Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Physician Assistants actually take home in Kentucky?
4.0% flat rate — 27.0% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Physician Assistants earning $120,760 in Kentucky (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $120,760 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$18,520 | 15.3% |
| Kentucky State Income Tax | -$4,830 | 4.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$7,487 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,751 | 1.4% |
| Total Taxes | -$32,589 | 27.0% |
| Take-Home Pay | $88,170 | 73.0% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Physician Assistants in Kentucky.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $79,550 | -$18,609 | $60,940 | 23.4% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $102,430 | -$26,308 | $76,121 | 25.7% |
| Median (P50) | $120,760 | -$32,589 | $88,170 | 27.0% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $136,080 | -$38,051 | $98,028 | 28.0% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $161,820 | -$47,227 | $114,592 | 29.2% |
After federal income tax ($18,520), state tax ($4,830), and FICA ($9,238), a Physician Assistants in Kentucky takes home $88,170 per year — or $7,347 per month. The effective tax rate of 27.0% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Physician Assistants in Kentucky loses 27.0% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $120,760 gross, $88,171 lands in the paycheck after federal ($18,521), state ($4,830), and FICA ($9,238) withholding.
Kentucky applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Physician Assistants salary that contributes $4,830 to the 4.0% effective state-tax burden.
Federal income tax ($18,521) accounts for 57% of the total tax bill — the single largest deduction. FICA adds $9,238 (28%), and state tax the remaining $4,830 (15%).
Moving this same Physician Assistants salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $93,001 net — a gain of $4,830 (5.5%) per year versus Kentucky.
Kentucky sits near the bottom (#46 of 51) for Physician Assistants after-tax earnings. Relocation, negotiation, or credential stacking typically show the clearest ROI in bottom-quartile states.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $88,171 net/year works out to $7,348/month or $3,391/bi-weekly for this Physician Assistants in Kentucky — 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.
Kentucky ranks #46 out of 51 states for Physician Assistants after-tax take-home pay.
A Physician Assistants in Kentucky earning a median salary of $120,760 will take home approximately $88,170 per year after federal income tax ($18,520), state income tax ($4,830), and FICA ($9,238). That is $7,347 per month or $3,391 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Physician Assistants in Kentucky is 27.0%, broken down as: federal income tax 15.3%, 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 Physician Assistants's median salary of $120,760, the state income tax amounts to $4,830 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.0%.
After all taxes, a Physician Assistants in Kentucky takes home approximately $7,347 per month, or about $42.39 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 $120,760 for Physician Assistants 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 — $88,170/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