$20 an hour is how much after taxes?
Working 40 hours a week, $20 an hour is $41,600 a year before taxes. After taxes, a single worker keeps about $32,750 to $35,606 a year, depending on the state.
Where the money goes
Every two weeks you earn $1,600.00 before taxes. For a single worker with no pre-tax benefits and the W-4 Step 2 box unchecked, these come out of every check in every state:
- Federal income tax: $108.15
- Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%): $122.40
That leaves $1,369.45 before any state tax. In a state with no income tax, like Texas or Florida, that's your paycheck. Most states take a bit more, as the table shows.
$20 an hour after taxes in every state
| State | State tax and payroll per check | Take-home per check | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $65.36 | $1,304.08 | $2,826 | $33,906 |
| Alaska | $8.00 | $1,361.45 | $2,950 | $35,398 |
| Arizona | $31.97 | $1,337.47 | $2,898 | $34,774 |
| Arkansas | $54.22 | $1,315.23 | $2,850 | $34,196 |
| California | $45.93 | $1,323.52 | $2,868 | $34,411 |
| Colorado | $50.19 | $1,319.25 | $2,858 | $34,301 |
| Connecticut | $64.50 | $1,304.95 | $2,827 | $33,929 |
| Delaware | $69.17 | $1,300.28 | $2,817 | $33,807 |
| District of Columbia | $51.15 | $1,318.29 | $2,856 | $34,276 |
| Florida | $0.00 | $1,369.45 | $2,967 | $35,606 |
| Georgia | $59.09 | $1,310.36 | $2,839 | $34,069 |
| Hawaii | $72.59 | $1,296.86 | $2,810 | $33,718 |
| Idaho | $42.17 | $1,327.27 | $2,876 | $34,509 |
| Illinois | $73.63 | $1,295.81 | $2,808 | $33,691 |
| Indiana | $46.07 | $1,323.38 | $2,867 | $34,408 |
| Iowa | $35.73 | $1,333.72 | $2,890 | $34,677 |
| Kansas | $58.52 | $1,310.92 | $2,840 | $34,084 |
| Kentucky | $51.48 | $1,317.97 | $2,856 | $34,267 |
| Louisiana | $33.14 | $1,336.30 | $2,895 | $34,744 |
| Maine | $62.55 | $1,306.89 | $2,832 | $33,979 |
| Maryland | $62.01 | $1,307.43 | $2,833 | $33,993 |
| Massachusetts | $78.90 | $1,290.55 | $2,796 | $33,554 |
| Michigan | $58.36 | $1,311.09 | $2,841 | $34,088 |
| Minnesota | $61.16 | $1,308.29 | $2,835 | $34,016 |
| Mississippi | $35.85 | $1,333.60 | $2,889 | $34,674 |
| Missouri | $39.15 | $1,330.30 | $2,882 | $34,588 |
| Montana | $46.10 | $1,323.35 | $2,867 | $34,407 |
| Nebraska | $38.97 | $1,330.47 | $2,883 | $34,592 |
| Nevada | $0.00 | $1,369.45 | $2,967 | $35,606 |
| New Hampshire | $0.00 | $1,369.45 | $2,967 | $35,606 |
| New Jersey | $42.39 | $1,327.05 | $2,875 | $34,503 |
| New Mexico | $31.60 | $1,337.85 | $2,899 | $34,784 |
| New York | $71.55 | $1,297.90 | $2,812 | $33,745 |
| North Carolina | $44.27 | $1,325.17 | $2,871 | $34,454 |
| North Dakota | $0.00 | $1,369.45 | $2,967 | $35,606 |
| Ohio | $14.17 | $1,355.27 | $2,936 | $35,237 |
| Oklahoma | $51.02 | $1,318.43 | $2,857 | $34,279 |
| Oregon | $109.83 | $1,259.62 | $2,729 | $32,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $52.24 | $1,317.21 | $2,854 | $34,247 |
| Rhode Island | $53.87 | $1,315.57 | $2,850 | $34,205 |
| South Carolina | $51.50 | $1,317.95 | $2,856 | $34,267 |
| South Dakota | $0.00 | $1,369.45 | $2,967 | $35,606 |
| Tennessee | $0.00 | $1,369.45 | $2,967 | $35,606 |
| Texas | $0.00 | $1,369.45 | $2,967 | $35,606 |
| Utah | $46.54 | $1,322.91 | $2,866 | $34,396 |
| Vermont | $36.91 | $1,332.53 | $2,887 | $34,646 |
| Virginia | $60.69 | $1,308.76 | $2,836 | $34,028 |
| Washington | $22.19 | $1,347.25 | $2,919 | $35,029 |
| West Virginia | $44.31 | $1,325.13 | $2,871 | $34,453 |
| Wisconsin | $44.72 | $1,324.72 | $2,870 | $34,443 |
| Wyoming | $0.00 | $1,369.45 | $2,967 | $35,606 |
Single filer, no dependents, paid every two weeks, 40 hours a week, no pre-tax benefits and no local income taxes. Pick a state for its full breakdown.
Ways to keep more of it
- Check the Earned Income Tax Credit. With children, many people at $20 an hour qualify for a credit worth hundreds or thousands of dollars at tax time. See who qualifies.
- Look at your W-4. If you have kids, claiming them in Step 3 lowers the tax taken from each check instead of waiting for a refund.
- Overtime and tips. Starting with 2025 returns, you can deduct up to $12,500 of the overtime premium and up to $25,000 of qualified tips from federal income tax.
- Check benefits you may qualify for. Depending on household size, $20 an hour can be within the limits for SNAP, Medicaid or CHIP for kids. Use the benefits checker.
Questions
How much is $20 an hour a month after taxes?
About $2,729 to $2,967 a month for a single full-time worker, depending on the state. Before taxes it's $3,467.
How much rent can I afford at $20 an hour?
A common guideline is 30% of pay before taxes, which is about $1,040 a month. See the rent guide.
What if I work part time?
Multiply $20 by your weekly hours and by 52. At 30 hours a week that's $31,200 a year before taxes. Taxes take a slightly smaller share at lower pay.
Related
Sources
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026) · Federal income tax withholding
- Tax Foundation · 2026 state income tax rates
General information for planning, not financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are estimates for 2026 and can change. Leftover Planner is not affiliated with the IRS or any government agency.