Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Median $27.09 an hour in Kentucky · 31,760 jobs
Kentucky · 2026 take-home pay
$28 an hour after taxes in Kentucky
At $28 an hour in Kentucky you keep about $22.62 of every hour — $905 a week, $3,921 a month or $47,055 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Kentucky income tax. Kentucky has a flat 3.5% income tax, and its minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
Where $28 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $58,240 | $1,120 | $28.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$4,809 | −$92 | −$2.31 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,611 | −$69 | −$1.74 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$844 | −$16 | −$0.41 |
| Kentucky income tax | −$1,921 | −$37 | −$0.92 |
| Take-home pay | $47,055 | $905 | $22.62 |
Effective tax rate 19.2% · federal bracket 12% · Kentucky bracket 3.5%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $1,120.00 | $904.90 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,240.00 | $1,809.81 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,426.67 | $1,960.63 |
| Monthly (12) | $4,853.33 | $3,921.25 |
$28 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Kentucky for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $28 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $560 | $475 | $24,676 |
| 30 hours a week | $840 | $690 | $35,866 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,120 | $905 | $47,055 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,330 | $1,061 | $55,181 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,540 | $1,202 | $62,481 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $28 an hour good pay in Kentucky?
- Minimum wage: $28 an hour is 3.9 times Kentucky's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
- Among Kentucky workers: It's about the 64th percentile of hourly pay in Kentucky (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 64 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $22.56 an hour.
- Local prices: Kentucky's price level is 90.2% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $47,055 a year buys about what $52,191 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,456 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,961 a month for needs, $1,176 for wants and $784 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Kentucky that pay about $28 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Kentucky is within 4% of $28 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Electricians
Median $28.71 an hour in Kentucky · 11,030 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
Median $28.89 an hour in Kentucky · 10,180 jobs
Computer User Support Specialists
Median $27.81 an hour in Kentucky · 9,460 jobs
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Median $29.07 an hour in Kentucky · 8,570 jobs
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
Median $28.42 an hour in Kentucky · 8,470 jobs
How Kentucky compares on $28 an hour
Kentucky ranks 26th of 51 for take-home pay on $28 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $22.62 | $47,055 | $7.25 | — |
| Illinois | $22.23 | $46,238 | $15.00 | −$817 a year |
| Indiana | $22.73 | $47,287 | $7.25 | +$232 a year |
| Missouri | $22.68 | $47,176 | $15.00 | +$121 a year |
| Ohio | $22.99 | $47,818 | $11.00 | +$763 a year |
| Tennessee | $23.55 | $48,976 | $7.25 | +$1,921 a year |
| Virginia | $22.33 | $46,441 | $12.77 | −$614 a year |
| West Virginia | $22.68 | $47,184 | $8.75 | +$129 a year |
How the federal tax on $58,240 ($28 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $58,240 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $42,140. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $29,740 | $3,569 |
| Total | $42,140 | $4,809 |
How the Kentucky income tax on $58,240 ($28 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $58,240 of Kentucky wages minus $3,360 standard deduction = $54,880.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5% | $54,880 | $1,921 |
| Total | $54,880 | $1,921 |
Common questions
How much is $28 an hour after taxes in Kentucky?
About $22.62 for every hour you work, or $47,055 a year at 40 hours a week ($58,240 gross). Taxes take about 19.2% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $28 an hour a week after taxes in Kentucky?
About $905 a week at 40 hours, from $1,120 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,810.
How much is $28 an hour a month after taxes in Kentucky?
About $3,921 a month at 40 hours a week, from $4,853 gross.
Is $28 an hour good pay in Kentucky?
$28 an hour is 3.9 times Kentucky's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. It's about the 64th percentile of hourly pay in Kentucky (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 64 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Kentucky is $22.56. After taxes and local prices, $47,055 a year buys about what $52,191 would at national-average prices.
Is Kentucky a high-tax state for $28 an hour?
It ranks 26th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $28 an hour. The most you'd keep is $48,976 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $44,730 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Kentucky
- $24 an hour in Kentucky
- $25 an hour in Kentucky
- $26 an hour in Kentucky
- $27 an hour in Kentucky
- $29 an hour in Kentucky
- $30 an hour in Kentucky
- $31 an hour in Kentucky
- $32 an hour in Kentucky
$28 an hour in every state · $55,000 a year in Kentucky · $60,000 a year in Kentucky · Kentucky paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Kentucky's income tax rules (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.