$30,000 a year is how much an hour?
$14.42 per hour, before taxes
gross · 40 hours a week, 52 paid weeks · 2026
- Per week
- $576.92
- Biweekly check
- $1,153.85
- Per month
- $2,500.00
- Kept / hour, after tax
- $11.96–$12.64
The short answer
$30,000 a year works out to $14.42 an hour at 40 hours a week, 52 paid weeks — 2,080 hours. That is the gross figure. After 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare, what you actually keep per hour ranges from $11.96 in Massachusetts to $12.64 in Alaska, before any 401(k) or benefits.
The spread exists because Massachusetts layers state tax on top of the federal bill while Alaska takes no state income tax at all. The state-by-state table below shows where every dollar goes.
$30,000 gross, every way a stub states it
| Pay period | Before taxes |
|---|---|
| Per hour | $14.42 |
| Per day (8 hours) | $115.38 |
| Per week | $576.92 |
| Biweekly (26 checks) | $1,153.85 |
| Semi-monthly (24 checks) | $1,250.00 |
| Per month | $2,500.00 |
| Per year | $30,000 |
Assumes 40 hours a week with no overtime and no unpaid weeks. Paid for more or fewer hours? The formula is at the bottom of the page.
What $30,000 actually keeps, state by state
| State | Kept / year | Kept / month | Kept / hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $26,285 | $2,190.42 | $12.64 |
| Arizona | $25,938 | $2,161.46 | $12.47 |
| California | $25,673 | $2,139.41 | $12.34 |
| Colorado | $25,541 | $2,128.45 | $12.28 |
| Florida | $26,285 | $2,190.42 | $12.64 |
| Georgia | $25,537 | $2,128.04 | $12.28 |
| Illinois | $24,945 | $2,078.73 | $11.99 |
| Massachusetts | $24,867 | $2,072.25 | $11.96 |
| Michigan | $25,261 | $2,105.06 | $12.14 |
| Nevada | $26,285 | $2,190.42 | $12.64 |
| New Hampshire | $26,285 | $2,190.42 | $12.64 |
| New Jersey | $25,594 | $2,132.83 | $12.30 |
| New York | $25,101 | $2,091.77 | $12.07 |
| North Carolina | $25,597 | $2,133.06 | $12.31 |
| Ohio | $26,241 | $2,186.75 | $12.62 |
| Pennsylvania | $25,364 | $2,113.67 | $12.19 |
| South Dakota | $26,285 | $2,190.42 | $12.64 |
| Tennessee | $26,285 | $2,190.42 | $12.64 |
| Texas | $26,285 | $2,190.42 | $12.64 |
| Virginia | $25,374 | $2,114.51 | $12.20 |
| Washington | $25,869 | $2,155.74 | $12.44 |
| Wyoming | $26,285 | $2,190.42 | $12.64 |
Single filer, no 401(k), 2026 federal and state tables, employee-paid state programs included. Total tax burden runs 12.4% (Alaska) to 17.1% (Massachusetts) at this salary. Each state links to its full calculator; 22 states are live with verified tables.
Take-home pay, computed in the open.
Take-home pay $987.42 per biweekly paycheck
per biweekly paycheck · single · California · 2026 tables
- Gross / check
- $1,153.85
- Taxes / check
- $166.43
- Net / year
- $25,673
- Effective rate
- 14.4%
The stub, line by line
| Line item | Each paycheck | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $1,153.85 | $30,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$54.62 | −$1,420 |
| California income tax | −$8.54 | −$222 |
| Social Security | −$71.54 | −$1,860 |
| Medicare | −$16.73 | −$435 |
| CA SDI | −$15.00 | −$390 |
| Take-home pay | $987.42 | $25,673 |
The math, shown
Hourly rate = salary ÷ (40 hours × 52 weeks). $30,000 ÷ 2,080 = $14.42. If your real year has unpaid time off, divide by your actual paid hours instead — at 2,000 hours (two unpaid weeks) the same salary is $15.00 an hour.
The after-tax figures walk the same path as every calculator on this site: 2026 federal brackets after the standard deduction, FICA on gross wages, then each state's own deductions, credits, brackets, and employee-paid programs — line by line, in your browser.
Nearby numbers
Sources
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction
- SSA — 2026 Social Security wage base
- State figures — verified per state; sources listed on each state page
- 2,080-hour year — 40 hours × 52 weeks, the standard full-time convention