Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Surgical Assistants actually take home in Kentucky?
4.0% flat rate — 24.0% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Surgical Assistants earning $84,600 in Kentucky (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $84,600 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$10,453 | 12.4% |
| Kentucky State Income Tax | -$3,384 | 4.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$5,245 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,226 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$20,308 | 24.0% |
| Take-Home Pay | $64,291 | 76.0% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Surgical Assistants in Kentucky.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $47,470 | -$9,242 | $38,227 | 19.5% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $55,300 | -$11,094 | $44,205 | 20.1% |
| Median (P50) | $84,600 | -$20,308 | $64,291 | 24.0% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $115,030 | -$30,548 | $84,481 | 26.6% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $154,100 | -$44,475 | $109,624 | 28.9% |
After federal income tax ($10,453), state tax ($3,384), and FICA ($6,471), a Surgical Assistants in Kentucky takes home $64,291 per year — or $5,357 per month. The effective tax rate of 24.0% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 24.0%, a Surgical Assistants in Kentucky keeps $64,291 of $84,600 gross — roughly typical for U.S. middle-income earners once federal, FICA and state taxes are combined.
Kentucky applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Surgical Assistants salary that contributes $3,384 to the 4.0% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Surgical Assistants salary is $10,453 (51%), but combined state ($3,384, 17%) + FICA ($6,472, 32%) make up the other 49% of the bill.
Moving this same Surgical Assistants salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $67,675 net — a gain of $3,384 (5.3%) per year versus Kentucky.
For Surgical Assistants after-tax pay, Kentucky ranks #7 of 44 states — top quartile. High gross wages or low state-tax burden (or both) drive the strong ranking.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $64,291 net/year works out to $5,358/month or $2,473/bi-weekly for this Surgical Assistants in Kentucky — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Surgical Assistants keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Kentucky ranks #7 out of 44 states for Surgical Assistants after-tax take-home pay.
A Surgical Assistants in Kentucky earning a median salary of $84,600 will take home approximately $64,291 per year after federal income tax ($10,453), state income tax ($3,384), and FICA ($6,471). That is $5,357 per month or $2,472 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Surgical Assistants in Kentucky is 24.0%, broken down as: federal income tax 12.4%, 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 Surgical Assistants's median salary of $84,600, the state income tax amounts to $3,384 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.0%.
After all taxes, a Surgical Assistants in Kentucky takes home approximately $5,357 per month, or about $30.91 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 $84,600 for Surgical 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 — $64,291/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