Hourly Wage Calculator 2026
Enter an hourly rate before or after taxes and the calculator fills in every pay period: gross and take-home per hour, day, week, bi-weekly and semi-monthly paycheck, month and year using 2026 federal brackets and FICA, with overtime at time-and-a-half, filing status, an optional state-tax estimate and pre-tax 401(k). Switch to “after tax” to find the gross rate you would need to ask for.
Type your hourly wage — or the take-home you want — and see what it means by the week, paycheck, month and year.
| Pay period | Gross | Take-home |
|---|
40-hour week, 52 paid weeks, single filer, standard deduction, no state tax unless stated. 2026 rates, checked August 2026.
From an hourly wage to every pay period
Before taxes
Hourly wage × hours per week × paid weeks. At $25 for a 40-hour week: $25 × 40 = $1,000 a week, and $1,000 × 52 = $52,000 a year — $2,000 per bi-weekly paycheck, $2,167 semi-monthly, $4,333 a month. Overtime hours are added at your chosen multiplier before annualizing.
After taxes
The calculator subtracts the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly), runs the rest through the 2026 federal brackets — 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 37% — and adds FICA: 6.2% Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base and 1.45% Medicare (plus 0.9% above $200,000). On $52,000 that is $8,038 out, leaving $43,962: $21.14 for every hour you actually work, before any state tax.
Working backwards
Press After tax and type the hourly take-home you want. The calculator solves for the gross rate that produces it — the number to bring to a pay negotiation.
The federal floor, the state floors and the 40-hour line
| Rate | Per hour | Per year (40h × 52) | Take-home (single) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal minimum wage | $7.25 | $15,080 | $13,926 |
| $20 an hour | $20.00 | $41,600 | $35,606 |
| $25 an hour | $25.00 | $52,000 | $43,962 |
| $30 an hour | $30.00 | $62,400 | $52,318 |
The federal minimum has not moved since July 2009, but 30 states and the District of Columbia set a higher rate and several — California, Washington, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey — are above $15. Where state and federal rates differ, you get the higher one. The calculator flags any rate below $7.25; check the DOL state table for your floor.
Overtime. Under the FLSA, non-exempt employees earn time-and-a-half for hours over 40 in a workweek. Five overtime hours a week on $25 add $9,750 a year gross and about $7,834 after federal tax and FICA. Salaried workers under the exemption threshold are also entitled to it.
What each hour is worth after the IRS
Withholding does not care whether you are hourly or salaried — the year’s wages go through the same brackets after the standard deduction.
| Taxable income (single) | Federal rate | ≈ hourly wage (40h × 52, after $16,100 deduction) |
|---|---|---|
| $0 – $12,400 | 10% | $7.74 – $13.70 |
| $12,400 – $50,400 | 12% | $13.70 – $31.97 |
| $50,400 – $105,700 | 22% | $31.97 – $58.56 |
| $105,700 – $201,775 | 24% | $58.56 – $104.75 |
FICA sits on top of every dollar from the first: 6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare, 7.65% together. At $25 an hour every extra hour is taxed at 12% federal plus 7.65% FICA — 19.65% — so a $37.50 overtime hour puts about $30.13 in your pocket before state tax. Married filing jointly doubles the deduction and the brackets: the same $25 an hour keeps $46,042 instead of $43,962.
The two lines that vary most from paycheck to paycheck
State income tax. Nine states levy none on wages — Texas, Florida, Washington, Nevada, Tennessee, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska and New Hampshire. Most others take between 3% and 6% effective, and a few (California, New York, Oregon) more at higher incomes. The calculator uses a flat percentage you set at the Standard level: 5% on $25 an hour is $2,600 a year, cutting take-home to $41,362. Some cities (New York City, Philadelphia) add a wage tax on top.
401(k). Traditional 401(k) contributions come out before federal (and usually state) income tax but not before FICA. At the Detailed level, a 6% contribution on $52,000 moves $3,120 into retirement savings, saves $374 of federal tax at the 12% bracket, and reduces take-home by about $2,746. The 2026 employee limit is $24,500.
Frequently asked Frequently asked questions
How do I work out my annual salary from an hourly wage?
