TaxWren2026 tax year · updated
$21 an hour is how much a year?
$21 an hour is $43,680 a year before taxes at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks: $3,640 a month, $1,680 every two weeks and $840 a week. After 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, a single filer keeps about $37,277 a year ($3,106 a month) in a state without income tax.
$21 an hour by pay period
| Before tax | After federal tax | |
|---|---|---|
| Year | $43,680 | $37,277 |
| Month | $3,640 | $3,106 |
| Every two weeks | $1,680 | $1,434 |
| Week | $840 | $717 |
| Day (5-day week) | $168 | $143 |
| Hour | $21 | $17.92 |
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 $6,403 (14.7%).
If you work fewer hours
| Hours a week | Yearly pay | Monthly pay |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $21,840 | $1,820 |
| 25 | $27,300 | $2,275 |
| 30 | $32,760 | $2,730 |
| 32 | $34,944 | $2,912 |
| 35 | $38,220 | $3,185 |
| 37.5 | $40,950 | $3,413 |
| 40 | $43,680 | $3,640 |
Unpaid time off lowers the total: 50 paid weeks give $42,000, 48 paid weeks give $40,320.
$21 an hour and the minimum wage
$21 an hour is above the minimum wage in every state. The highest is District of Columbia ($18.40), so this rate is 14% above it.
It is 2.9 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 $43,680 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 $21 an hour compares with US pay
$21 an hour is between the 25th percentile and the median US hourly wage. It is 14% below the median of $24.51 (OEWS May 2025, all occupations).
| Percentile | Hourly wage | Full-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.
$21 an hour after taxes in every state
Take-home pay on $43,680 a year for a single filer in 2026, after federal, state and state payroll taxes. The gap between Alaska and Oregon is $2,724 a year. Local income taxes are not included.
| State | State taxes | Take-home a year | A month | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $0 | $37,277 | $3,106 | $17.92 |
| Florida | $0 | $37,277 | $3,106 | $17.92 |
| Nevada | $0 | $37,277 | $3,106 | $17.92 |
| New Hampshire | $0 | $37,277 | $3,106 | $17.92 |
| North Dakota | $0 | $37,277 | $3,106 | $17.92 |
| South Dakota | $0 | $37,277 | $3,106 | $17.92 |
| Tennessee | $0 | $37,277 | $3,106 | $17.92 |
| Texas | $0 | $37,277 | $3,106 | $17.92 |
| Wyoming | $0 | $37,277 | $3,106 | $17.92 |
| Washington | $253 | $37,024 | $3,085 | $17.80 |
| South Carolina | $591 | $36,686 | $3,057 | $17.64 |
| Arizona | $690 | $36,587 | $3,049 | $17.59 |
| Ohio | $758 | $36,519 | $3,043 | $17.56 |
| New Jersey | $866 | $36,411 | $3,034 | $17.51 |
| New Mexico | $911 | $36,366 | $3,030 | $17.48 |
| Louisiana | $924 | $36,353 | $3,029 | $17.48 |
| Iowa | $1,008 | $36,269 | $3,022 | $17.44 |
| Mississippi | $1,015 | $36,262 | $3,022 | $17.43 |
| Rhode Island | $1,021 | $36,256 | $3,021 | $17.43 |
| Vermont | $1,029 | $36,247 | $3,021 | $17.43 |
| Missouri | $1,080 | $36,197 | $3,016 | $17.40 |
| Nebraska | $1,108 | $36,169 | $3,014 | $17.39 |
| Arkansas | $1,129 | $36,148 | $3,012 | $17.38 |
| West Virginia | $1,177 | $36,099 | $3,008 | $17.36 |
| Idaho | $1,207 | $36,070 | $3,006 | $17.34 |
| Colorado | $1,214 | $36,063 | $3,005 | $17.34 |
| North Carolina | $1,234 | $36,043 | $3,004 | $17.33 |
| Indiana | $1,259 | $36,018 | $3,001 | $17.32 |
| Wisconsin | $1,286 | $35,991 | $2,999 | $17.30 |
| Montana | $1,296 | $35,981 | $2,998 | $17.30 |
| California | $1,298 | $35,979 | $2,998 | $17.30 |
| Utah | $1,309 | $35,968 | $2,997 | $17.29 |
| Maine | $1,315 | $35,961 | $2,997 | $17.29 |
| Pennsylvania | $1,341 | $35,936 | $2,995 | $17.28 |
| Kentucky | $1,411 | $35,866 | $2,989 | $17.24 |
| Oklahoma | $1,420 | $35,857 | $2,988 | $17.24 |
| Georgia | $1,431 | $35,846 | $2,987 | $17.23 |
| District of Columbia | $1,455 | $35,822 | $2,985 | $17.22 |
| Connecticut | $1,504 | $35,773 | $2,981 | $17.20 |
| Minnesota | $1,518 | $35,759 | $2,980 | $17.19 |
| Hawaii | $1,576 | $35,701 | $2,975 | $17.16 |
| Michigan | $1,606 | $35,671 | $2,973 | $17.15 |
| Kansas | $1,638 | $35,639 | $2,970 | $17.13 |
| Virginia | $1,698 | $35,579 | $2,965 | $17.11 |
| Maryland | $1,711 | $35,566 | $2,964 | $17.10 |
| Delaware | $1,747 | $35,530 | $2,961 | $17.08 |
| New York | $1,762 | $35,515 | $2,960 | $17.07 |
| Alabama | $1,791 | $35,486 | $2,957 | $17.06 |
| Illinois | $2,017 | $35,260 | $2,938 | $16.95 |
| Massachusetts | $2,165 | $35,112 | $2,926 | $16.88 |
| Oregon | $2,724 | $34,552 | $2,879 | $16.61 |
By filing status (no state income tax)
| Status | Take-home | Month | Tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $37,277 | $3,106 | 14.7% |
| Married filing jointly | $39,190 | $3,266 | 10.3% |
| Head of household | $38,349 | $3,196 | 12.2% |
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.
$21 an hour: FAQ
How much is $21 an hour a month?
$3,640 a month before taxes at 40 hours a week ($43,680 ÷ 12), and about $3,106 after federal taxes for a single filer in a state without income tax.
How much is $21 an hour every two weeks?
$1,680 gross for 80 hours. After federal income tax and FICA, a single filer's paycheck is about $1,434 before any state tax, 401(k) or insurance deductions.
How much is $21 an hour after taxes?
About $17.92 an hour ($37,277 a year) for a single filer with no state income tax. With state tax it ranges from $37,277 in Alaska to $34,552 in Oregon a year.
How much is $21 an hour part time?
At 20 hours a week, $21 an hour is $21,840 a year or $1,820 a month; at 30 hours it is $32,760 a year.