Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Physicists actually take home in Colorado?
4.4% flat rate — 26.2% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Physicists earning $104,580 in Colorado (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $104,580 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$14,848 | 14.2% |
| Colorado State Income Tax | -$4,601 | 4.4% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$6,483 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,516 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$27,450 | 26.2% |
| Take-Home Pay | $77,129 | 73.8% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Physicists in Colorado.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $82,340 | -$19,877 | $62,462 | 24.1% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $82,340 | -$19,877 | $62,462 | 24.1% |
| Median (P50) | $104,580 | -$27,450 | $77,129 | 26.2% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $168,240 | -$50,189 | $118,050 | 29.8% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $210,950 | -$63,410 | $147,539 | 30.1% |
After federal income tax ($14,848), state tax ($4,601), and FICA ($8,000), a Physicists in Colorado takes home $77,129 per year — or $6,427 per month. The effective tax rate of 26.2% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Physicists in Colorado loses 26.2% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $104,580 gross, $77,130 lands in the paycheck after federal ($14,849), state ($4,602), and FICA ($8,000) withholding.
Colorado applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Physicists salary that contributes $4,602 to the 4.4% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Physicists salary is $14,849 (54%), but combined state ($4,602, 17%) + FICA ($8,000, 29%) make up the other 46% of the bill.
Moving this same Physicists salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $81,731 net — a gain of $4,602 (6.0%) per year versus Colorado.
Colorado sits near the bottom (#39 of 43) for Physicists after-tax earnings. Relocation, negotiation, or credential stacking typically show the clearest ROI in bottom-quartile states.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $77,130 net/year works out to $6,427/month or $2,967/bi-weekly for this Physicists in Colorado — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Physicists keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Colorado ranks #39 out of 43 states for Physicists after-tax take-home pay.
A Physicists in Colorado earning a median salary of $104,580 will take home approximately $77,129 per year after federal income tax ($14,848), state income tax ($4,601), and FICA ($8,000). That is $6,427 per month or $2,966 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Physicists in Colorado is 26.2%, broken down as: federal income tax 14.2%, 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 Physicists's median salary of $104,580, the state income tax amounts to $4,601 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.4%.
After all taxes, a Physicists in Colorado takes home approximately $6,427 per month, or about $37.08 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 $104,580 for Physicists 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 — $77,129/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