Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Median $21.60 an hour in Massachusetts · 34,700 jobs
Massachusetts · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts
At $21 an hour in Massachusetts you keep about $16.88 of every hour — $675 a week, $2,926 a month or $35,112 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Massachusetts income tax and state payroll programs. Massachusetts has a graduated income tax plus PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share, and its minimum wage is $15.00 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 |
| Massachusetts income tax | −$1,964 | −$38 | −$0.94 |
| PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share | −$201 | −$4 | −$0.10 |
| Take-home pay | $35,112 | $675 | $16.88 |
Effective tax rate 19.6% · federal bracket 12% · Massachusetts bracket 5%.
PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share: 0.46% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $675.23 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,350.46 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,463.00 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $2,926.00 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Massachusetts 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 | $358 | $18,623 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $518 | $26,934 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $675 | $35,112 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $793 | $41,245 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $911 | $47,379 |
*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 Massachusetts?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 1.4 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.
- Among Massachusetts workers: It's about the 23rd percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 23 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $30.57 an hour.
- Local prices: Massachusetts's price level is 105.8% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $35,112 a year buys about what $33,201 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 $1,463 a month for needs, $878 for wants and $585 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Massachusetts that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Massachusetts is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Security Guards
Median $21.48 an hour in Massachusetts · 23,930 jobs
Receptionists and Information Clerks
Median $21.09 an hour in Massachusetts · 18,970 jobs
Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs
Median $20.96 an hour in Massachusetts · 12,620 jobs
Counter and Rental Clerks
Median $21.19 an hour in Massachusetts · 8,220 jobs
Cooks, Short Order
Median $21.29 an hour in Massachusetts · 4,760 jobs
How Massachusetts compares on $21 an hour
Massachusetts ranks 50th 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 Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $16.88 | $35,112 | $15.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $17.09 | $35,555 | $16.94 | +$443 a year |
| New Hampshire | $17.92 | $37,277 | $7.25 | +$2,165 a year |
| New York | $16.97 | $35,295 | $16.00 | +$183 a year |
| Rhode Island | $17.20 | $35,775 | $16.00 | +$663 a year |
| Vermont | $17.43 | $36,247 | $14.42 | +$1,135 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 Massachusetts income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of Massachusetts wages minus $4,400 in exemptions = $39,280.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 5% | $39,280 | $1,964 |
| Total | $39,280 | $1,964 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $16.88 for every hour you work, or $35,112 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 19.6% 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 Massachusetts?
About $675 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,350.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $2,926 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
$21 an hour is 1.4 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 23rd percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 23 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Massachusetts is $30.57. After taxes and local prices, $35,112 a year buys about what $33,201 would at national-average prices.
Is Massachusetts a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 50th 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 Massachusetts
- $17 an hour in Massachusetts
- $18 an hour in Massachusetts
- $19 an hour in Massachusetts
- $20 an hour in Massachusetts
- $22 an hour in Massachusetts
- $23 an hour in Massachusetts
- $24 an hour in Massachusetts
- $25 an hour in Massachusetts
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Massachusetts · $45,000 a year in Massachusetts · Massachusetts paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Massachusetts's income tax rules and Massachusetts'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.