Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Recreational Therapists actually take home in Colorado?
4.4% flat rate — 21.8% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Recreational Therapists earning $66,580 in Colorado (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $66,580 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$6,488 | 9.7% |
| Colorado State Income Tax | -$2,929 | 4.4% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$4,127 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$965 | 1.4% |
| Total Taxes | -$14,511 | 21.8% |
| Take-Home Pay | $52,068 | 78.2% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Recreational Therapists in Colorado.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $44,530 | -$8,725 | $35,804 | 19.6% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $55,010 | -$11,245 | $43,764 | 20.4% |
| Median (P50) | $66,580 | -$14,511 | $52,068 | 21.8% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $78,420 | -$18,543 | $59,876 | 23.6% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $88,120 | -$21,845 | $66,274 | 24.8% |
After federal income tax ($6,488), state tax ($2,929), and FICA ($5,093), a Recreational Therapists in Colorado takes home $52,068 per year — or $4,339 per month. The effective tax rate of 21.8% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 21.8%, a Recreational Therapists in Colorado keeps $52,069 of $66,580 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 Recreational Therapists salary that contributes $2,930 to the 4.4% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Recreational Therapists salary is $6,489 (45%), but combined state ($2,930, 20%) + FICA ($5,093, 35%) make up the other 55% of the bill.
Moving this same Recreational Therapists salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $54,998 net — a gain of $2,930 (5.6%) per year versus Colorado.
For Recreational Therapists after-tax pay, Colorado ranks #8 of 48 states — top quartile. High gross wages or low state-tax burden (or both) drive the strong ranking.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $52,069 net/year works out to $4,339/month or $2,003/bi-weekly for this Recreational Therapists in Colorado — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Recreational Therapists keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Colorado ranks #8 out of 48 states for Recreational Therapists after-tax take-home pay.
A Recreational Therapists in Colorado earning a median salary of $66,580 will take home approximately $52,068 per year after federal income tax ($6,488), state income tax ($2,929), and FICA ($5,093). That is $4,339 per month or $2,002 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Recreational Therapists in Colorado is 21.8%, broken down as: federal income tax 9.7%, 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 Recreational Therapists's median salary of $66,580, the state income tax amounts to $2,929 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.4%.
After all taxes, a Recreational Therapists in Colorado takes home approximately $4,339 per month, or about $25.03 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 $66,580 for Recreational Therapists 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 — $52,068/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