Waiters and Waitresses
Median $12.91 an hour in Alabama · 28,760 jobs
Alabama · 2026 take-home pay
At $13 an hour in Alabama you keep about $10.98 of every hour — $439 a week, $1,903 a month or $22,841 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Alabama income tax. Alabama has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $27,040 | $520 | $13.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,094 | −$21 | −$0.53 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$1,676 | −$32 | −$0.81 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$392 | −$8 | −$0.19 |
| Alabama income tax | −$1,036 | −$20 | −$0.50 |
| Take-home pay | $22,841 | $439 | $10.98 |
Effective tax rate 15.5% · federal bracket 10% · Alabama bracket 5%.
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $520.00 | $439.26 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,040.00 | $878.52 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,126.67 | $951.72 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,253.33 | $1,903.45 |
Take-home in Alabama for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $13 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $260 | $232 | $12,075 |
| 30 hours a week | $390 | $338 | $17,582 |
| 40 hours a week | $520 | $439 | $22,841 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $618 | $514 | $26,707 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $715 | $587 | $30,549 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Occupations whose median wage in Alabama is within 4% of $13 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Median $12.91 an hour in Alabama · 28,760 jobs
Median $13.40 an hour in Alabama · 26,740 jobs
Median $13.39 an hour in Alabama · 20,930 jobs
Median $13.43 an hour in Alabama · 17,680 jobs
Median $13.04 an hour in Alabama · 8,780 jobs
Median $13.21 an hour in Alabama · 8,290 jobs
Alabama ranks 48th of 51 for take-home pay on $13 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $10.98 | $22,841 | $7.25 | — |
| Florida | $11.48 | $23,877 | $15.00 | +$1,036 a year |
| Georgia | $11.19 | $23,277 | $7.25 | +$436 a year |
| Mississippi | $11.31 | $23,528 | $7.25 | +$687 a year |
| Tennessee | $11.48 | $23,877 | $7.25 | +$1,036 a year |
Taxable income is $27,040 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $10,940. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $10,940 | $1,094 |
| Total | $10,940 | $1,094 |
Taxable income is $27,040 of Alabama wages minus $2,925 standard deduction minus $1,500 in exemptions minus $1,094 deduction for federal income tax = $21,521.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $500 | $10 |
| 4% | $2,500 | $100 |
| 5% | $18,521 | $926 |
| Total | $21,521 | $1,036 |
About $10.98 for every hour you work, or $22,841 a year at 40 hours a week ($27,040 gross). Taxes take about 15.5% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
About $439 a week at 40 hours, from $520 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $879.
About $1,903 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,253 gross.
$13 an hour is 1.8 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which applies in Alabama. Alabama has no state minimum wage law. It's about the 12th percentile of hourly pay in Alabama (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 12 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Alabama is $21.96. After taxes and local prices, $22,841 a year buys about what $25,716 would at national-average prices.
It ranks 48th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $13 an hour. The most you'd keep is $23,877 a year, in 9 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $22,255 in Oregon.
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Alabama's income tax rules (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.