Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Median $20.98 an hour in Connecticut · 23,970 jobs
Connecticut · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Connecticut
At $21 an hour in Connecticut you keep about $17.09 of every hour — $684 a week, $2,963 a month or $35,555 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Connecticut income tax and state payroll programs. Connecticut has a graduated income tax plus CT Paid Leave, and its minimum wage is $16.94 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 |
| Connecticut income tax | −$1,504 | −$29 | −$0.72 |
| CT Paid Leave | −$218 | −$4 | −$0.11 |
| Take-home pay | $35,555 | $684 | $17.09 |
Effective tax rate 18.6% · federal bracket 12% · Connecticut bracket 4.5%.
CT Paid Leave: 0.5% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $683.75 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,367.50 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,481.46 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $2,962.91 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Connecticut 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 | $373 | $19,404 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $533 | $27,737 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $684 | $35,555 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $802 | $41,706 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $919 | $47,792 |
*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 Connecticut?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 1.2 times Connecticut's minimum wage of $16.94 an hour.
- Among Connecticut workers: It's about the 29th percentile of hourly pay in Connecticut (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 29 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $28.70 an hour.
- Local prices: Connecticut's price level is 103.6% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $35,555 a year buys about what $34,316 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 $1,481 a month for needs, $889 for wants and $593 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Connecticut that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Connecticut is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Nursing Assistants
Median $21.53 an hour in Connecticut · 21,380 jobs
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
Median $21.72 an hour in Connecticut · 10,850 jobs
Light Truck Drivers
Median $21.39 an hour in Connecticut · 10,720 jobs
Social and Human Service Assistants
Median $21.50 an hour in Connecticut · 9,930 jobs
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists
Median $21.45 an hour in Connecticut · 4,090 jobs
How Connecticut compares on $21 an hour
Connecticut ranks 44th 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 Connecticut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $17.09 | $35,555 | $16.94 | — |
| Massachusetts | $16.88 | $35,112 | $15.00 | −$443 a year |
| New York | $16.97 | $35,295 | $16.00 | −$260 a year |
| Rhode Island | $17.20 | $35,775 | $16.00 | +$220 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 Connecticut income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of Connecticut wages minus $1,000 in exemptions = $42,680.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $10,000 | $200 |
| 4.5% | $32,680 | $1,471 |
| Personal tax credit (10% of tax) | — | −$167 |
| Total | $42,680 | $1,504 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Connecticut?
About $17.09 for every hour you work, or $35,555 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 18.6% 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 Connecticut?
About $684 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,367.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Connecticut?
About $2,963 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Connecticut?
$21 an hour is 1.2 times Connecticut's minimum wage of $16.94 an hour. It's about the 29th percentile of hourly pay in Connecticut (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 29 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Connecticut is $28.70. After taxes and local prices, $35,555 a year buys about what $34,316 would at national-average prices.
Is Connecticut a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 44th 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 Connecticut
- $17 an hour in Connecticut
- $18 an hour in Connecticut
- $19 an hour in Connecticut
- $20 an hour in Connecticut
- $22 an hour in Connecticut
- $23 an hour in Connecticut
- $24 an hour in Connecticut
- $25 an hour in Connecticut
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Connecticut · $45,000 a year in Connecticut · Connecticut paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Connecticut's income tax rules and Connecticut'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.