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HOURLY / 2026 / KENTUCKY / $42/HR

$42 an hour after tax in Kentucky

$42 an hour in Kentucky takes home $67,348 a year in 2026, or $2,590 biweekly.

Written by Reviewed by TODO Reviewer NameLast verified

Per year
$67,348
Per month
$5,612
Biweekly
$2,590
Per week
$1,295
$42 an hour in Kentucky, 2026 · single filer, no pre-tax deductions · 40 hours a week
Per yearPer monthBiweeklyPer week
Gross pay$87,360$7,280$3,360$1,680
Federal income tax−$10,389−$866−$400−$200
Social Security−$5,416−$451−$208−$104
Medicare−$1,267−$106−$49−$24
State income tax−$2,940−$245−$113−$57
Take-home pay$67,348$5,612$2,590$1,295

Your details

  • StateKentucky

01Pay

Pay type
Pay frequency

02Where you live and work

City, county or school district income tax, where one applies.

03Form W-4

Filing status (W-4 Step 1c)

Used for W-4 Step 3.

04Pre-tax deductions

05Post-tax deductions

Roth 401(k), union dues, garnishments.

Take-home per paycheck

$2,590

every 2 weeks

Take-home per year
$67,348
Total taxes per year
$20,012
Effective tax rate
22.9%
Marginal tax rate
33.1%
  • Kentucky has no withholding allowances: everyone gets the same standard deduction, and Form K-4 is only used to claim exemption.

Take-home per paycheck: $2,590 every 2 weeks

Paycheck breakdown
LineEvery 2 weeksPer year
Gross pay$3,360$87,360
Federal income tax−$400−$10,389
Social Security−$208−$5,416
Medicare−$49−$1,267
State income tax−$113−$2,940
Take-home pay$2,590$67,348
Where your pay goes
77%TAKE-HOME
  • Take-home pay$67,34877%
  • Federal income tax$10,38912%
  • Social Security & Medicare$6,6838%
  • State & local taxes$2,9403%

$2,590

every 2 weeks

Nearby states

$42 an hour in nearby states

StateState + local taxTake-home / yrvs. Kentucky
Tennessee$0$70,288+$2,940
Indiana$2,548$67,740+$392
Ohio$2,231$68,057+$710
West Virginia$3,302$66,986−$362
Illinois$4,180$66,108−$1,239
Moving?

Compare with another state

Single filer, 2026 rates. Salaries round to the nearest $1,000 ($20,000 to $500,000).

Every status

Take-home per paycheck by filing status

Filing statusWeeklyEvery 2 weeksTwice a monthMonthlyPer yearEffective rate
Single$1,295.15$2,590.30$2,806.16$5,612.31$67,34822.9%
Married filing jointly$1,377.19$2,754.37$2,983.91$5,967.81$71,61418%
Head of household$1,355.88$2,711.76$2,937.74$5,875.48$70,50619.3%
FAQ

Questions people ask

How much is $42 an hour after taxes in Kentucky?

$42 an hour in Kentucky takes home $67,348 a year in 2026, or $2,590 biweekly. That is after $10,389 federal income tax, $6,683 Social Security and Medicare, and $2,940 Kentucky tax, for a single filer with no pre-tax deductions: an effective rate of 22.9%.

What is $42 an hour biweekly after taxes in Kentucky?

$2,590.30 per paycheck for a single filer paid every two weeks (26 paychecks), or $2,754.37 if married filing jointly. Gross pay is $3,360 per paycheck.

What is $42 an hour a year in Kentucky?

At 2,080 hours a year (40 hours a week), $42 an hour is $87,360 a year before tax and $67,348 after 2026 taxes in Kentucky: $32.38 for every hour paid.

What is the marginal tax rate on $42 an hour in Kentucky?

33.1% on the next dollar for a single filer: 22% federal, 3.5% Kentucky, plus Social Security and Medicare.

How does $42 an hour compare with the median wage in Kentucky?

$87,360 a year is 86.2% above Kentucky's median annual wage of $46,920 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Which nearby state keeps the most of $42 an hour?

Tennessee: $70,288 a year, $2,940 more than in Kentucky.

Sources

  1. Kentucky Department of Revenue42A003 (TCF)(10-2025) 2026 Kentucky Withholding Tax Formula · retrieved 2026-10-16
  2. Kentucky Department of Revenue42A003 (TCF)(12-2024) 2025 Kentucky Withholding Tax Formula · retrieved 2026-10-16
  3. Kentucky Department of Revenue42A003 (3-26) Withholding Kentucky Income Tax — Instructions for Employers · retrieved 2026-10-16
  4. Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Revenue CommissionOccupational License Tax Regulations (2026) · retrieved 2026-10-16
  5. Lexington-Fayette Urban County GovernmentOccupational license fee: rates and current forms · retrieved 2026-10-16
  6. Kentucky General AssemblyKRS 67.750 Definitions for KRS 67.750 to 67.790 · retrieved 2026-10-16
  7. IRSPublication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods · retrieved 2026-10-16
  8. IRSPublication 15 (2026), (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide · retrieved 2026-10-16
  9. IRSRev. Proc. 2025-32: 2026 inflation-adjusted tax items · retrieved 2026-10-16
  10. IRSForm W-4 (2026), Employee's Withholding Certificate · retrieved 2026-10-16
  11. IRSPublication 505 (2026), Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax · retrieved 2026-10-16
  12. IRSForm 1040-ES (2026), Estimated Tax for Individuals · retrieved 2026-10-16
  13. IRSSchedule 1-A (Form 1040) 2026, Additional Deductions (early-release draft) · retrieved 2026-10-16
  14. IRSSchedule 8812 (Form 1040) 2026, Credits for Qualifying Children and Other Dependents (early-release draft) · retrieved 2026-10-16
  15. IRSWorking Families Tax Cuts: Individuals and workers (tips, overtime, seniors, car loan interest) · retrieved 2026-10-16
  16. IRSWorking Families Tax Cuts provisions (charitable deduction for non-itemizers, Section 70424) · retrieved 2026-10-16
  17. IRSChild Tax Credit · retrieved 2026-10-16
  18. IRSIR-2025-111: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-16
  19. IRSRev. Proc. 2025-19: 2026 HSA limits · retrieved 2026-10-16
  20. BLSBLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, median annual wage by state · retrieved 2026-10-16

Written by Reviewed by TODO Reviewer NameLast verified

How every figure is checked: methodology.