Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median $17.47 an hour in Wisconsin · 82,430 jobs
Wisconsin · 2026 take-home pay
$18 an hour after taxes in Wisconsin
At $18 an hour in Wisconsin you keep about $15.05 of every hour — $602 a week, $2,609 a month or $31,305 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Wisconsin income tax. Wisconsin has a graduated income tax, 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 |
| Wisconsin income tax | −$958 | −$18 | −$0.46 |
| Take-home pay | $31,305 | $602 | $15.05 |
Effective tax rate 16.4% · federal bracket 12% · Wisconsin bracket 4.4%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $720.00 | $602.02 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,440.00 | $1,204.05 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,560.00 | $1,304.39 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,120.00 | $2,608.77 |
$18 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Wisconsin 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 | $325 | $16,884 |
| 30 hours a week | $540 | $466 | $24,231 |
| 40 hours a week | $720 | $602 | $31,305 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $855 | $704 | $36,600 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $990 | $806 | $41,895 |
*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 Wisconsin?
- Minimum wage: $18 an hour is 2.5 times Wisconsin's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
- Among Wisconsin workers: It's about the 25th percentile of hourly pay in Wisconsin (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 25 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $24.17 an hour.
- Local prices: Wisconsin's price level is 94.1% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $31,305 a year buys about what $33,270 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 $1,304 a month for needs, $783 for wants and $522 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Wisconsin that pay about $18 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Wisconsin is within 4% of $18 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $17.79 an hour in Wisconsin · 45,640 jobs
Cooks, Restaurant
Median $17.57 an hour in Wisconsin · 25,410 jobs
Packers and Packagers, Hand
Median $17.31 an hour in Wisconsin · 13,130 jobs
Security Guards
Median $18.00 an hour in Wisconsin · 12,030 jobs
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
Median $17.39 an hour in Wisconsin · 11,330 jobs
How Wisconsin compares on $18 an hour
Wisconsin ranks 25th of 51 for take-home pay on $18 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
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 Wisconsin income tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $37,440 of Wisconsin wages minus $11,882 standard deduction minus $700 in exemptions = $24,858.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5% | $15,110 | $529 |
| 4.4% | $9,748 | $429 |
| Total | $24,858 | $958 |
Common questions
How much is $18 an hour after taxes in Wisconsin?
About $15.05 for every hour you work, or $31,305 a year at 40 hours a week ($37,440 gross). Taxes take about 16.4% 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 Wisconsin?
About $602 a week at 40 hours, from $720 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,204.
How much is $18 an hour a month after taxes in Wisconsin?
About $2,609 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,120 gross.
Is $18 an hour good pay in Wisconsin?
$18 an hour is 2.5 times Wisconsin's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. It's about the 25th percentile of hourly pay in Wisconsin (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 25 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Wisconsin is $24.17. After taxes and local prices, $31,305 a year buys about what $33,270 would at national-average prices.
Is Wisconsin a high-tax state for $18 an hour?
It ranks 25th 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 Wisconsin
- $14 an hour in Wisconsin
- $15 an hour in Wisconsin
- $16 an hour in Wisconsin
- $17 an hour in Wisconsin
- $19 an hour in Wisconsin
- $20 an hour in Wisconsin
- $21 an hour in Wisconsin
- $22 an hour in Wisconsin
$18 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in Wisconsin · $40,000 a year in Wisconsin · Wisconsin paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Wisconsin's income tax rules (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.