Retail Salespersons
Median $17.60 an hour in Massachusetts · 86,860 jobs
Massachusetts · 2026 take-home pay
$18 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts
At $18 an hour in Massachusetts you keep about $14.63 of every hour — $585 a week, $2,537 a month or $30,439 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 $18 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $37,440 | $720 | $18.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,313 | −$44 | −$1.11 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,321 | −$45 | −$1.12 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$543 | −$10 | −$0.26 |
| Massachusetts income tax | −$1,652 | −$32 | −$0.79 |
| PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share | −$172 | −$3 | −$0.08 |
| Take-home pay | $30,439 | $585 | $14.63 |
Effective tax rate 18.7% · 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) | $720.00 | $585.36 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,440.00 | $1,170.72 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,560.00 | $1,268.28 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,120.00 | $2,536.57 |
$18 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Massachusetts for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $18 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* | $360 | $312 | $16,224 |
| 30 hours a week | $540 | $450 | $23,421 |
| 40 hours a week | $720 | $585 | $30,439 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $855 | $686 | $35,696 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $990 | $788 | $40,953 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $18 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
- Minimum wage: $18 an hour is 1.2 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.
- Among Massachusetts workers: It's about the 12th percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 12 in 100 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 $30,439 a year buys about what $28,782 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $936 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,268 a month for needs, $761 for wants and $507 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Massachusetts that pay about $18 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Massachusetts is within 4% of $18 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Waiters and Waitresses
Median $18.49 an hour in Massachusetts · 54,670 jobs
Stockers and Order Fillers
Median $18.05 an hour in Massachusetts · 49,760 jobs
Bartenders
Median $18.00 an hour in Massachusetts · 19,850 jobs
Dishwashers
Median $17.88 an hour in Massachusetts · 14,100 jobs
Food Preparation Workers
Median $18.70 an hour in Massachusetts · 13,620 jobs
How Massachusetts compares on $18 an hour
Massachusetts ranks 50th of 51 for take-home pay on $18 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 | $14.63 | $30,439 | $15.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $14.94 | $31,068 | $16.94 | +$629 a year |
| New Hampshire | $15.51 | $32,263 | $7.25 | +$1,824 a year |
| New York | $14.73 | $30,645 | $16.00 | +$206 a year |
| Rhode Island | $14.93 | $31,064 | $16.00 | +$625 a year |
| Vermont | $15.12 | $31,443 | $14.42 | +$1,004 a year |
How the federal tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $37,440 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $21,340. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $8,940 | $1,073 |
| Total | $21,340 | $2,313 |
How the Massachusetts income tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $37,440 of Massachusetts wages minus $4,400 in exemptions = $33,040.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 5% | $33,040 | $1,652 |
| Total | $33,040 | $1,652 |
Common questions
How much is $18 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $14.63 for every hour you work, or $30,439 a year at 40 hours a week ($37,440 gross). Taxes take about 18.7% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $18 an hour a week after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $585 a week at 40 hours, from $720 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,171.
How much is $18 an hour a month after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $2,537 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,120 gross.
Is $18 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
$18 an hour is 1.2 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 12th percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 12 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Massachusetts is $30.57. After taxes and local prices, $30,439 a year buys about what $28,782 would at national-average prices.
Is Massachusetts a high-tax state for $18 an hour?
It ranks 50th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $18 an hour. The most you'd keep is $32,263 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $29,764 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Massachusetts
- $14 an hour in Massachusetts
- $15 an hour in Massachusetts
- $16 an hour in Massachusetts
- $17 an hour in Massachusetts
- $19 an hour in Massachusetts
- $20 an hour in Massachusetts
- $21 an hour in Massachusetts
- $22 an hour in Massachusetts
$18 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.