$30 an hour sounds like a round number, but the paycheck tells a different story than the headline. Here’s the quick answer for 2026: $30 an hour is $62,400 a year before taxes (40 hours/week × 52 weeks). After federal income tax and FICA, a single filer in a no-income-tax state keeps about $52,318 — roughly $4,360 a month. Below is the full step-by-step math so you can see exactly where every dollar goes.
Educational estimate using 2026 federal figures, single filer, standard deduction. Your actual take-home depends on your state, pre-tax deductions (401(k), health insurance), and withholding elections — this is not tax advice.
$30 an hour: the gross pay breakdown
- Per hour: $30.00
- Per week (40 hrs): $1,200
- Per month (40 hrs × 52 ÷ 12): $5,200
- Per year (40 hrs × 52 weeks): $62,400
If you work overtime at time-and-a-half, each extra hour is $45 — but those extra dollars are taxed at your marginal rate, which we’ll get to below.
Federal income tax on $62,400 (2026, single filer)
For 2026, the standard deduction for a single filer is $16,100, so your taxable income is $62,400 − $16,100 = $46,300. Federal brackets are marginal — each slice of income is taxed at its own rate, never all of it at the top rate.
- 10% on the first $12,400 = $1,240
- 12% on the remaining $46,300 − $12,400 = $33,900 → 0.12 × $33,900 = $4,068
- Total federal income tax = $1,240 + $4,068 = $5,308
That works out to an effective federal rate of about 8.5% — and $30/hour stays entirely in the 12% bracket, well below the 22% bracket that starts at $50,400 of taxable income.
FICA taxes: Social Security and Medicare
FICA comes out before any income-tax math and applies to the full $62,400:
- Social Security: 6.2% × $62,400 = $3,868.80
- Medicare: 1.45% × $62,400 = $904.80
- Total FICA = $4,773.60
Add the two together: $5,308 (federal income tax) + $4,773.60 (FICA) = $10,081.60 in total federal taxes.
$30 an hour after taxes: the final numbers
- Gross annual: $62,400
- Federal taxes (single, 2026): −$10,081.60
- Take-home: $52,318/year — about $4,360/month or $2,012 per biweekly paycheck
That’s the no-state-income-tax version (Texas, Florida, Washington, and friends). In a state with income tax — California, New York, New Jersey — the number drops further; our paycheck calculator below can show your state’s version.
What changes the number
- 401(k) contributions: every pre-tax dollar lowers your taxable income (the 2026 limit is $24,500). Maxing it at $30/hour isn’t realistic, but even $3,000/year saves ~$360 in federal tax.
- Health insurance premiums: usually pre-tax, reducing both income tax and FICA.
- Overtime: taxed at your marginal rate (12% federal + FICA), so you keep roughly 75 cents of each overtime dollar federally.
Frequently asked questions
Is $30 an hour good pay in 2026?
At $62,400 a year, it’s above the US median individual income — comfortably middle-class in most of the country, though tight in high-cost metros. Whether it’s “good” depends on your rent, debt, and local cost of living.
How much is $30 an hour biweekly after taxes?
Using the 2026 figures above: $52,318 ÷ 26 pay periods = about $2,012 per biweekly paycheck, before state taxes and pre-tax deductions.
What tax bracket is $30 an hour in?
A single filer at $30/hour ($62,400 gross) has about $46,300 of taxable income after the $16,100 standard deduction — entirely within the 12% marginal bracket for 2026. Remember, only the income inside each bracket is taxed at that bracket’s rate.
How much is $30 an hour per month after taxes?
Roughly $4,360/month in a no-state-income-tax state, for a single filer with no pre-tax deductions. Add state tax and the monthly number falls.
How is this different from $25 an hour after taxes?
Our companion guide covers $25 an hour after taxes — at $30/hour you earn $10,400 more gross, but the extra income lands in the 12% bracket, so you keep about $9,000 of it.
Estimate your exact take-home
This guide uses the standard 2026 single-filer assumptions. For your state, your filing status, and your pre-tax deductions, run the numbers in our free income tax estimator — or see the full per-paycheck view in our salary paycheck calculator.