Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Median $20.78 an hour in Georgia · 50,260 jobs
Georgia · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Georgia
At $21 an hour in Georgia you keep about $17.23 of every hour — $689 a week, $2,987 a month or $35,846 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Georgia income tax. Georgia has a flat 4.99% income tax, and its minimum wage is $7.25 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 |
| Georgia income tax | −$1,431 | −$28 | −$0.69 |
| Take-home pay | $35,846 | $689 | $17.23 |
Effective tax rate 17.9% · federal bracket 12% · Georgia bracket 4.99%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $689.34 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,378.68 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,493.57 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $2,987.15 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Georgia 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 | $531 | $27,616 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $689 | $35,846 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $808 | $42,018 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $927 | $48,190 |
*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 Georgia?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 2.9 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which applies in Georgia.
- Among Georgia workers: It's about the 41st percentile of hourly pay in Georgia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 41 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $23.16 an hour.
- Local prices: Georgia's price level is 96.3% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $35,846 a year buys about what $37,226 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 $1,494 a month for needs, $896 for wants and $597 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Georgia that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Georgia is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Median $20.75 an hour in Georgia · 39,380 jobs
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
Median $20.97 an hour in Georgia · 28,150 jobs
Light Truck Drivers
Median $21.18 an hour in Georgia · 26,050 jobs
Bus Drivers, School
Median $21.61 an hour in Georgia · 16,880 jobs
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
Median $21.12 an hour in Georgia · 16,850 jobs
How Georgia compares on $21 an hour
Georgia ranks 35th 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 Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $17.23 | $35,846 | $7.25 | — |
| Alabama | $17.06 | $35,486 | $7.25 | −$360 a year |
| Florida | $17.92 | $37,277 | $15.00 | +$1,431 a year |
| North Carolina | $17.33 | $36,043 | $7.25 | +$197 a year |
| South Carolina | $17.64 | $36,686 | $7.25 | +$840 a year |
| Tennessee | $17.92 | $37,277 | $7.25 | +$1,431 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 Georgia income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of Georgia wages minus $15,000 standard deduction = $28,680.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 4.99% | $28,680 | $1,431 |
| Total | $28,680 | $1,431 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Georgia?
About $17.23 for every hour you work, or $35,846 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 17.9% 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 Georgia?
About $689 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,379.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Georgia?
About $2,987 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Georgia?
$21 an hour is 2.9 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which applies in Georgia. It's about the 41st percentile of hourly pay in Georgia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 41 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Georgia is $23.16. After taxes and local prices, $35,846 a year buys about what $37,226 would at national-average prices.
Is Georgia a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 35th 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 Georgia
- $17 an hour in Georgia
- $18 an hour in Georgia
- $19 an hour in Georgia
- $20 an hour in Georgia
- $22 an hour in Georgia
- $23 an hour in Georgia
- $24 an hour in Georgia
- $25 an hour in Georgia
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Georgia · $45,000 a year in Georgia · Georgia paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Georgia'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.