Waiters and Waitresses in Kentucky
The median waiters and waitresse in Kentucky earns $29,660 a year and keeps $25,091 of it — $2,091 a month.
Take-home pay, Kentucky
$25,091
from $29,660 gross · $965 every two weeks · 15.4% effective tax rate
Gross median from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates, May 2025 estimates (source file). Tax computed here from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and Kentucky revenue department tables. Single filer, 2026 tax year, annual liability rather than paycheck withholding.
By filing status
Filing status changes the standard deduction and the bracket widths, so the same salary yields a different answer.
| Filing status | Federal tax | State tax | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $1,379 | $921 | $25,091 |
| Married filing jointly | $0 | $921 | $26,471 |
| Head of household | $551 | $921 | $25,920 |
Every state, ranked by what you keep
Gross pay and take-home pay do not rank the same way. A state can pay less and still leave you with more.
| # | State | Median salary | Take-home | Tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $62,390 | $49,372 | 21% |
| 2 | Vermont | $59,140 | $48,155 | 19% |
| 3 | Washington | $56,130 | $47,280 | 16% |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $47,850 | $38,922 | 19% |
| 5 | New York | $47,020 | $38,018 | 19% |
| 6 | Oregon | $48,410 | $37,678 | 22% |
| 7 | New Jersey | $44,960 | $37,369 | 17% |
| 8 | Colorado | $44,860 | $36,960 | 18% |
| 9 | Arizona | $43,950 | $36,798 | 16% |
| 10 | Virginia | $44,760 | $36,385 | 19% |
| 11 | Maine | $43,370 | $35,282 | 19% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $38,430 | $33,059 | 14% |
| 13 | Connecticut | $37,770 | $31,754 | 16% |
| 14 | Ohio | $36,700 | $31,442 | 14% |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $38,460 | $31,380 | 18% |
| 16 | Florida | $36,150 | $31,227 | 14% |
| 17 | New Mexico | $36,920 | $31,225 | 15% |
| 18 | Michigan | $37,760 | $31,166 | 17% |
| 19 | California | $36,080 | $30,744 | 15% |
| 20 | Delaware | $36,880 | $30,443 | 17% |
| 21 | Maryland | $36,750 | $30,327 | 17% |
| 22 | Kansas | $36,120 | $29,987 | 17% |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $35,420 | $29,929 | 16% |
| 24 | West Virginia | $35,380 | $29,711 | 16% |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $34,690 | $28,988 | 16% |
| 26 | Nebraska | $33,770 | $28,657 | 15% |
| 27 | North Carolina | $32,150 | $27,238 | 15% |
| 28 | North Dakota | $30,890 | $27,000 | 13% |
| 29 | Utah | $31,150 | $26,773 | 14% |
| 30 | Illinois | $31,200 | $25,850 | 17% |
| 31 | Idaho | $30,050 | $25,586 | 15% |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $29,670 | $25,494 | 14% |
| 33 | South Dakota | $28,990 | $25,473 | 12% |
| 34 | Missouri | $29,400 | $25,358 | 14% |
| 35 | Kentucky | $29,660 | $25,091 | 15% |
| 36 | Tennessee | $27,760 | $24,470 | 12% |
| 37 | Indiana | $28,480 | $24,253 | 15% |
| 38 | Nevada | $26,410 | $23,359 | 12% |
| 39 | Alaska | $26,310 | $23,276 | 12% |
| 40 | Alabama | $26,840 | $22,636 | 16% |
| 41 | Minnesota | $25,470 | $22,040 | 13% |
| 42 | Arkansas | $24,680 | $21,496 | 13% |
| 43 | Wyoming | $23,920 | $21,308 | 11% |
| 44 | Texas | $23,240 | $20,748 | 11% |
| 45 | Montana | $23,370 | $20,514 | 12% |
| 46 | Mississippi | $21,370 | $19,085 | 11% |
| 47 | Iowa | $21,000 | $18,757 | 11% |
| 48 | Georgia | $18,700 | $16,825 | 10% |
| 49 | South Carolina | $18,370 | $16,671 | 9% |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $17,910 | $16,035 | 10% |
| 51 | Louisiana | $15,080 | $13,860 | 8% |
Waiters and Waitresses in Kentucky: questions
What is the average waiters and waitresses salary in Kentucky?›
The median is $29,660 a year, about $14.26 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates. Median means half of waiters and waitresses in Kentucky earn more and half earn less.
What is the take-home pay on $29,660 in Kentucky?›
About $25,091 a year — $2,091 a month, or $965 every two weeks — for a single filer in the 2026 tax year, after $1,379 federal income tax, $2,269 in Social Security and Medicare, and $921 Kentucky income tax.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Kentucky than elsewhere?›
No. At $29,660, Kentucky pays $4,110 below the $33,770 median across all states, ranking 33 of 51 on gross pay. On take-home pay after tax it ranks 35.
Where do waiters and waitresses keep the most money?›
Ranked by take-home rather than gross, the best-paying states for this occupation are Hawaii ($49,372), Vermont ($48,155), Washington ($47,280). Gross pay and take-home pay do not rank the same way, because state income tax varies from nothing to over 10%.
What is the effective tax rate on $29,660 in Kentucky?›
15.4% of gross pay, combining federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax. The marginal rate — what you would pay on the next dollar earned — is 23.2%.