$42 an hour: gross pay by period
| Period | Gross | Take-home (no state tax) |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $42.00 | $33.79 |
| Weekly | $1,680 | $1,352 |
| Biweekly | $3,360 | $2,703 |
| Semi-monthly | $3,640 | $2,929 |
| Monthly | $7,280 | $5,857 |
| Yearly | $87,360 | $70,288 |
Federal income tax takes $10,389 and Social Security plus Medicare $6,683 of that $87,360 (19.5% in total). The $87,360 salary has its own page: $85,000 after tax in Texas is the closest salary level.
$42 an hour after tax in every state
Take-home pay for a single filer working 40 hours a week at $42 an hour, highest first. Alaska and the other no-wage-tax states lead with $70,288; Oregon is lowest at $62,956.
| # | State | Take-home / year | Per week | Per hour after tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $70,288 | $1,352 | $33.79 |
| 2 | Florida | $70,288 | $1,352 | $33.79 |
| 3 | Nevada | $70,288 | $1,352 | $33.79 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $70,288 | $1,352 | $33.79 |
| 5 | South Dakota | $70,288 | $1,352 | $33.79 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $70,288 | $1,352 | $33.79 |
| 7 | Texas | $70,288 | $1,352 | $33.79 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $70,288 | $1,352 | $33.79 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $69,865 | $1,344 | $33.59 |
| 10 | Washington | $69,076 | $1,328 | $33.21 |
| 11 | Arizona | $68,506 | $1,317 | $32.94 |
| 12 | Ohio | $68,336 | $1,314 | $32.85 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $68,053 | $1,309 | $32.72 |
| 14 | Indiana | $67,740 | $1,303 | $32.57 |
| 15 | Iowa | $67,620 | $1,300 | $32.51 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $67,606 | $1,300 | $32.50 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $67,543 | $1,299 | $32.47 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $67,525 | $1,299 | $32.46 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $67,484 | $1,298 | $32.44 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $67,348 | $1,295 | $32.38 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $67,338 | $1,295 | $32.37 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $67,311 | $1,294 | $32.36 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $67,192 | $1,292 | $32.30 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $67,176 | $1,292 | $32.30 |
| 25 | Missouri | $67,119 | $1,291 | $32.27 |
| 26 | Vermont | $66,989 | $1,288 | $32.21 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $66,902 | $1,287 | $32.16 |
| 28 | Michigan | $66,826 | $1,285 | $32.13 |
| 29 | Colorado | $66,768 | $1,284 | $32.10 |
| 30 | Montana | $66,713 | $1,283 | $32.07 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $66,668 | $1,282 | $32.05 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $66,621 | $1,281 | $32.03 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $66,611 | $1,281 | $32.02 |
| 34 | New Jersey | $66,546 | $1,280 | $31.99 |
| 35 | Georgia | $66,527 | $1,279 | $31.98 |
| 36 | Idaho | $66,511 | $1,279 | $31.98 |
| 37 | Maryland | $66,502 | $1,279 | $31.97 |
| 38 | Utah | $66,467 | $1,278 | $31.96 |
| 39 | Kansas | $66,213 | $1,273 | $31.83 |
| 40 | Alabama | $66,185 | $1,273 | $31.82 |
| 41 | Illinois | $66,108 | $1,271 | $31.78 |
| 42 | Virginia | $66,079 | $1,271 | $31.77 |
| 43 | District of Columbia | $65,831 | $1,266 | $31.65 |
| 44 | New York | $65,759 | $1,265 | $31.61 |
| 45 | Massachusetts | $65,738 | $1,264 | $31.60 |
| 46 | Maine | $65,626 | $1,262 | $31.55 |
| 47 | Delaware | $65,514 | $1,260 | $31.50 |
| 48 | Minnesota | $65,486 | $1,259 | $31.48 |
| 49 | California | $65,273 | $1,255 | $31.38 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $65,062 | $1,251 | $31.28 |
| 51 | Oregon | $62,956 | $1,211 | $30.27 |
If you work fewer or more than 40 hours
| Hours / week | Gross / year | Take-home / year (no state tax) | Per week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | $43,680 | $37,277 | $717 |
| 30 | $65,520 | $54,825 | $1,054 |
| 35 | $76,440 | $62,606 | $1,204 |
| 40 | $87,360 | $70,288 | $1,352 |
| 45 | $98,280 | $77,970 | $1,499 |
Overtime pays $63.00 an hour (1.5ร). Ten overtime hours a week lift take-home to about $93,334 a year. See the overtime pay calculator and overtime and taxes.
Frequently asked questions
How much is $42 an hour per year?
$42 an hour is $87,360 a year before tax at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks (2,080 hours), or $7,280 a month and $1,680 a week.
How much is $42 an hour after taxes?
A single filer earning $42 an hour for 40 hours a week takes home about $70,288 a year ($1,352 a week) in a state with no income tax, about $65,273 in California and $65,759 in New York (2026, no deductions).
What is $42 an hour biweekly after tax?
At 40 hours a week, $42 an hour is $3,360 gross every two weeks. After federal tax and FICA that is about $2,703 biweekly with no state income tax, and $2,510 in California.
Which state keeps the most from $42 an hour?
Alaska and the other states without a wage income tax keep the most, $70,288 a year. Oregon keeps the least of all states and DC, $62,956.
What if I work overtime at $42 an hour?
Overtime is paid at 1.5 times your rate ($63.00 an hour) and taxed like the rest of your pay. With 10 overtime hours a week, gross rises to $120,120 a year and take-home to about $93,334 with no state income tax.
Is $42 an hour a good wage?
It depends on where you live and your expenses. For context, $42 an hour at full time ($87,360 a year) takes home $66,989 in the median state for a single filer. Compare your state and price level on the state pages.
Sources & methodology
- IRS โ Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- IRS โ Topic no. 751, Social Security and Medicare withholding rates
- U.S. Department of Labor โ Overtime pay
- PaycheckByState โ Methodology and data sources
Single filer, standard withholding, no pre-tax deductions, no local taxes, 2026 rules. Estimates for information only, not tax advice. See our disclaimer.