Packers and Packagers, Hand
Median $16.44 an hour in Massachusetts · 15,330 jobs
Massachusetts · 2026 take-home pay
$16 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts
At $16 an hour in Massachusetts you keep about $13.14 of every hour — $525 a week, $2,277 a month or $27,323 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Massachusetts income tax and state payroll programs. Massachusetts has a graduated income tax plus PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share, and its minimum wage is $15.00 an hour.
Where $16 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $33,280 | $640 | $16.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,814 | −$35 | −$0.87 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,063 | −$40 | −$0.99 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$483 | −$9 | −$0.23 |
| Massachusetts income tax | −$1,444 | −$28 | −$0.69 |
| PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share | −$153 | −$3 | −$0.07 |
| Take-home pay | $27,323 | $525 | $13.14 |
Effective tax rate 17.9% · federal bracket 12% · Massachusetts bracket 5%.
PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share: 0.46% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $640.00 | $525.45 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,280.00 | $1,050.90 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,386.67 | $1,138.47 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,773.33 | $2,276.95 |
$16 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Massachusetts for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $16 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* | $320 | $281 | $14,624 |
| 30 hours a week | $480 | $404 | $21,022 |
| 40 hours a week | $640 | $525 | $27,323 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $760 | $615 | $31,997 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $880 | $705 | $36,670 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $16 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
- Minimum wage: $16 an hour is 1.1 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.
- Among Massachusetts workers: It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median is $30.57 an hour.
- Local prices: Massachusetts's price level is 105.8% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $27,323 a year buys about what $25,836 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $832 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,138 a month for needs, $683 for wants and $455 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Massachusetts that pay about $16 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Massachusetts is within 4% of $16 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Amusement and Recreation Attendants
Median $16.56 an hour in Massachusetts · 5,460 jobs
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
Median $16.32 an hour in Massachusetts · 2,270 jobs
Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Other
Median $16.61 an hour in Massachusetts · 140 jobs
How Massachusetts compares on $16 an hour
Massachusetts ranks 50th of 51 for take-home pay on $16 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $13.14 | $27,323 | $15.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $13.50 | $28,084 | $16.94 | +$761 a year |
| New Hampshire | $13.90 | $28,920 | $7.25 | +$1,597 a year |
| New York | $13.24 | $27,545 | $16.00 | +$222 a year |
| Rhode Island | $13.42 | $27,923 | $16.00 | +$600 a year |
| Vermont | $13.58 | $28,239 | $14.42 | +$916 a year |
How the federal tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $33,280 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $17,180. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $4,780 | $574 |
| Total | $17,180 | $1,814 |
How the Massachusetts income tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $33,280 of Massachusetts wages minus $4,400 in exemptions = $28,880.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 5% | $28,880 | $1,444 |
| Total | $28,880 | $1,444 |
Common questions
How much is $16 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $13.14 for every hour you work, or $27,323 a year at 40 hours a week ($33,280 gross). Taxes take about 17.9% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $16 an hour a week after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $525 a week at 40 hours, from $640 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,051.
How much is $16 an hour a month after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $2,277 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,773 gross.
Is $16 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
$16 an hour is 1.1 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Massachusetts is $30.57. After taxes and local prices, $27,323 a year buys about what $25,836 would at national-average prices.
Is Massachusetts a high-tax state for $16 an hour?
It ranks 50th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $16 an hour. The most you'd keep is $28,920 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $26,771 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Massachusetts
- $12 an hour in Massachusetts
- $13 an hour in Massachusetts
- $14 an hour in Massachusetts
- $15 an hour in Massachusetts
- $17 an hour in Massachusetts
- $18 an hour in Massachusetts
- $19 an hour in Massachusetts
- $20 an hour in Massachusetts
$16 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in Massachusetts · $35,000 a year in Massachusetts · Massachusetts paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Massachusetts's income tax rules and Massachusetts's employee payroll programs (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.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.