Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Ship Engineers 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 Ship Engineers earning $120,550 in Kentucky (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $120,550 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$18,470 | 15.3% |
| Kentucky State Income Tax | -$4,822 | 4.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$7,474 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,747 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$32,514 | 27.0% |
| Take-Home Pay | $88,035 | 73.0% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Ship Engineers in Kentucky.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $81,040 | -$19,110 | $61,929 | 23.6% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $116,330 | -$31,010 | $85,319 | 26.7% |
| Median (P50) | $120,550 | -$32,514 | $88,035 | 27.0% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $121,270 | -$32,771 | $88,498 | 27.0% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $121,880 | -$32,988 | $88,891 | 27.1% |
After federal income tax ($18,470), state tax ($4,822), and FICA ($9,222), a Ship Engineers in Kentucky takes home $88,035 per year — or $7,336 per month. The effective tax rate of 27.0% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Ship Engineers in Kentucky loses 27.0% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $120,550 gross, $88,035 lands in the paycheck after federal ($18,470), state ($4,822), and FICA ($9,222) withholding.
Kentucky applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Ship Engineers salary that contributes $4,822 to the 4.0% effective state-tax burden.
Federal income tax ($18,470) accounts for 57% of the total tax bill — the single largest deduction. FICA adds $9,222 (28%), and state tax the remaining $4,822 (15%).
Moving this same Ship Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $92,857 net — a gain of $4,822 (5.5%) per year versus Kentucky.
Kentucky ranks #7 of 24 states for Ship Engineers after-tax pay — comfortably in the upper half.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $88,035 net/year works out to $7,336/month or $3,386/bi-weekly for this Ship Engineers in Kentucky — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Ship Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Kentucky ranks #7 out of 24 states for Ship Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Ship Engineers in Kentucky earning a median salary of $120,550 will take home approximately $88,035 per year after federal income tax ($18,470), state income tax ($4,822), and FICA ($9,222). That is $7,336 per month or $3,385 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Ship Engineers in Kentucky is 27.0%, broken down as: federal income tax 15.3%, Kentucky state tax 4.0%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.7%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Kentucky has a 4.0% flat rate. On a Ship Engineers's median salary of $120,550, the state income tax amounts to $4,822 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.0%.
After all taxes, a Ship Engineers in Kentucky takes home approximately $7,336 per month, or about $42.32 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 $120,550 for Ship Engineers 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 — $88,035/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