$30 an hour biweekly,
after taxes in 2026
$30/hour at 40 hours/week is $2,400 gross every two weeks. Federal-only biweekly take-home: $2,012. $62,400 annualised, just under the US median wage, and still entirely inside the 12% federal bracket. Below: the math, the bracket headroom, every state.
Federal-only biweekly, single, 2026
$2,012
biweekly take-home, no state tax
$2400 biweekly gross. $4,360 monthly. $52,318 annual. Effective 16.2%, marginal 12%.
Walk-through
How $30/hour becomes $2,012 biweekly
Step 1: Annualise to $62,400
$30/hour times 2,080 hours/year is $62,400 gross. The 2,080-hour annualisation is the federal standard. Many $30/hour workers (electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians) work seasonal overtime that pushes annual gross higher than the straight 2,080 figure. Conversely, many work weather-dependent or contract schedules with weeks below 40 hours.
Step 2: Standard deduction and federal brackets (all inside 12%)
The 2026 single standard deduction is $16,100. Subtracting from $62,400 leaves $46,300 of taxable income. The first $12,400 is taxed at 10% ($1,240). The remaining $33,900 (from $12,400 to $46,300) is taxed at 12%, which is $4,068. Total federal income tax: $5,308 per year, $204 biweekly.
$30/hour stays entirely inside the 12% federal bracket for a single filer in 2026. The 22% bracket starts at $50,400 of taxable income, about $66,500 of gross, which works out to roughly $32/hour full-time. So at $30/hour you have about $4,100 of taxable-income headroom before any raise dollar is taxed at 22%. Source: IRS Publication 15-T (2026).
Step 3: FICA on gross
Social Security 6.2% on $62,400 is $3,869. Medicare 1.45% on $62,400 is $905. Total FICA: $4,774 annually, $184 per paycheck. Still well below the $184,500 Social Security wage base, so the full 6.2% applies.
Step 4: Annual net divided by 26 paychecks
Annual federal-only net: $52,318. Divided by 26 biweekly pay periods: $2,012 per paycheck. Roughly $25.15 per hour worked, after federal tax and FICA. Compared to $25/hour where the effective hourly take-home is $21.14, the $30/hour rate produces $4.02 more take-home per hour worked.
By state
$30/hour biweekly take-home, ranked by state
Single filer, 40 hours/week, 2026.
| State | Biweekly | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlaskaNo tax | $2,012 | $4,360 | $52,318 |
| FloridaNo tax | $2,012 | $4,360 | $52,318 |
| NevadaNo tax | $2,012 | $4,360 | $52,318 |
| New HampshireNo tax | $2,012 | $4,360 | $52,318 |
| North Dakota | $2,012 | $4,360 | $52,318 |
| South DakotaNo tax | $2,012 | $4,360 | $52,318 |
| TennesseeNo tax | $2,012 | $4,360 | $52,318 |
| TexasNo tax | $2,012 | $4,360 | $52,318 |
| WyomingNo tax | $2,012 | $4,360 | $52,318 |
| Ohio | $1,991 | $4,313 | $51,762 |
| WashingtonNo tax | $1,979 | $4,288 | $51,453 |
| New Jersey | $1,961 | $4,249 | $50,990 |
| Arizona | $1,960 | $4,247 | $50,967 |
| Indiana | $1,960 | $4,246 | $50,953 |
| West Virginia | $1,959 | $4,246 | $50,946 |
| Pennsylvania | $1,958 | $4,241 | $50,897 |
| Louisiana | $1,955 | $4,235 | $50,821 |
| South Carolina | $1,954 | $4,235 | $50,815 |
| Iowa | $1,945 | $4,213 | $50,559 |
| New Mexico | $1,944 | $4,213 | $50,551 |
| Michigan | $1,937 | $4,196 | $50,351 |
| North Carolina | $1,936 | $4,195 | $50,337 |
| Wisconsin | $1,936 | $4,194 | $50,323 |
| Vermont | $1,935 | $4,193 | $50,310 |
| Missouri | $1,935 | $4,192 | $50,302 |
| Kentucky | $1,933 | $4,188 | $50,252 |
| Utah | $1,932 | $4,186 | $50,235 |
| Nebraska | $1,930 | $4,182 | $50,183 |
| Connecticut | $1,930 | $4,181 | $50,173 |
| Montana | $1,929 | $4,179 | $50,142 |
| Arkansas | $1,926 | $4,172 | $50,069 |
| Illinois | $1,924 | $4,169 | $50,027 |
