Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $15.54 an hour in Kentucky · 25,750 jobs
Kentucky · 2026 take-home pay
$15 an hour after taxes in Kentucky
At $15 an hour in Kentucky you keep about $12.63 of every hour — $505 a week, $2,190 a month or $26,275 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 $15 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $31,200 | $600 | $15.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,564 | −$30 | −$0.75 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$1,934 | −$37 | −$0.93 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$452 | −$9 | −$0.22 |
| Kentucky income tax | −$974 | −$19 | −$0.47 |
| Take-home pay | $26,275 | $505 | $12.63 |
Effective tax rate 15.8% · federal bracket 12% · Kentucky bracket 3.5%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $600.00 | $505.28 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,200.00 | $1,010.57 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,300.00 | $1,094.78 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,600.00 | $2,189.57 |
$15 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Kentucky for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $15 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* | $300 | $269 | $13,978 |
| 30 hours a week | $450 | $388 | $20,179 |
| 40 hours a week | $600 | $505 | $26,275 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $713 | $592 | $30,771 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $825 | $678 | $35,266 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $15 an hour good pay in Kentucky?
- Minimum wage: $15 an hour is 2.1 times Kentucky's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
- Among Kentucky workers: It's about the 17th percentile of hourly pay in Kentucky (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 17 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 $26,275 a year buys about what $29,143 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $780 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,095 a month for needs, $657 for wants and $438 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Kentucky that pay about $15 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Kentucky is within 4% of $15 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $14.85 an hour in Kentucky · 12,040 jobs
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Median $15.17 an hour in Kentucky · 11,540 jobs
Animal Caretakers
Median $14.77 an hour in Kentucky · 6,140 jobs
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
Median $14.41 an hour in Kentucky · 3,890 jobs
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
Median $15.48 an hour in Kentucky · 3,660 jobs
How Kentucky compares on $15 an hour
Kentucky ranks 40th of 51 for take-home pay on $15 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 | $12.63 | $26,275 | $7.25 | — |
| Illinois | $12.43 | $25,850 | $15.00 | −$425 a year |
| Indiana | $12.67 | $26,358 | $7.25 | +$83 a year |
| Missouri | $12.85 | $26,720 | $15.00 | +$445 a year |
| Ohio | $12.90 | $26,842 | $11.00 | +$567 a year |
| Tennessee | $13.10 | $27,249 | $7.25 | +$974 a year |
| Virginia | $12.63 | $26,269 | $12.77 | −$6 a year |
| West Virginia | $12.73 | $26,484 | $8.75 | +$209 a year |
How the federal tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $31,200 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $15,100. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $2,700 | $324 |
| Total | $15,100 | $1,564 |
How the Kentucky income tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $31,200 of Kentucky wages minus $3,360 standard deduction = $27,840.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5% | $27,840 | $974 |
| Total | $27,840 | $974 |
Common questions
How much is $15 an hour after taxes in Kentucky?
About $12.63 for every hour you work, or $26,275 a year at 40 hours a week ($31,200 gross). Taxes take about 15.8% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $15 an hour a week after taxes in Kentucky?
About $505 a week at 40 hours, from $600 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,011.
How much is $15 an hour a month after taxes in Kentucky?
About $2,190 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,600 gross.
Is $15 an hour good pay in Kentucky?
$15 an hour is 2.1 times Kentucky's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. It's about the 17th percentile of hourly pay in Kentucky (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 17 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Kentucky is $22.56. After taxes and local prices, $26,275 a year buys about what $29,143 would at national-average prices.
Is Kentucky a high-tax state for $15 an hour?
It ranks 40th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $15 an hour. The most you'd keep is $27,249 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $25,274 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Kentucky
- $12 an hour in Kentucky
- $13 an hour in Kentucky
- $14 an hour in Kentucky
- $16 an hour in Kentucky
- $17 an hour in Kentucky
- $18 an hour in Kentucky
- $19 an hour in Kentucky
$15 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in Kentucky · $35,000 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.