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TaxWren
Next IRS deadline:Extended 2025 tax returns due ·

2026 tax year · updated

$18 an hour is how much a year?

$18 an hour is $37,440 a year before taxes at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks: $3,120 a month, $1,440 every two weeks and $720 a week. After 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, a single filer keeps about $32,263 a year ($2,689 a month) in a state without income tax.

$18 an hour by pay period

$18 an hour before and after federal taxes
Before taxAfter federal tax
Year$37,440$32,263
Month$3,120$2,689
Every two weeks$1,440$1,241
Week$720$620
Day (5-day week)$144$124
Hour$18$15.51

After tax: single filer, 2026 federal income tax after the $16,100 standard deduction, Social Security 6.2% and Medicare 1.45%, no state income tax. Total $5,177 (13.8%).

If you work fewer hours

Yearly pay at $18 an hour by hours per week
Hours a weekYearly payMonthly pay
20$18,720$1,560
25$23,400$1,950
30$28,080$2,340
32$29,952$2,496
35$32,760$2,730
37.5$35,100$2,925
40$37,440$3,120

Unpaid time off lowers the total: 50 paid weeks give $36,000, 48 paid weeks give $34,560.

$18 an hour and the minimum wage

$18 an hour is below the minimum wage in 1 state: District of Columbia ($18.40). Employers there must pay at least the state rate.

It is 2.5 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which is still the minimum in 20 states. A full-time job at the federal minimum pays $15,080 a year before tax, against $37,440 here.

Minimum wages from the US Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws (updated July 1, 2026); some states have different rates for small employers or certain cities.

How $18 an hour compares with US pay

$18 an hour is between the 10th and 25th percentile of US hourly wages. It is 27% below the median of $24.51 (OEWS May 2025, all occupations).

US hourly wage percentiles, all occupations
PercentileHourly wageFull-time yearly
10th$15$31,200
25th$18.07$37,586
Median$24.51$50,981
75th$38.71$80,517
90th$61.81$128,565

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates (all occupations). Percentiles cover wage and salary workers in all occupations; they exclude the self-employed.

$18 an hour after taxes in every state

Take-home pay on $37,440 a year for a single filer in 2026, after federal, state and state payroll taxes. The gap between Alaska and Oregon is $2,244 a year. Local income taxes are not included.

$18 an hour after taxes by state
StateState taxesTake-home a yearA monthAn hour
Alaska$0$32,263$2,689$15.51
Florida$0$32,263$2,689$15.51
Nevada$0$32,263$2,689$15.51
New Hampshire$0$32,263$2,689$15.51
North Dakota$0$32,263$2,689$15.51
South Dakota$0$32,263$2,689$15.51
Tennessee$0$32,263$2,689$15.51
Texas$0$32,263$2,689$15.51
Wyoming$0$32,263$2,689$15.51
Washington$217$32,046$2,670$15.41
South Carolina$447$31,816$2,651$15.30
Arizona$534$31,730$2,644$15.25
Ohio$579$31,684$2,640$15.23
New Jersey$593$31,670$2,639$15.23
New Mexico$643$31,620$2,635$15.20
Louisiana$737$31,526$2,627$15.16
Mississippi$766$31,497$2,625$15.14
Iowa$771$31,492$2,624$15.14
Rhode Island$787$31,476$2,623$15.13
Missouri$795$31,468$2,622$15.13
Vermont$820$31,443$2,620$15.12
Nebraska$824$31,439$2,620$15.11
Idaho$876$31,387$2,616$15.09
Arkansas$898$31,365$2,614$15.08
Colorado$939$31,324$2,610$15.06
Utah$950$31,313$2,609$15.05
Maine$954$31,310$2,609$15.05
West Virginia$962$31,301$2,608$15.05
California$967$31,296$2,608$15.05
Wisconsin$977$31,286$2,607$15.04
North Carolina$985$31,278$2,606$15.04
Montana$1,003$31,260$2,605$15.03
Connecticut$1,008$31,255$2,605$15.03
Indiana$1,075$31,188$2,599$14.99
District of Columbia$1,080$31,183$2,599$14.99
Georgia$1,120$31,143$2,595$14.97
Oklahoma$1,139$31,124$2,594$14.96
Pennsylvania$1,149$31,114$2,593$14.96
Hawaii$1,151$31,112$2,593$14.96
Minnesota$1,184$31,079$2,590$14.94
Kentucky$1,193$31,070$2,589$14.94
Kansas$1,289$30,974$2,581$14.89
Virginia$1,339$30,924$2,577$14.87
Michigan$1,340$30,923$2,577$14.87
Delaware$1,401$30,862$2,572$14.84
Maryland$1,415$30,848$2,571$14.83
New York$1,425$30,838$2,570$14.83
Alabama$1,516$30,747$2,562$14.78
Illinois$1,708$30,555$2,546$14.69
Massachusetts$1,824$30,439$2,537$14.63
Oregon$2,244$30,019$2,502$14.43

By filing status (no state income tax)

Take-home pay by filing status
StatusTake-homeMonthTax rate
Single$32,263$2,68913.8%
Married filing jointly$34,052$2,8389.0%
Head of household$33,247$2,77111.2%

Married filing jointly assumes this is the household's only income.

How we calculate this

Yearly pay = hourly rate × 40 hours × 52 weeks; a month is a twelfth of the year. Taxes use the same engine as our take-home pay calculator: 2026 federal brackets, FICA and each state's income tax. Overtime pay and pre-tax deductions such as a 401(k) or health insurance are not included. Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. Methodology.

Paid overtime? The no tax on overtime calculator shows what the overtime deduction saves.

$18 an hour: FAQ

How much is $18 an hour a month?

$3,120 a month before taxes at 40 hours a week ($37,440 ÷ 12), and about $2,689 after federal taxes for a single filer in a state without income tax.

How much is $18 an hour every two weeks?

$1,440 gross for 80 hours. After federal income tax and FICA, a single filer's paycheck is about $1,241 before any state tax, 401(k) or insurance deductions.

How much is $18 an hour after taxes?

About $15.51 an hour ($32,263 a year) for a single filer with no state income tax. With state tax it ranges from $32,263 in Alaska to $30,019 in Oregon a year.

How much is $18 an hour part time?

At 20 hours a week, $18 an hour is $18,720 a year or $1,560 a month; at 30 hours it is $28,080 a year.