| Oklahoma | $1,923 | $4,168 | $50,011 |
| Colorado | $1,923 | $4,167 | $50,007 |
| Mississippi | $1,920 | $4,160 | $49,914 |
| Idaho | $1,918 | $4,155 | $49,865 |
| Georgia | $1,916 | $4,150 | $49,803 |
| Massachusetts | $1,912 | $4,143 | $49,716 |
| Rhode Island | $1,912 | $4,143 | $49,712 |
| District of Columbia | $1,912 | $4,142 | $49,709 |
| Maryland | $1,906 | $4,131 | $49,566 |
| California | $1,906 | $4,130 | $49,561 |
| Virginia | $1,904 | $4,124 | $49,491 |
| Delaware | $1,901 | $4,119 | $49,422 |
| Alabama | $1,900 | $4,116 | $49,388 |
| Minnesota | $1,897 | $4,110 | $49,324 |
| New York | $1,895 | $4,106 | $49,276 |
| Maine | $1,890 | $4,095 | $49,141 |
| Kansas | $1,889 | $4,094 | $49,125 |
| Hawaii | $1,873 | $4,059 | $48,707 |
| Oregon | $1,810 | $3,921 | $47,058 |
$30/hour in context
Skilled trades, allied health, and the median wage
$30/hour annualised is $62,400, just under the US median for full-time wage and salary workers ($64,220 per BLS Q1 2026). The income band $25-$35/hour is where many skilled occupations cluster: licensed practical nurses, dental hygienists at the lower end, junior software engineers in lower-cost markets, machinists, junior electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians at journeyman level, paralegals, junior project managers in non-tech industries.
Per BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024), the median hourly wage for selected occupations: electricians $30, plumbers $30, HVAC technicians $29, registered nurses $45, LPNs $30, machinists $27, dental hygienists $45. Wages vary significantly by region: tradespeople in California and the Northeast often earn 30-50% above the national median; Southern and rural areas pay 10-30% below. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
$30/hour clears the MIT Living Wage Calculator threshold for a single adult in nearly every US county ($20-$25 in most, $25-$32 in coastal metros). For a single parent with one child, $30/hour is below the basic-needs threshold (typically $35-$45/hour) in most metros due to childcare costs, but very close to the threshold in low-cost metros. With a co-parent or family help, $30/hour supports a typical household budget in most of the US outside the most expensive coastal cities.
Customise
Try a different rate or state
Detected as hourly rate. Annual equivalent: $62,400
Your Take-Home Pay
$4,360/mo
| Gross Annual Salary | $62,400 |
| Standard Deduction (Single) | -$16,100 |
| Taxable Income | $46,300 |
| Federal Income Tax | -$5,308 |
| 10% bracket ($0 - $12,400) | -$1,240 |
| 12% bracket ($12,400 - $50,400) | -$4,068 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | -$3,869 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | -$905 |
| Total FICA | -$4,774 |
| Total Tax | -$10,082 |
| Effective Tax Rate | 16.2% |
| Marginal Tax Rate | 12% |
| Annual Take-Home Pay | $52,318 |
| Monthly | $4,360 |
| Biweekly (26 paychecks) | $2,012 |
| Weekly | $1,006 |
Sources
Where the 2026 numbers come from
- Federal brackets, deductions. IRS Publication 15-T (2026).
- SS wage base. SSA COLA notice.
- Median wage. BLS Usual Weekly Earnings Q1 2026.
- Trade and allied-health wages. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
- Living wage estimates. MIT Living Wage Calculator.
Related
Other hourly rates and biweekly views
$25/hr biweekly
$52,000 annualised. Stay inside the 12% federal bracket.
Biweekly calculator
The 26-vs-27 paycheck quirk and biweekly net by salary.
$40/hr biweekly
$83,200 annualised, the first rung into the 22% bracket.
30/hr full reference
All frequencies and states in one place.
$100K single
Where the 22% bracket bite is much bigger.
Salary calculator
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