$15.50 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts
$15.50 an hour is $32,240 a year before tax at 40 hours a week. After 2026 federal, FICA and Massachusetts taxes:
You keep
$26,645
a year after taxes
- Every two weeks
- $1,025
- A month
- $2,220
- Effective tax rate
- 17.4%
MA A flat 5% income tax
| Line | Every two weeks | Year |
|---|---|---|
GROSS Gross pay |
$1,240.00 | $32,240.00 |
FED Federal income tax |
-$64.95 | -$1,688.80 |
OASDI Social Security tax |
-$76.88 | -$1,998.88 |
MED Medicare tax |
-$17.98 | -$467.48 |
ST Massachusetts income tax |
-$49.69 | -$1,292.00 |
PFML Massachusetts PFML (employee share: all of family 0.18% + 40% of medical 0.70%) |
-$5.70 | -$148.30 |
NET Take-home pay | $1,024.79 | $26,644.54 |
$15.50 an hour per paycheck, month and day in Massachusetts
| Period | Gross | Taxes | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | $32,240 | -$5,595 | $26,645 |
| Month | $2,687 | -$466 | $2,220 |
| Every two weeks | $1,240 | -$215 | $1,025 |
| Week | $620 | -$108 | $512 |
| Day | $124 | -$22 | $102 |
Biweekly means 26 paychecks a year. A day is one of 260 working days (five a week). "Taxes and deductions" includes every line on the stub above.
If you work more or fewer hours
| Hours a week | Yearly gross | Yearly take-home |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $16,120 | $14,286 |
| 25 | $20,150 | $17,400 |
| 30 | $24,180 | $20,514 |
| 35 | $28,210 | $23,621 |
| 40 | $32,240 | $26,645 |
| 45 (5 overtime) | $38,285 | $31,413 |
| 50 (10 overtime) | $44,330 | $36,182 |
From 2026, federal income tax exempts the overtime premium (the extra half of time-and-a-half) up to $12,500 a year for single filers. Social Security, Medicare and Massachusetts tax still apply to it in this estimate.
What $15.50 an hour affords in Massachusetts
- Rent at 30% of gross pay
- $806 a month
- Needs (50% of take-home)
- $1,110 a month
- Wants (30%)
- $666 a month
- Savings and debt (20%)
- $444 a month
The 30% rule is the benchmark HUD uses for housing cost burden. The 50/30/20 split applies to the $2,220 monthly take-home figure above.
How Massachusetts compares
Massachusetts taxes wages at a flat 5%. On $15.50 an hour ($32,240 a year) the state takes $1,292 in income tax (4% of gross) plus $148 in required state payroll contributions (Massachusetts PFML (employee share: all of family 0.18% + 40% of medical 0.70%)), the 49th lowest of 51 jurisdictions.
| State | State taxes | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $1,440 | $26,645 |
| Connecticut | $736 | $27,349 |
| New Hampshire | $0 | $28,085 |
| New York | $1,314 | $26,770 |
| Rhode Island | $947 | $27,138 |
| Vermont | $646 | $27,439 |
| California | $691 | $27,393 |
Questions people ask about $15.50 an hour in Massachusetts
How much is $15.50 an hour a year after taxes in Massachusetts?
Working 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, $15.50 an hour is $32,240 before tax. After $1,689 federal income tax, $2,466 Social Security and Medicare, and $1,440 in Massachusetts state taxes, you take home $26,645 a year as a single filer in 2026.
How much is $15.50 an hour biweekly after taxes in Massachusetts?
$15.50 an hour is $1,240 gross every two weeks. After taxes a biweekly paycheck comes to about $1,025.
$15.50 an hour is how much a month?
$15.50 an hour is $2,687 a month before tax and about $2,220 after tax in Massachusetts, averaged over 12 months.
How much rent can I afford on $15.50 an hour?
The 30% rule puts rent at $806 a month on $2,687 gross. Budgeting from take-home pay with 50/30/20, all needs including rent get $1,110.
How much is $15.50 an hour with overtime in Massachusetts?
At 50 hours a week (10 hours at $23.25), you earn $44,330 a year and keep $36,182. The 2026 federal overtime deduction takes $4,030 of overtime premium out of federal taxable income; Social Security and Medicare still apply.
How much Massachusetts state tax comes out of $15.50 an hour?
$1,292 a year, or $50 per biweekly paycheck, in Massachusetts income tax, plus $148 a year in state payroll contributions. Local income taxes, where they exist, are not included.
Try your own numbers
Sources and assumptions
Tax year 2026. Annual tax for a filer with no dependents, no other income and no credits, working 52 weeks. Hours over 40 a week are paid at 1.5×. Local income taxes are not included. How we calculate.
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32: federal brackets and standard deduction (retrieved 2026-09-26)
- Social Security Administration: 2026 wage base; IRS: Medicare and Additional Medicare Tax
- Massachusetts tax source (retrieved 2026-09-26)