Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median $17.83 an hour in New Jersey · 117,080 jobs
New Jersey · 2026 take-home pay
$18 an hour after taxes in New Jersey
At $18 an hour in New Jersey you keep about $15.07 of every hour — $603 a week, $2,613 a month or $31,354 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, New Jersey income tax and state payroll programs. New Jersey has a graduated income tax plus TDI, FLI, UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share and WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share, and its minimum wage is $15.92 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 |
| New Jersey income tax | −$593 | −$11 | −$0.29 |
| TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance) | −$71 | −$1 | −$0.03 |
| FLI (Family Leave Insurance) | −$86 | −$2 | −$0.04 |
| UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share | −$143 | −$3 | −$0.07 |
| WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share | −$16 | −$0 | −$0.01 |
| Take-home pay | $31,354 | $603 | $15.07 |
Effective tax rate 16.3% · federal bracket 12% · New Jersey bracket 3.5%.
TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance): 0.19% of wages · FLI (Family Leave Insurance): 0.23% of wages · UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share: 0.38% of wages · WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share: 0.04% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $720.00 | $602.96 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,440.00 | $1,205.91 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,560.00 | $1,306.41 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,120.00 | $2,612.81 |
$18 an hour at different hours
Take-home in New Jersey 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 | $320 | $16,620 |
| 30 hours a week | $540 | $463 | $24,093 |
| 40 hours a week | $720 | $603 | $31,354 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $855 | $704 | $36,619 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $990 | $805 | $41,841 |
*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 New Jersey?
- Minimum wage: $18 an hour is 1.1 times New Jersey's minimum wage of $15.92 an hour. $15.23 for employers with fewer than 6 employees and for seasonal work.
- Among New Jersey workers: It's about the 19th percentile of hourly pay in New Jersey (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 19 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $28.16 an hour.
- Local prices: New Jersey's price level is 108.8% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $31,354 a year buys about what $28,816 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 $1,306 a month for needs, $784 for wants and $523 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in New Jersey that pay about $18 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in New Jersey is within 4% of $18 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Retail Salespersons
Median $17.56 an hour in New Jersey · 72,530 jobs
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $18.09 an hour in New Jersey · 67,660 jobs
Stockers and Order Fillers
Median $17.91 an hour in New Jersey · 64,070 jobs
Security Guards
Median $18.69 an hour in New Jersey · 41,540 jobs
Cooks, Restaurant
Median $18.49 an hour in New Jersey · 28,800 jobs
How New Jersey compares on $18 an hour
New Jersey ranks 23rd 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 New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $15.07 | $31,354 | $15.92 | — |
| Delaware | $14.77 | $30,712 | $15.00 | −$642 a year |
| New York | $14.73 | $30,645 | $16.00 | −$709 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $14.95 | $31,087 | $7.25 | −$267 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 New Jersey income tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $37,440 of New Jersey wages minus $1,000 in exemptions = $36,440.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4% | $20,000 | $280 |
| 1.75% | $15,000 | $263 |
| 3.5% | $1,440 | $50 |
| Total | $36,440 | $593 |
Common questions
How much is $18 an hour after taxes in New Jersey?
About $15.07 for every hour you work, or $31,354 a year at 40 hours a week ($37,440 gross). Taxes take about 16.3% 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 New Jersey?
About $603 a week at 40 hours, from $720 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,206.
How much is $18 an hour a month after taxes in New Jersey?
About $2,613 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,120 gross.
Is $18 an hour good pay in New Jersey?
$18 an hour is 1.1 times New Jersey's minimum wage of $15.92 an hour. It's about the 19th percentile of hourly pay in New Jersey (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 19 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in New Jersey is $28.16. After taxes and local prices, $31,354 a year buys about what $28,816 would at national-average prices.
Is New Jersey a high-tax state for $18 an hour?
It ranks 23rd 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 New Jersey
- $14 an hour in New Jersey
- $15 an hour in New Jersey
- $16 an hour in New Jersey
- $17 an hour in New Jersey
- $19 an hour in New Jersey
- $20 an hour in New Jersey
- $21 an hour in New Jersey
- $22 an hour in New Jersey
$18 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in New Jersey · $40,000 a year in New Jersey · New Jersey paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, New Jersey's income tax rules and New Jersey'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.