Want to make $100K after taxes? Here’s how much you have to earn in Kentucky
If your dream is to take home $100,000 a year, you’d actually need to make about $38,000 more in order to see those six figures hit your bank account in Kentucky.
That’s because while your new job offer may come in at $100,000, you’ll bring home less due to income taxes and other deductions. The exact amount depends on what state you’re living in, among other factors.
Earlier this year, finance website GoBankingRates released a study breaking down just how much you need to make in every state to take home six figures a year. The publication compiled the ranking by calculating every state’s tax burden by looking at federal and state-level income taxes using an in-house calculator for a single person filing for taxes. The data is current as of mid-March.
So just how much would do you need to make in Kentucky to have at least $100,000 to spend? Here’s what the analysis found.
How much do I need to make to bring home six figures in Kentucky?
With a tax burden of 28%, a person living in the Bluegrass State would need to make $138,944 a year in order to see $100,000 in their bank account annually, GoBankingRates said.
That number is significantly higher than the average salary in Kentucky. As of 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau reports the state has a median household income of $62,417 and a poverty rate of 15.6%.
The Bluegrass State ranked the 34th state in the nation for the highest salary needed, sitting just below Colorado and right above Rhode Island.
Kentucky’s legislature has been slowly working to eliminate the state’s income tax for several years. Legislators passed a bill earlier in 2025 allowing the body to cut income tax by 0.25% every year beginning in 2027 until it hits zero.
What states need the highest salary to take home six figures?
Here are the five states that require the highest salary to take home six figures, according to the GoBankingRates study:
No. 1: Oregon, $148,309
No. 2: Maryland, $146,521
No. 3: Hawaii, $144,939
No. 4: California, $144,879
No. 5: Minnesota, $143,539
The states with the lowest salary needed to hit that threshold are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
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