Packers and Packagers, Hand
Median $21.08 an hour in New Jersey · 71,260 jobs
New Jersey · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in New Jersey
At $21 an hour in New Jersey you keep about $17.33 of every hour — $693 a week, $3,004 a month or $36,042 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, New Jersey income tax and state payroll programs. New Jersey has a graduated income tax plus TDI, FLI, UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share and WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share, and its minimum wage is $15.92 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 |
| New Jersey income tax | −$866 | −$17 | −$0.42 |
| TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance) | −$83 | −$2 | −$0.04 |
| FLI (Family Leave Insurance) | −$100 | −$2 | −$0.05 |
| UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share | −$167 | −$3 | −$0.08 |
| WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share | −$19 | −$0 | −$0.01 |
| Take-home pay | $36,042 | $693 | $17.33 |
Effective tax rate 17.5% · federal bracket 12% · New Jersey bracket 5.53%.
TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance): 0.19% of wages · FLI (Family Leave Insurance): 0.23% of wages · UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share: 0.38% of wages · WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share: 0.04% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $693.12 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,386.24 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,501.76 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $3,003.52 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in New Jersey 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 | $368 | $19,116 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $533 | $27,740 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $693 | $36,042 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $810 | $42,131 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $927 | $48,225 |
*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 New Jersey?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 1.3 times New Jersey's minimum wage of $15.92 an hour. $15.23 for employers with fewer than 6 employees and for seasonal work.
- Among New Jersey workers: It's about the 31st percentile of hourly pay in New Jersey (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 31 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $28.16 an hour.
- Local prices: New Jersey's price level is 108.8% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $36,042 a year buys about what $33,126 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 $1,502 a month for needs, $901 for wants and $601 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in New Jersey that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in New Jersey is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Waiters and Waitresses
Median $21.62 an hour in New Jersey · 55,800 jobs
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Median $21.05 an hour in New Jersey · 17,100 jobs
Bartenders
Median $21.16 an hour in New Jersey · 16,260 jobs
Driver/Sales Workers
Median $21.50 an hour in New Jersey · 9,720 jobs
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Median $21.40 an hour in New Jersey · 7,490 jobs
How New Jersey compares on $21 an hour
New Jersey ranks 25th 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 New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $17.33 | $36,042 | $15.92 | — |
| Delaware | $17.00 | $35,355 | $15.00 | −$687 a year |
| New York | $16.97 | $35,295 | $16.00 | −$747 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $17.26 | $35,905 | $7.25 | −$137 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 New Jersey income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of New Jersey wages minus $1,000 in exemptions = $42,680.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4% | $20,000 | $280 |
| 1.75% | $15,000 | $263 |
| 3.5% | $5,000 | $175 |
| 5.53% | $2,680 | $148 |
| Total | $42,680 | $866 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in New Jersey?
About $17.33 for every hour you work, or $36,042 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 17.5% 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 New Jersey?
About $693 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,386.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in New Jersey?
About $3,004 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in New Jersey?
$21 an hour is 1.3 times New Jersey's minimum wage of $15.92 an hour. It's about the 31st percentile of hourly pay in New Jersey (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 31 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in New Jersey is $28.16. After taxes and local prices, $36,042 a year buys about what $33,126 would at national-average prices.
Is New Jersey a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 25th 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 New Jersey
- $17 an hour in New Jersey
- $18 an hour in New Jersey
- $19 an hour in New Jersey
- $20 an hour in New Jersey
- $22 an hour in New Jersey
- $23 an hour in New Jersey
- $24 an hour in New Jersey
- $25 an hour in New Jersey
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in New Jersey · $45,000 a year in New Jersey · New Jersey paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, New Jersey's income tax rules and New Jersey'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.