499 per year after federal income tax ($21,828), state income tax ($5,919), and FICA ($10,292). That is $8,041 per month or $3,711 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Physician Assistants in Colorado is 28.3%, broken down as: federal income tax 16.2%, 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 Physician Assistants's median salary of $134,540, the state income tax amounts to $5,919 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.4%.
After all taxes, a Physician Assistants in Colorado takes home approximately $8,041 per month, or about $46.39 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 $134,540 for Physician Assistants 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 — $96,499/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