Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Median $20.60 an hour in Arkansas · 12,510 jobs
Arkansas · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Arkansas
At $21 an hour in Arkansas you keep about $17.38 of every hour — $695 a week, $3,012 a month or $36,148 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Arkansas income tax. Arkansas has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $11.00 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 |
| Arkansas income tax | −$1,129 | −$22 | −$0.54 |
| Take-home pay | $36,148 | $695 | $17.38 |
Effective tax rate 17.2% · federal bracket 12% · Arkansas bracket 3.7%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $695.16 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,390.32 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,506.18 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $3,012.36 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Arkansas 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 | $370 | $19,254 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $534 | $27,778 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $695 | $36,148 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $816 | $42,426 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $937 | $48,704 |
*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 Arkansas?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 1.9 times Arkansas's minimum wage of $11.00 an hour. Employers with 4 or more employees.
- Among Arkansas workers: It's about the 50th percentile of hourly pay in Arkansas (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 50 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $20.98 an hour.
- Local prices: Arkansas's price level is 86.9% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $36,148 a year buys about what $41,580 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 $1,506 a month for needs, $904 for wants and $602 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Arkansas that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Arkansas is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Median $20.87 an hour in Arkansas · 12,410 jobs
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Median $21.05 an hour in Arkansas · 10,850 jobs
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Median $21.23 an hour in Arkansas · 7,310 jobs
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Median $21.43 an hour in Arkansas · 5,880 jobs
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Median $21.41 an hour in Arkansas · 5,800 jobs
How Arkansas compares on $21 an hour
Arkansas ranks 21st 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 Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | $17.38 | $36,148 | $11.00 | — |
| Louisiana | $17.48 | $36,353 | $7.25 | +$205 a year |
| Missouri | $17.39 | $36,161 | $15.00 | +$13 a year |
| Mississippi | $17.43 | $36,262 | $7.25 | +$114 a year |
| Oklahoma | $17.24 | $35,857 | $7.25 | −$291 a year |
| Tennessee | $17.92 | $37,277 | $7.25 | +$1,129 a year |
| Texas | $17.92 | $37,277 | $7.25 | +$1,129 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 Arkansas income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of Arkansas wages minus $2,470 standard deduction = $41,210.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $5,600 | $0 |
| 2% | $5,600 | $112 |
| 3% | $4,800 | $144 |
| 3.4% | $10,400 | $354 |
| 3.7% | $14,810 | $548 |
| Personal credits | — | −$29 |
| Total | $41,210 | $1,129 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Arkansas?
About $17.38 for every hour you work, or $36,148 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 17.2% 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 Arkansas?
About $695 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,390.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Arkansas?
About $3,012 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Arkansas?
$21 an hour is 1.9 times Arkansas's minimum wage of $11.00 an hour. It's about the 50th percentile of hourly pay in Arkansas (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 50 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Arkansas is $20.98. After taxes and local prices, $36,148 a year buys about what $41,580 would at national-average prices.
Is Arkansas a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 21st 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 Arkansas
- $17 an hour in Arkansas
- $18 an hour in Arkansas
- $19 an hour in Arkansas
- $20 an hour in Arkansas
- $22 an hour in Arkansas
- $23 an hour in Arkansas
- $24 an hour in Arkansas
- $25 an hour in Arkansas
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Arkansas · $45,000 a year in Arkansas · Arkansas paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Arkansas'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.