Multiply the rate by your weekly hours, then by 52. At $25 an hour for a 40-hour week: $25 × 40 × 52 = $52,000 a year before taxes. This calculator then deducts 2026 federal income tax and FICA to show take-home of about $43,962 for a single filer.
What is the federal minimum wage in 2026?
$7.25 an hour, unchanged since July 2009 — $15,080 a year full-time. Thirty states and D.C. set a higher rate, several above $15; the higher of the state and federal rate applies.
How much tax comes out of hourly pay?
The same as salary: after the $16,100 standard deduction the 2026 brackets apply (10% to 37%), plus FICA of 7.65% on every dollar. On $25 an hour full-time ($52,000) that is $8,038 a year, leaving $43,962 before state tax.
What hourly wage do I need to take home $20 an hour?
About $23.59 an hour gross on a 40-hour week — $49,060 a year before taxes, single filer, no state tax. Switch the calculator to After tax and enter $20 to see it.
Is overtime taxed at a higher rate?
No. Overtime is taxed at your ordinary marginal rate — there is no special overtime tax. It can push some income into the next bracket, but only the dollars above the line pay the higher rate. Five hours a week at 1.5× on $25 adds $9,750 gross and about $7,834 take-home.
Does the calculator include state income tax?
As a flat estimate you set at the Standard level. Nine states have no wage income tax; most others are 3–6% effective. A 5% rate on $25 an hour takes $2,600 a year.
How does filing status change take-home pay?
Married filing jointly doubles the standard deduction ($32,200) and the bracket widths, so the same wages withhold less. At $25 an hour take-home is $46,042 for MFJ against $43,962 for a single filer.
Is the Hourly Wage Calculator free and up to date?
Yes — free, no account is required, and calculator arithmetic runs in your browser. It uses the 2026 IRS brackets, standard deduction and FICA rates, checked August 2026.
Where these figures come from
Every rate and threshold on this page comes from the IRS, SSA and Department of Labor — the sources of record.
- 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction — IRS — Tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026.
- Social Security wage base ($184,500 in 2026) — SSA — Contribution and Benefit Base.
- FICA rates (6.2% + 1.45%) — IRS Topic 751 — Social Security and Medicare withholding.
- Additional Medicare Tax (0.9%) — IRS Topic 560.
- Federal minimum wage and overtime (FLSA) — U.S. Department of Labor — Minimum wage.
- State minimum wages — U.S. Department of Labor — State minimum wage laws.
Last checked: August 2026. Federal figures are reviewed each November when the IRS publishes the following year’s adjustments; state tax is a flat estimate you control.
Select the question that matches where you are right now.
Your result is your hourly wage translated into the numbers you actually live on — weekly, per paycheck, monthly and annual pay, before and after 2026 federal taxes.
Use the bi-weekly or monthly take-home for rent and budgeting, and the take-home per hour worked to compare offers — a higher headline rate with fewer paid hours can lose to a steadier week.
Not a pay stub. W-4 elections, benefits, city taxes and actual state brackets move individual paychecks; this is the steady-state annual picture at 2026 federal rates with a flat state estimate.
The callout compares your base rate to the $7.25 federal floor. Most states set a higher one — check the DOL state table for yours.
Three levers set what an hourly job actually pays.
Going from 35 to 40 hours at $25 adds $6,500 a year gross — more than a $2 raise on a 35-hour week.
Married filing jointly keeps $2,080 more a year on the same $25 an hour, because the deduction and brackets double.
In the 12% bracket every extra dollar loses 12 cents of federal tax and 7.65 cents of FICA — before state tax. That is why overtime never feels as big as it looks.
Hourly pay responds to structure as much as to the rate itself.
Model it at the Standard level before agreeing — five hours a week at 1.5× on $25 is worth about $7,834 a year after federal tax and FICA.
The federal minimum is $7.25 but your state or city may set $15 or more. If your rate is below the local floor, that is an underpayment.
Use the After tax mode to turn the weekly take-home you need into the gross rate to ask for, so the conversation starts from the right number.
Your hourly wage connects to the rest of your pay picture.