At $20 an hour and 40 hours a week, you earn $800 a week before taxes, and a single filer takes home about $684.72 a week after taxes in 2026 in a state with no income tax. Over a full year that's $41,600 gross and roughly $35,605 take-home. In states with an income tax, weekly take-home typically lands between about $655 and $678 in the states we compared.
This guide uses weekly pay, since that's common for hourly jobs, and shows how state tax, part-time hours and overtime change the result. You can enter your exact hours and rate in the hourly paycheck calculator.
Your $20-an-hour paycheck, line by line
Here's a full-time week for a single filer in Tennessee, which has no income tax on wages:
| Item | Per week | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay (40 hrs x $20) | $800.00 | $41,600 |
| Federal income tax | $54.08 | $2,812 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | $49.60 | $2,579 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | $11.60 | $603 |
| Take-home | $684.72 | $35,605 |
These are estimates from our calculator and assume a 2020-or-later W-4 with no extra entries.
Federal income tax is the smallest of the three federal items relative to what many people expect. After the $16,100 standard deduction, only $25,500 of the $41,600 is taxable: the first $12,400 at 10% ($1,240) and the next $13,100 at 12% ($1,572). That's $2,812 a year, under 7% of gross pay. Social Security and Medicare, on the other hand, apply to every dollar from the first hour you work.
$20 an hour after taxes in different states
State income tax can cost you anywhere from nothing to about $30 a week at this wage. The comparison below is for a single filer working 40 hours a week, paid weekly.
| State | State tax per week | Take-home per week | Take-home per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $0.00 | $684.72 | $35,605 |
| Ohio (estimate, before city tax) | $7.09 | $677.63 | $35,237 |
| Louisiana | $16.57 | $668.15 | $34,744 |
| Missouri (estimate) | $19.57 | $665.15 | $34,588 |
| Pennsylvania (before local tax) | $25.12 incl. 0.07% UI | $659.60 | $34,299 |
| Kentucky (before local tax) | $25.74 | $658.98 | $34,267 |
| South Carolina | $25.75 | $658.97 | $34,266 |
| Michigan (before city tax) | $29.18 | $655.54 | $34,088 |
Ohio looks cheapest among the taxing states because it doesn't tax income below $26,050 and charges 2.75% above that. Louisiana's flat 3% rate and $12,875 standard deduction also keep its bite small. Michigan applies a flat 4.25% after a $5,900 exemption, so more of your pay is taxed.
Don't forget local income taxes
Several of these states have local taxes that can outweigh the state tax. Most Ohio cities and villages levy a municipal income tax, commonly 1% to 2.5%. If your Ohio city charged 2%, that would add $16.00 a week and drop your take-home to $661.63. Pennsylvania municipalities and school districts usually levy a local earned income tax, Kentucky cities and counties often charge occupational taxes, and Detroit and other Michigan cities have city income taxes. Look up your local rate and add it in the calculator's local tax box. The full list of states is in our state paycheck calculators.
Part-time at $20 an hour
Fewer hours means less gross pay, but your tax rate drops too, because more of your income is covered by the standard deduction. Here's a single filer in Michigan working 25 hours a week:
- Gross: $500.00 a week ($26,000 a year)
- Federal income tax: $19.04
- Social Security and Medicare: $38.25
- Michigan income tax: $16.43
- Take-home: $426.28 a week, or about $22,167 a year
Total taxes come to about 14.7% of gross, compared with 18.1% for a full-time Michigan worker at the same wage. For more on how reduced hours are handled, see how part-time paychecks are calculated.
Worked example: a week with overtime
If you're a non-exempt employee, federal law requires at least 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. At $20 an hour, that's $30 for each overtime hour.
Say you work 45 hours one week in Tennessee:
| Single filer, Tennessee | 40-hour week | 45-hour week |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $800.00 | $950.00 |
| Federal income tax | $54.08 | $72.08 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $61.20 | $72.68 |
| Take-home | $684.72 | $805.24 |
The five overtime hours add $150 of gross pay and $120.52 of take-home. Overtime isn't taxed at a special rate. It just gets added to that week's wages, and withholding is figured on the larger total.
A 2025 federal law created a deduction for qualified overtime pay. It's claimed on your tax return and generally doesn't change how much is withheld from a regular paycheck, so your weekly stub will look the same. Our article on the new tips and overtime deductions explains how it works, and how overtime pay is calculated covers the rules for computing your rate.
Head of household, 401(k) and health insurance
Two more situations change take-home pay at $20 an hour:
Head of household in Louisiana
A head of household filer gets a $24,150 standard deduction instead of $16,100. At full time in Louisiana, federal withholding drops from $54.08 to $33.56 a week, and take-home rises to $688.67, about $35,811 a year.
Biweekly pay with benefits in Kentucky
Now picture a Kentucky worker paid every two weeks who puts 3% into a 401(k) and pays $60 per paycheck for health coverage. Gross is $1,600 per check. After $48.00 to the 401(k), $60.00 for insurance, and $260.70 in taxes, take-home is $1,231.30 per paycheck. Without those benefits, the same worker would take home $1,317.97, so $108 of deductions only lowers the check by $86.67, because both come out before income tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is $20 an hour a year?
At 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, $20 an hour is $41,600 a year before taxes. If you take unpaid time off, multiply $20 by the hours you actually work.
How much is $20 an hour per month after taxes?
In a no-tax state, a single full-time worker takes home about $2,967 a month on average ($35,605 divided by 12). In the taxing states above, it's roughly $2,840 to $2,940 before any local tax.
Is overtime taxed more than regular pay?
No. Overtime is added to your regular wages and taxed the same way. A bigger check may have more withheld that week, but the rate structure doesn't change.
Why does my check show less than these estimates?
Common reasons include local taxes, health or retirement deductions, extra withholding on your W-4, or state payroll programs not included here. Your pay stub lists each item.
Sources
- IRS Publication 15-T: Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- U.S. Department of Labor: Overtime Pay
- IRS: One Big Beautiful Bill provisions
- Tax Foundation: State Individual Income Tax Rates for 2026
Run the numbers for your state
Written and checked against IRS, Social Security Administration and state tax agency publications for the 2026 tax year. General information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Read our editorial policy, calculation methodology and sources.