Retail Salespersons
Median $17.60 an hour in Massachusetts · 86,860 jobs
Massachusetts · 2026 take-home pay
$17 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts
At $17 an hour in Massachusetts you keep about $13.89 of every hour — $555 a week, $2,407 a month or $28,881 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 $17 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $35,360 | $680 | $17.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,063 | −$40 | −$0.99 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,192 | −$42 | −$1.05 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$513 | −$10 | −$0.25 |
| Massachusetts income tax | −$1,548 | −$30 | −$0.74 |
| PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share | −$163 | −$3 | −$0.08 |
| Take-home pay | $28,881 | $555 | $13.89 |
Effective tax rate 18.3% · 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) | $680.00 | $555.41 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,360.00 | $1,110.81 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,473.33 | $1,203.38 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,946.67 | $2,406.76 |
$17 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Massachusetts for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $17 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* | $340 | $297 | $15,424 |
| 30 hours a week | $510 | $427 | $22,221 |
| 40 hours a week | $680 | $555 | $28,881 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $808 | $651 | $33,846 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $935 | $746 | $38,812 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $17 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
- Minimum wage: $17 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 $28,881 a year buys about what $27,309 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $884 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,203 a month for needs, $722 for wants and $481 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Massachusetts that pay about $17 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Massachusetts is within 4% of $17 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Fast Food and Counter Workers
Median $17.24 an hour in Massachusetts · 85,810 jobs
Cashiers
Median $17.08 an hour in Massachusetts · 58,880 jobs
Packers and Packagers, Hand
Median $16.44 an hour in Massachusetts · 15,330 jobs
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Median $16.81 an hour in Massachusetts · 13,540 jobs
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Median $17.01 an hour in Massachusetts · 11,510 jobs
How Massachusetts compares on $17 an hour
Massachusetts ranks 50th of 51 for take-home pay on $17 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 | $13.89 | $28,881 | $15.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $14.22 | $29,572 | $16.94 | +$691 a year |
| New Hampshire | $14.71 | $30,592 | $7.25 | +$1,711 a year |
| New York | $13.99 | $29,095 | $16.00 | +$214 a year |
| Rhode Island | $14.18 | $29,494 | $16.00 | +$613 a year |
| Vermont | $14.35 | $29,841 | $14.42 | +$960 a year |
How the federal tax on $35,360 ($17 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $35,360 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $19,260. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $6,860 | $823 |
| Total | $19,260 | $2,063 |
How the Massachusetts income tax on $35,360 ($17 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $35,360 of Massachusetts wages minus $4,400 in exemptions = $30,960.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 5% | $30,960 | $1,548 |
| Total | $30,960 | $1,548 |
Common questions
How much is $17 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $13.89 for every hour you work, or $28,881 a year at 40 hours a week ($35,360 gross). Taxes take about 18.3% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $17 an hour a week after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $555 a week at 40 hours, from $680 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,111.
How much is $17 an hour a month after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $2,407 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,947 gross.
Is $17 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
$17 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, $28,881 a year buys about what $27,309 would at national-average prices.
Is Massachusetts a high-tax state for $17 an hour?
It ranks 50th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $17 an hour. The most you'd keep is $30,592 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $28,267 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Massachusetts
- $13 an hour in Massachusetts
- $14 an hour in Massachusetts
- $15 an hour in Massachusetts
- $16 an hour in Massachusetts
- $18 an hour in Massachusetts
- $19 an hour in Massachusetts
- $20 an hour in Massachusetts
- $21 an hour in Massachusetts
$17 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in Massachusetts · $40,000 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.