$42,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?
Full-time = 40 hours × 52 weeks = 2,080 paid hours. Tax year 2026, single filer, standard deduction.
Quick answer
According to payandtaxes.com's computations, $42,000 a year is $20.19 an hour before taxes. After federal tax, FICA and state tax the median US take-home is $34,787 (82.8% kept) — so you effectively earn $16.72/hour.
| Period | Gross pay |
|---|---|
| Hourly (2,080 h) | $20.19 |
| Daily (8 h) | $162 |
| Weekly | $808 |
| Biweekly | $1,615 |
| Monthly | $3,500 |
| Yearly | $42,000 |
| Hours / week | Implied hourly |
|---|---|
| 40 h (full-time) | $20.19 |
| 37.5 h | $21.54 |
| 35 h | $23.08 |
| 30 h | $26.92 |
| 25 h | $32.31 |
| 20 h | $40.38 |
Free. No signup. Single filer, standard deduction — full model.
| Gross pay | $3,500.00 |
| Federal income tax | $238.33 |
| Social Security | $217.00 |
| Medicare | $50.75 |
| Texas state income tax | $0.00 |
| You keep | $2,993.92 |
| State | Take-home /yr | Effective /hr | Kept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $34,092 | $16.39 | 81.2% |
| Alaska | $35,927 | $17.27 | 85.5% |
| Arizona | $35,086 | $16.87 | 83.5% |
| Arkansas | $34,502 | $16.59 | 82.1% |
| California | $35,258 | $16.95 | 83.9% |
| Colorado | $34,787 | $16.72 | 82.8% |
| Connecticut | $34,962 | $16.81 | 83.2% |
| Delaware | $34,273 | $16.48 | 81.6% |
| Florida | $35,927 | $17.27 | 85.5% |
| Georgia | $34,370 | $16.52 | 81.8% |
| Hawaii | $34,219 | $16.45 | 81.5% |
| Idaho | $34,809 | $16.74 | 82.9% |
| Illinois | $33,993 | $16.34 | 80.9% |
| Indiana | $34,718 | $16.69 | 82.7% |
| Iowa | $34,983 | $16.82 | 83.3% |
| Kansas | $34,383 | $16.53 | 81.9% |
| Kentucky | $34,575 | $16.62 | 82.3% |
| Louisiana | $35,053 | $16.85 | 83.5% |
| Maine | $34,274 | $16.48 | 81.6% |
| Maryland | $34,296 | $16.49 | 81.7% |
| Massachusetts | $34,047 | $16.37 | 81.1% |
| Michigan | $34,393 | $16.53 | 81.9% |
| Minnesota | $34,499 | $16.59 | 82.1% |
| Mississippi | $34,979 | $16.82 | 83.3% |
| Missouri | $34,890 | $16.77 | 83.1% |
| Montana | $34,710 | $16.69 | 82.6% |
| Nebraska | $34,896 | $16.78 | 83.1% |
| Nevada | $35,927 | $17.27 | 85.5% |
| New Hampshire | $35,927 | $17.27 | 85.5% |
| New Jersey | $35,154 | $16.90 | 83.7% |
| New Mexico | $35,088 | $16.87 | 83.5% |
| New York | $34,256 | $16.47 | 81.6% |
| North Carolina | $34,760 | $16.71 | 82.8% |
| North Dakota | $35,927 | $17.27 | 85.5% |
| Ohio | $35,554 | $17.09 | 84.7% |
| Oklahoma | $34,583 | $16.63 | 82.3% |
| Oregon | $33,082 | $15.90 | 78.8% |
| Pennsylvania | $34,638 | $16.65 | 82.5% |
| Rhode Island | $34,969 | $16.81 | 83.3% |
| South Carolina | $34,564 | $16.62 | 82.3% |
| South Dakota | $35,927 | $17.27 | 85.5% |
| Tennessee | $35,927 | $17.27 | 85.5% |
| Texas | $35,927 | $17.27 | 85.5% |
| Utah | $34,037 | $16.36 | 81% |
| Vermont | $34,954 | $16.80 | 83.2% |
| Virginia | $34,326 | $16.50 | 81.7% |
| Washington | $35,927 | $17.27 | 85.5% |
| Washington DC | $34,573 | $16.62 | 82.3% |
| West Virginia | $34,762 | $16.71 | 82.8% |
| Wisconsin | $34,860 | $16.76 | 83% |
| Wyoming | $35,927 | $17.27 | 85.5% |
Medians from BLS OEWS (May 2025) — each page shows the take-home per state. All 830 occupations →
How much is $42,000 a year per hour?
$42,000 a year is $20.19 per hour before taxes: $42,000 ÷ 2,080 paid hours (40 hours × 52 weeks). That's $808 a week, $1,615 biweekly and $3,500 a month. In other words, $42,000 a year hourly is $20.19.
How much is $42,000 a year per hour after taxes?
After federal tax, FICA and state tax, a $42,000 salary leaves $34,787 in the median US state (82.8% kept) — an effective $16.72 per hour. By state the range is $15.90 (Oregon) to $17.27 (Alaska).
How much is $42,000 a year biweekly?
$42,000 a year is $1,615 per biweekly paycheck before taxes (26 pay periods); after taxes about $1,338 in the median state.
Is $42,000 a year a good salary?
The US median wage is $50,980 a year (BLS, all occupations), so $42,000 is below the national median.
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