Kentucky Paycheck Calculator
Figure basis: Official Kentucky Department of RevenueThis Kentucky paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay after the taxes withheld from a typical wage. Enter your gross pay, choose how often you are paid (weekly, every two weeks, twice a month or monthly) and select your filing status to see a full breakdown of every deduction and your net pay. The estimate combines four withholdings: federal income tax, calculated with the 2026 Internal Revenue Service annualised percentage method; Social Security at 6.2% up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500.00; Medicare at 1.45% on all wages; and Kentucky state income tax withholding, applied with the brackets published by the Kentucky Department of Revenue for tax year 2026. Results update as you type and the page link captures your inputs so you can save or share a calculation. This estimate covers federal withholding, FICA and state income tax only; State Disability Insurance where a state levies it, and any city or county local income tax, are not included and are noted separately. Use it to check a payslip, compare an offer, or plan a pre-tax contribution.
A $5,000 biweekly paycheck (single filer) in Kentucky is about $3,680.33 take-home, after federal income tax $766.69, Social Security $310.00, Medicare $72.50 and Kentucky income tax $170.48.
How the Kentucky paycheck calculation works
annual gross = gross per period x pay periods per year
federal withholding = IRS Pub 15-T annualised percentage method, de-annualised
Social Security = min(annual gross, $184,500.00) x 6.2% / periods
Medicare = annual gross x 1.45% / periods
state withholding = Kentucky income tax on annual gross / periods
take-home = gross per period - federal - Social Security - Medicare - state
Worked example
A single filer paid $5,000.00 every two weeks (26 pay periods a year) in Kentucky, for 2026:
- Annual gross = $5,000.00 x 26 = $130,000.00
- Federal income tax withheld this period = $766.69
- Social Security = $310.00; Medicare = $72.50
- Kentucky income tax withheld = $170.48
- Take-home = $5,000.00 - $766.69 - $310.00 - $72.50 - $170.48 = $3,680.33
Your Kentucky paycheck: a flat 3.5% plus a local catch
Kentucky keeps the state slice of your paycheck simple. After the federal withholdings that apply everywhere, federal income tax, Social Security at 6.2% up to the wage base, and Medicare at 1.45%, Kentucky withholds a single flat 3.5% for 2026, down from 4.0% the year before. Filing status does not change that rate: a single worker and a married one are both withheld at 3.5% on Kentucky taxable income.
The deduction is unusually uniform too. Every filing status gets the same $3,360 standard deduction for 2026 (up from $3,270 in 2025), rather than the doubled amount married couples receive in most states. Kentucky also scrapped most itemized deductions back in 2018, so for the large majority of workers that flat $3,360 is the only shield before the 3.5% rate is applied to wages.
One Kentucky wrinkle matters more on a payslip than on the annual return: local payroll taxes. Many Kentucky cities and counties (including Louisville and Lexington) levy a local occupational license fee that your employer withholds on top of the state tax. This calculator covers federal and Kentucky state withholding only, so a real Louisville or Lexington paycheck will show an extra local deduction this estimate does not include. Check your city or county rate to see your true take-home.
Kentucky paycheck calculator: frequently asked questions
How much is take-home pay on a $5,000 biweekly paycheck in Kentucky?
A single filer earning $5,000 every two weeks in Kentucky keeps about $3,680.33 after federal income tax withholding ($766.69), Social Security ($310.00), Medicare ($72.50) and Kentucky state income tax withholding ($170.48). Enter your own gross pay, pay frequency and filing status above for your figure.
Does Kentucky have a state income tax withheld from paychecks?
Yes. Kentucky income tax is withheld from wages in addition to federal income tax and FICA. This calculator applies the Kentucky brackets published by the Kentucky Department of Revenue (tax year 2026) using the annualised method.
What FICA taxes are withheld from a Kentucky paycheck?
Social Security is withheld at 6.2% on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500.00, and Medicare at 1.45% on all wages, with an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on wages above the filing-status threshold. These are federal taxes that apply to wages in every state.
Does this Kentucky paycheck estimate include SDI or local taxes?
No. This estimate covers federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare and Kentucky state income tax withholding. State Disability Insurance (SDI), where a state levies it, and any city or county local income taxes are not included; check your state and local authorities for those.
Official sources
- Federal income tax withholding and standard deduction (tax year 2026): US Internal Revenue Service, as at Jun 12, 2026.
- Social Security wage base and FICA rates (2026): US Social Security Administration and IRS Topic 751, as at Jun 12, 2026.
- Kentucky income tax brackets (tax year 2026): Kentucky Department of Revenue, as at Jul 16, 2026.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 25 June 2026. See our methodology. General information, not financial or tax advice. State Disability Insurance and local income taxes are not included.