Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $20.02 an hour in New York · 195,250 jobs
New York · 2026 take-home pay
$20 an hour after taxes in New York
At $20 an hour in New York you keep about $16.22 of every hour — $649 a week, $2,812 a month or $33,745 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 $20 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $41,600 | $800 | $20.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,812 | −$54 | −$1.35 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,579 | −$50 | −$1.24 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$603 | −$12 | −$0.29 |
| New York income tax | −$1,649 | −$32 | −$0.79 |
| DBL (Disability Benefits Law) | −$31 | −$1 | −$0.02 |
| PFL (Paid Family Leave) | −$180 | −$3 | −$0.09 |
| Take-home pay | $33,745 | $649 | $16.22 |
Effective tax rate 18.9% · 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) | $800.00 | $648.95 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,600.00 | $1,297.90 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,733.33 | $1,406.05 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,466.67 | $2,812.11 |
$20 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 $20 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* | $400 | $348 | $18,089 |
| 30 hours a week | $600 | $500 | $25,995 |
| 40 hours a week | $800 | $649 | $33,745 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $950 | $761 | $39,558 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,100 | $873 | $45,370 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $20 an hour good pay in New York?
- Minimum wage: $20 an hour is 1.3 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 26th percentile of hourly pay in New York (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 26 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 $33,745 a year buys about what $31,269 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,040 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,406 a month for needs, $844 for wants and $562 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in New York that pay about $20 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in New York is within 4% of $20 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Receptionists and Information Clerks
Median $20.71 an hour in New York · 65,010 jobs
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $20.17 an hour in New York · 41,740 jobs
Driver/Sales Workers
Median $20.54 an hour in New York · 18,990 jobs
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
Median $20.20 an hour in New York · 5,990 jobs
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
Median $20.67 an hour in New York · 5,510 jobs
How New York compares on $20 an hour
New York ranks 48th of 51 for take-home pay on $20 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 | $16.22 | $33,745 | $16.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $16.37 | $34,059 | $16.94 | +$314 a year |
| Massachusetts | $16.13 | $33,554 | $15.00 | −$191 a year |
| New Jersey | $16.59 | $34,503 | $15.92 | +$758 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $16.49 | $34,299 | $7.25 | +$554 a year |
| Vermont | $16.66 | $34,646 | $14.42 | +$901 a year |
How the federal tax on $41,600 ($20 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $41,600 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $25,500. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $13,100 | $1,572 |
| Total | $25,500 | $2,812 |
How the New York income tax on $41,600 ($20 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $41,600 of New York wages minus $8,000 standard deduction = $33,600.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.9% | $8,500 | $332 |
| 4.4% | $3,200 | $141 |
| 5.15% | $2,200 | $113 |
| 5.4% | $19,700 | $1,064 |
| Total | $33,600 | $1,649 |
Common questions
How much is $20 an hour after taxes in New York?
About $16.22 for every hour you work, or $33,745 a year at 40 hours a week ($41,600 gross). Taxes take about 18.9% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $20 an hour a week after taxes in New York?
About $649 a week at 40 hours, from $800 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,298.
How much is $20 an hour a month after taxes in New York?
About $2,812 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,467 gross.
Is $20 an hour good pay in New York?
$20 an hour is 1.3 times New York's minimum wage of $16.00 an hour. It's about the 26th percentile of hourly pay in New York (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 26 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in New York is $28.69. After taxes and local prices, $33,745 a year buys about what $31,269 would at national-average prices.
Is New York a high-tax state for $20 an hour?
It ranks 48th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $20 an hour. The most you'd keep is $35,606 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $32,757 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in New York
- $16 an hour in New York
- $17 an hour in New York
- $18 an hour in New York
- $19 an hour in New York
- $21 an hour in New York
- $22 an hour in New York
- $23 an hour in New York
- $24 an hour in New York
$20 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in New York · $45,000 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.