Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median $19.67 an hour in Massachusetts · 117,940 jobs
Massachusetts · 2026 take-home pay
$19 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts
At $19 an hour in Massachusetts you keep about $15.38 of every hour — $615 a week, $2,666 a month or $31,997 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 $19 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $39,520 | $760 | $19.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,562 | −$49 | −$1.23 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,450 | −$47 | −$1.18 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$573 | −$11 | −$0.28 |
| Massachusetts income tax | −$1,756 | −$34 | −$0.84 |
| PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share | −$182 | −$3 | −$0.09 |
| Take-home pay | $31,997 | $615 | $15.38 |
Effective tax rate 19% · 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) | $760.00 | $615.32 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,520.00 | $1,230.64 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,646.67 | $1,333.19 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,293.33 | $2,666.38 |
$19 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Massachusetts for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $19 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* | $380 | $327 | $17,023 |
| 30 hours a week | $570 | $473 | $24,597 |
| 40 hours a week | $760 | $615 | $31,997 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $903 | $722 | $37,546 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,045 | $829 | $43,095 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $19 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
- Minimum wage: $19 an hour is 1.3 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.
- Among Massachusetts workers: It's about the 16th percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 16 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 $31,997 a year buys about what $30,255 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $988 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,333 a month for needs, $800 for wants and $533 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Massachusetts that pay about $19 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Massachusetts is within 4% of $19 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Waiters and Waitresses
Median $18.49 an hour in Massachusetts · 54,670 jobs
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $18.73 an hour in Massachusetts · 14,910 jobs
Food Preparation Workers
Median $18.70 an hour in Massachusetts · 13,620 jobs
Childcare Workers
Median $19.66 an hour in Massachusetts · 13,140 jobs
Recreation Workers
Median $18.53 an hour in Massachusetts · 11,280 jobs
How Massachusetts compares on $19 an hour
Massachusetts ranks 50th of 51 for take-home pay on $19 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 | $15.38 | $31,997 | $15.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $15.66 | $32,564 | $16.94 | +$567 a year |
| New Hampshire | $16.31 | $33,934 | $7.25 | +$1,937 a year |
| New York | $15.48 | $32,195 | $16.00 | +$198 a year |
| Rhode Island | $15.69 | $32,634 | $16.00 | +$637 a year |
| Vermont | $15.89 | $33,044 | $14.42 | +$1,047 a year |
How the federal tax on $39,520 ($19 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $39,520 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $23,420. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $11,020 | $1,322 |
| Total | $23,420 | $2,562 |
How the Massachusetts income tax on $39,520 ($19 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $39,520 of Massachusetts wages minus $4,400 in exemptions = $35,120.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 5% | $35,120 | $1,756 |
| Total | $35,120 | $1,756 |
Common questions
How much is $19 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $15.38 for every hour you work, or $31,997 a year at 40 hours a week ($39,520 gross). Taxes take about 19% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $19 an hour a week after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $615 a week at 40 hours, from $760 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,231.
How much is $19 an hour a month after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $2,666 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,293 gross.
Is $19 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
$19 an hour is 1.3 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 16th percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 16 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Massachusetts is $30.57. After taxes and local prices, $31,997 a year buys about what $30,255 would at national-average prices.
Is Massachusetts a high-tax state for $19 an hour?
It ranks 50th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $19 an hour. The most you'd keep is $33,934 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $31,261 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Massachusetts
- $15 an hour in Massachusetts
- $16 an hour in Massachusetts
- $17 an hour in Massachusetts
- $18 an hour in Massachusetts
- $20 an hour in Massachusetts
- $21 an hour in Massachusetts
- $22 an hour in Massachusetts
- $23 an hour in Massachusetts
$19 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.