2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Kentucky

$24 an Hour in Kentucky — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $24/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $49,920. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Kentucky state income tax, your take-home pay is $19.55/hr. In Kentucky's low cost-of-living environment, this is a comfortable living wage in Kentucky.

Gross Annual
$49,920
Net Annual
$40,654
Net Monthly
$3,388
Net Hourly
$19.55

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $24.00 $4.45 $19.55
Daily (8 hrs) $192.00 $35.64 $156.36
Weekly (40 hrs) $960.00 $178.19 $781.81
Biweekly $1,920.00 $356.38 $1,563.62
Monthly $4,160.00 $772.16 $3,387.84
Annual $49,920 $9,266 $40,654

Full Tax Breakdown — Kentucky, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $24/hr × 2,080 hrs $49,920
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $33,820
Federal Income Tax 7.6% −$3,810.40
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$3,095.04
Medicare (1.45%) −$723.84
Kentucky Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$3,160
Kentucky State Income Tax 3.3% −$1,636.60
Total Tax 18.6% effective −$9,265.88
Net Take-Home $40,654

How Does Kentucky Compare?

See how $24/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $1,260.64 $3,419/mo $41,030 Florida None $3,524/mo $42,291 New York $2,022.17 $3,356/mo $40,269 Texas None $3,524/mo $42,291 Washington None $3,524/mo $42,291
Open Full Calculator for Kentucky — $24/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$24/hr = $49,920/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$49,920 salary in Kentucky — full breakdown $49,920 after tax in Kentucky $49,920 salary to hourly Kentucky paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Kentucky

$21/hr in Kentucky$22/hr in Kentucky$23/hr in Kentucky$25/hr in Kentucky$26/hr in Kentucky$27/hr in Kentucky

Same Rate, Other States

$24/hr in Alabama$24/hr in Alaska$24/hr in Arizona$24/hr in Arkansas$24/hr in California$24/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Kentucky

✓ Comfortable — $24/hr covers costs in Kentucky
  • Avg 1BR rent in Louisville: $850/mo — within budget (20% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Kentucky: $31,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $40,654 ($9,654 above comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$32.5/hr

Working at $24/hr in Kentucky

This is a solid income in Kentucky. Louisville's growing healthcare and logistics sectors provide stable employment at this level. The flat 4.5% income tax is straightforward and moderate.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 44 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Louisville (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's within the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 3.3x Kentucky's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Kentucky is 18.6% -- federal income tax accounts for 7.6%, FICA 7.6%, and Kentucky state tax 3.3%.

Kentucky's economy centers on manufacturing (Toyota has its largest US plant in Georgetown), logistics (UPS's Worldport air hub in Louisville), healthcare, and bourbon/spirits. Louisville is growing as a healthcare and logistics hub.

Kentucky has a flat 4.5% state income tax rate (reduced from 5% in recent years, with further reductions planned). The state has a low standard deduction of $3,160.

Kentucky follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr.

Monthly Budget on $24/hr in Kentucky

Based on $3,388/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Kentucky's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $850 $10,200 25.1%
Food (groceries + dining) $407 $4,884 12.0%
Transportation $339 $4,068 10.0%
Utilities $203 $2,436 6.0%
Healthcare $169 $2,028 5.0%
Entertainment $169 $2,028 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $339 $4,068 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $912 $10,944 26.9%

Overtime Pay — $24/hr in Kentucky

At time-and-a-half ($36.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Kentucky. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~17.0%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $180 $149 $7,450
10 hrs/week $360 $299 $14,950
20 hrs/week $720 $598 $29,900

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $24/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $19.55 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 2.1 hrs 2.6 hrs
Week of groceries $120 5 hrs 6.2 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 33.3 hrs 40.9 hrs
1 month rent (Louisville) $850 35.5 hrs 43.5 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 416.7 hrs 511.7 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 2000 hrs 2455.9 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

24 an hour -- is it a good wage in Kentucky?

24/hr in Kentucky gives you $40,654/year after taxes -- a comfortable living wage in Kentucky. Avg 1BR rent in Louisville: $850/month (within the 30% rule).

What is 24 an hour after taxes in Kentucky?

24/hr in Kentucky = $40,654/year or $3,388/month net. Effective rate: 18.6%.

How does 24/hr go further -- Kentucky or Texas?

24/hr in Kentucky has similar purchasing power to ~32.5/hr in Texas.

What does 24/hr look like as a monthly budget in Kentucky?

On $3,388/month in Kentucky: rent $850, food $407, transport $339, savings $339, surplus ~$912.

How much does overtime add at 24/hr in Kentucky?

At 1.5x (36.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$7,450/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$14,950/year.