Retail Salespersons
Median $18.13 an hour in New York · 238,540 jobs
New York · 2026 take-home pay
$18 an hour after taxes in New York
At $18 an hour in New York you keep about $14.73 of every hour — $589 a week, $2,554 a month or $30,645 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, New York income tax and state payroll programs. New York has a graduated income tax plus DBL and PFL, and its minimum wage is $16.00 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 |
| New York income tax | −$1,425 | −$27 | −$0.68 |
| DBL (Disability Benefits Law) | −$31 | −$1 | −$0.02 |
| PFL (Paid Family Leave) | −$162 | −$3 | −$0.08 |
| Take-home pay | $30,645 | $589 | $14.73 |
Effective tax rate 18.1% · federal bracket 12% · New York bracket 5.4%.
DBL (Disability Benefits Law): 0.5% of wages (capped) · PFL (Paid Family Leave): 0.43% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $720.00 | $589.33 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,440.00 | $1,178.67 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,560.00 | $1,276.89 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,120.00 | $2,553.78 |
$18 an hour at different hours
Take-home in New York 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 | $317 | $16,485 |
| 30 hours a week | $540 | $455 | $23,662 |
| 40 hours a week | $720 | $589 | $30,645 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $855 | $690 | $35,877 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $990 | $791 | $41,108 |
*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 York?
- Minimum wage: $18 an hour is 1.1 times New York's minimum wage of $16.00 an hour. $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester; $16.00 in the rest of the state.
- Among New York workers: It's about the 15th percentile of hourly pay in New York (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 15 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $28.69 an hour.
- Local prices: New York's price level is 107.9% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $30,645 a year buys about what $28,396 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 $1,277 a month for needs, $766 for wants and $511 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in New York that pay about $18 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in New York is within 4% of $18 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Childcare Workers
Median $18.07 an hour in New York · 44,020 jobs
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Median $17.66 an hour in New York · 41,340 jobs
Recreation Workers
Median $18.29 an hour in New York · 24,790 jobs
School Bus Monitors
Median $17.74 an hour in New York · 19,090 jobs
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Median $17.54 an hour in New York · 18,640 jobs
How New York compares on $18 an hour
New York ranks 48th 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 York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $14.73 | $30,645 | $16.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $14.94 | $31,068 | $16.94 | +$423 a year |
| Massachusetts | $14.63 | $30,439 | $15.00 | −$206 a year |
| New Jersey | $15.07 | $31,354 | $15.92 | +$709 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $14.95 | $31,087 | $7.25 | +$442 a year |
| Vermont | $15.12 | $31,443 | $14.42 | +$798 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 York income tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $37,440 of New York wages minus $8,000 standard deduction = $29,440.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.9% | $8,500 | $332 |
| 4.4% | $3,200 | $141 |
| 5.15% | $2,200 | $113 |
| 5.4% | $15,540 | $839 |
| Total | $29,440 | $1,425 |
Common questions
How much is $18 an hour after taxes in New York?
About $14.73 for every hour you work, or $30,645 a year at 40 hours a week ($37,440 gross). Taxes take about 18.1% 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 York?
About $589 a week at 40 hours, from $720 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,179.
How much is $18 an hour a month after taxes in New York?
About $2,554 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,120 gross.
Is $18 an hour good pay in New York?
$18 an hour is 1.1 times New York's minimum wage of $16.00 an hour. It's about the 15th percentile of hourly pay in New York (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 15 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in New York is $28.69. After taxes and local prices, $30,645 a year buys about what $28,396 would at national-average prices.
Is New York a high-tax state for $18 an hour?
It ranks 48th 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 York
- $14 an hour in New York
- $15 an hour in New York
- $16 an hour in New York
- $17 an hour in New York
- $19 an hour in New York
- $20 an hour in New York
- $21 an hour in New York
- $22 an hour in New York
$18 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in New York · $40,000 a year in New York · New York paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, New York's income tax rules and New York'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.