Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Median $18.35 an hour in Tennessee · 105,870 jobs
Tennessee · 2026 take-home pay
$18 an hour after taxes in Tennessee
At $18 an hour in Tennessee you keep about $15.51 of every hour — $620 a week, $2,689 a month or $32,263 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare. Tennessee has no income tax on wages, and its minimum wage is $7.25 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 |
| Take-home pay | $32,263 | $620 | $15.51 |
Effective tax rate 13.8% · federal bracket 12% · no state income tax on wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $720.00 | $620.44 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,440.00 | $1,240.89 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,560.00 | $1,344.29 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,120.00 | $2,688.59 |
$18 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Tennessee 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 | $327 | $17,026 |
| 30 hours a week | $540 | $476 | $24,734 |
| 40 hours a week | $720 | $620 | $32,263 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $855 | $729 | $37,904 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $990 | $837 | $43,544 |
*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 Tennessee?
- Minimum wage: $18 an hour is 2.5 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which applies in Tennessee. Tennessee has no state minimum wage law.
- Among Tennessee workers: It's about the 28th percentile of hourly pay in Tennessee (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 28 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $22.78 an hour.
- Local prices: Tennessee's price level is 91.9% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $32,263 a year buys about what $35,118 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 $1,344 a month for needs, $807 for wants and $538 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Tennessee that pay about $18 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Tennessee is within 4% of $18 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Stockers and Order Fillers
Median $17.38 an hour in Tennessee · 60,130 jobs
Office Clerks, General
Median $18.68 an hour in Tennessee · 49,880 jobs
Cooks, Restaurant
Median $17.51 an hour in Tennessee · 28,220 jobs
Security Guards
Median $17.31 an hour in Tennessee · 27,690 jobs
Nursing Assistants
Median $18.27 an hour in Tennessee · 27,040 jobs
How Tennessee compares on $18 an hour
Tennessee ranks tied for 1st of 51 (with 7 others) 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 Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $15.51 | $32,263 | $7.25 | — |
| Alabama | $14.78 | $30,747 | $7.25 | −$1,516 a year |
| Arkansas | $15.08 | $31,365 | $11.00 | −$898 a year |
| Georgia | $14.97 | $31,143 | $7.25 | −$1,120 a year |
| Kentucky | $14.94 | $31,070 | $7.25 | −$1,193 a year |
| Missouri | $15.12 | $31,441 | $15.00 | −$822 a year |
| Mississippi | $15.14 | $31,497 | $7.25 | −$766 a year |
| North Carolina | $15.04 | $31,278 | $7.25 | −$985 a year |
| Virginia | $14.87 | $30,924 | $12.77 | −$1,339 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 |
Common questions
How much is $18 an hour after taxes in Tennessee?
About $15.51 for every hour you work, or $32,263 a year at 40 hours a week ($37,440 gross). Taxes take about 13.8% 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 Tennessee?
About $620 a week at 40 hours, from $720 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,241.
How much is $18 an hour a month after taxes in Tennessee?
About $2,689 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,120 gross.
Is $18 an hour good pay in Tennessee?
$18 an hour is 2.5 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which applies in Tennessee. Tennessee has no state minimum wage law. It's about the 28th percentile of hourly pay in Tennessee (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 28 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Tennessee is $22.78. After taxes and local prices, $32,263 a year buys about what $35,118 would at national-average prices.
Is Tennessee a high-tax state for $18 an hour?
It ranks tied for 1st of 51 (with 7 others) 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 Tennessee, Florida, North Dakota; the least, $29,764 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Tennessee
- $14 an hour in Tennessee
- $15 an hour in Tennessee
- $16 an hour in Tennessee
- $17 an hour in Tennessee
- $19 an hour in Tennessee
- $20 an hour in Tennessee
- $21 an hour in Tennessee
- $22 an hour in Tennessee
$18 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in Tennessee · $40,000 a year in Tennessee · Tennessee paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare (methodology). Tennessee doesn't tax wages. 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.