$42,000 a year is $20.19 an hour
$42,000 a year is $20.19 an hour at 40 hours a week. After 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare:
You keep
$35,927
a year after taxes
- Every two weeks
- $1,382
- A month
- $2,994
- Effective tax rate
- 14.5%
US Before state and local income tax
| Line | Every two weeks | Year |
|---|---|---|
GROSS Gross pay |
$1,615.38 | $42,000.00 |
FED Federal income tax |
-$110.00 | -$2,860.00 |
OASDI Social Security tax |
-$100.15 | -$2,604.00 |
MED Medicare tax |
-$23.42 | -$609.00 |
NET Take-home pay | $1,381.81 | $35,927.00 |
Most states also tax wages. Take-home pay in all 50 states and DC is further down.
$42,000 a year per paycheck, month and day
| Period | Gross | Taxes | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | $42,000 | -$6,073 | $35,927 |
| Month | $3,500 | -$506 | $2,994 |
| Every two weeks | $1,615 | -$234 | $1,382 |
| Week | $808 | -$117 | $691 |
| Day | $162 | -$23 | $138 |
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.
$42,000 a year is how much an hour?
| Hours a week | Before tax | After tax |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $40.38 | $34.55 |
| 25 | $32.31 | $27.64 |
| 30 | $26.92 | $23.03 |
| 35 | $23.08 | $19.74 |
| 40 | $20.19 | $17.27 |
| 45 | $17.95 | $15.35 |
| 50 | $16.15 | $13.82 |
Salaried jobs usually do not pay overtime, so longer weeks lower your real hourly rate.
What $42,000 a year affords
- Rent at 30% of gross pay
- $1,050 a month
- Needs (50% of take-home)
- $1,497 a month
- Wants (30%)
- $898 a month
- Savings and debt (20%)
- $599 a month
The 30% rule is the benchmark HUD uses for housing cost burden. The 50/30/20 split applies to the $2,994 monthly take-home figure above.
$42,000 a year after taxes in every state
8 states take no state income tax or payroll contributions from a $42,000 salary. Among the rest, Alaska takes the least ($210 a year) and Oregon the most ($2,905, or $112 per biweekly paycheck).
| State | State taxes | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | $0 | $35,927 |
| Nevada | $0 | $35,927 |
| New Hampshire | $0 | $35,927 |
| North Dakota | $0 | $35,927 |
| South Dakota | $0 | $35,927 |
| Tennessee | $0 | $35,927 |
| Texas | $0 | $35,927 |
| Wyoming | $0 | $35,927 |
| Alaska | $210 | $35,717 |
| South Carolina | $548 | $35,379 |
| Washington | $583 | $35,344 |
| Arizona | $648 | $35,280 |
| Ohio | $712 | $35,215 |
| New Mexico | $839 | $35,088 |
| Louisiana | $875 | $35,052 |
| Iowa | $944 | $34,983 |
| Mississippi | $948 | $34,979 |
| Vermont | $973 | $34,954 |
| Missouri | $1,003 | $34,924 |
| Nebraska | $1,031 | $34,896 |
| Arkansas | $1,066 | $34,861 |
| West Virginia | $1,107 | $34,821 |
| New Jersey | $1,128 | $34,799 |
| Idaho | $1,128 | $34,799 |
| North Carolina | $1,167 | $34,760 |
| Wisconsin | $1,182 | $34,745 |
| Utah | $1,206 | $34,721 |
| California | $1,209 | $34,718 |
| Indiana | $1,210 | $34,718 |
| Montana | $1,217 | $34,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $1,319 | $34,608 |
| Colorado | $1,324 | $34,603 |
| Oklahoma | $1,345 | $34,583 |
| Georgia | $1,347 | $34,580 |
| Kentucky | $1,352 | $34,575 |
| District of Columbia | $1,420 | $34,507 |
| Rhode Island | $1,420 | $34,507 |
| Maine | $1,431 | $34,496 |
| Hawaii | $1,461 | $34,466 |
| Michigan | $1,532 | $34,395 |
| Kansas | $1,544 | $34,383 |
| Connecticut | $1,565 | $34,363 |
| Virginia | $1,601 | $34,326 |
| Minnesota | $1,616 | $34,311 |
| Maryland | $1,629 | $34,298 |
| Alabama | $1,717 | $34,210 |
| Delaware | $1,822 | $34,105 |
| New York | $1,884 | $34,043 |
| Illinois | $1,934 | $33,993 |
| Massachusetts | $1,973 | $33,954 |
| Oregon | $2,905 | $33,022 |
Questions people ask about $42,000 a year
$42,000 a year is how much an hour?
$42,000 a year is $20.19 an hour at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks (2,080 hours). At 45 hours a week it works out to $17.95, and after tax (before state tax) you keep $17.27 for every 40-hour-week hour.
How much is $42,000 a year after taxes?
After federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare a single filer keeps $35,927. Depending on the state, take-home pay runs from $33,022 in Oregon to $35,927 in states with no income tax.
How much is $42,000 a year biweekly after taxes?
Paid every two weeks, $42,000 is $1,615 gross and about $1,382 net per paycheck before state tax.
What tax bracket is $42,000 in 2026?
After the $16,100 standard deduction, federal taxable income is $25,900, which puts your top dollar in the 12% federal bracket. Your average federal income tax rate is 6.8% of gross pay.
How much rent can I afford on $42,000 a year?
The 30% rule gives $1,050 a month. Using take-home pay and the 50/30/20 split, needs including rent get $1,497 and savings $599 a month.
How much is $42,000 a month after taxes?
$42,000 is $3,500 a month before tax and $2,994 after federal taxes.
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