Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Median $21.29 an hour in Arizona · 71,090 jobs
Arizona · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Arizona
At $21 an hour in Arizona you keep about $17.59 of every hour — $703 a week, $3,048 a month or $36,579 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Arizona income tax. Arizona has a flat 2.5% income tax, and its minimum wage is $15.15 an hour.
Where $21 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $43,680 | $840 | $21.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$3,062 | −$59 | −$1.47 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,708 | −$52 | −$1.30 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$633 | −$12 | −$0.30 |
| Arizona income tax | −$698 | −$13 | −$0.34 |
| Take-home pay | $36,579 | $703 | $17.59 |
Effective tax rate 16.3% · federal bracket 12% · Arizona bracket 2.5%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $703.44 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,406.87 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,524.11 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $3,048.22 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Arizona for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $21 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* | $420 | $374 | $19,443 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $540 | $28,077 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $703 | $36,579 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $826 | $42,955 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $949 | $49,330 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Arizona?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 1.4 times Arizona's minimum wage of $15.15 an hour. Flagstaff and Tucson set higher minimums.
- Among Arizona workers: It's about the 37th percentile of hourly pay in Arizona (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 37 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $24.07 an hour.
- Local prices: Arizona's price level is 100.7% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $36,579 a year buys about what $36,333 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,092 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,524 a month for needs, $914 for wants and $610 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Arizona that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Arizona is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Waiters and Waitresses
Median $21.13 an hour in Arizona · 55,950 jobs
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
Median $21.67 an hour in Arizona · 23,540 jobs
Nursing Assistants
Median $21.53 an hour in Arizona · 20,320 jobs
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
Median $21.83 an hour in Arizona · 20,280 jobs
Light Truck Drivers
Median $21.70 an hour in Arizona · 18,400 jobs
How Arizona compares on $21 an hour
Arizona ranks 12th of 51 for take-home pay on $21 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Arizona |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $17.59 | $36,579 | $15.15 | — |
| California | $17.30 | $35,979 | $16.90 | −$600 a year |
| Colorado | $17.25 | $35,871 | $15.16 | −$708 a year |
| New Mexico | $17.48 | $36,366 | $12.00 | −$213 a year |
| Nevada | $17.92 | $37,277 | $12.00 | +$698 a year |
| Utah | $17.29 | $35,968 | $7.25 | −$611 a year |
How the federal tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $27,580. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $15,180 | $1,822 |
| Total | $27,580 | $3,062 |
How the Arizona income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of Arizona wages minus $15,750 standard deduction = $27,930.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5% | $27,930 | $698 |
| Total | $27,930 | $698 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Arizona?
About $17.59 for every hour you work, or $36,579 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 16.3% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $21 an hour a week after taxes in Arizona?
About $703 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,407.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Arizona?
About $3,048 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Arizona?
$21 an hour is 1.4 times Arizona's minimum wage of $15.15 an hour. It's about the 37th percentile of hourly pay in Arizona (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 37 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Arizona is $24.07. After taxes and local prices, $36,579 a year buys about what $36,333 would at national-average prices.
Is Arizona a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 12th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $21 an hour. The most you'd keep is $37,277 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $34,254 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Arizona
- $17 an hour in Arizona
- $18 an hour in Arizona
- $19 an hour in Arizona
- $20 an hour in Arizona
- $22 an hour in Arizona
- $23 an hour in Arizona
- $24 an hour in Arizona
- $25 an hour in Arizona
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Arizona · $45,000 a year in Arizona · Arizona paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Arizona'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.