Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Median $25.13 an hour in Massachusetts · 10,650 jobs
Massachusetts · 2026 take-home pay
$26 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts
At $26 an hour in Massachusetts you keep about $20.63 of every hour — $825 a week, $3,575 a month or $42,901 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 $26 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $54,080 | $1,040 | $26.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$4,310 | −$83 | −$2.07 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,353 | −$64 | −$1.61 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$784 | −$15 | −$0.38 |
| Massachusetts income tax | −$2,484 | −$48 | −$1.19 |
| PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share | −$249 | −$5 | −$0.12 |
| Take-home pay | $42,901 | $825 | $20.63 |
Effective tax rate 20.7% · 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) | $1,040.00 | $825.01 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,080.00 | $1,650.02 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,253.33 | $1,787.52 |
| Monthly (12) | $4,506.67 | $3,575.04 |
$26 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Massachusetts for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $26 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* | $520 | $435 | $22,621 |
| 30 hours a week | $780 | $630 | $32,775 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,040 | $825 | $42,901 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,235 | $971 | $50,494 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,430 | $1,102 | $57,302 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $26 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
- Minimum wage: $26 an hour is 1.7 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.
- Among Massachusetts workers: It's about the 37th percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 37 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 $42,901 a year buys about what $40,565 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,352 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,788 a month for needs, $1,073 for wants and $715 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Massachusetts that pay about $26 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Massachusetts is within 4% of $26 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Billing and Posting Clerks
Median $26.98 an hour in Massachusetts · 7,430 jobs
Psychiatric Technicians
Median $25.00 an hour in Massachusetts · 5,340 jobs
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
Median $25.44 an hour in Massachusetts · 4,820 jobs
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
Median $26.77 an hour in Massachusetts · 3,510 jobs
Community Health Workers
Median $26.71 an hour in Massachusetts · 2,970 jobs
How Massachusetts compares on $26 an hour
Massachusetts ranks 50th of 51 for take-home pay on $26 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 | $20.63 | $42,901 | $15.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $20.85 | $43,361 | $16.94 | +$460 a year |
| New Hampshire | $21.94 | $45,633 | $7.25 | +$2,732 a year |
| New York | $20.69 | $43,045 | $16.00 | +$144 a year |
| Rhode Island | $20.97 | $43,627 | $16.00 | +$726 a year |
| Vermont | $21.28 | $44,255 | $14.42 | +$1,354 a year |
How the federal tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $37,980. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $25,580 | $3,070 |
| Total | $37,980 | $4,310 |
How the Massachusetts income tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 of Massachusetts wages minus $4,400 in exemptions = $49,680.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 5% | $49,680 | $2,484 |
| Total | $49,680 | $2,484 |
Common questions
How much is $26 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $20.63 for every hour you work, or $42,901 a year at 40 hours a week ($54,080 gross). Taxes take about 20.7% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $26 an hour a week after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $825 a week at 40 hours, from $1,040 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,650.
How much is $26 an hour a month after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $3,575 a month at 40 hours a week, from $4,507 gross.
Is $26 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
$26 an hour is 1.7 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 37th percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 37 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Massachusetts is $30.57. After taxes and local prices, $42,901 a year buys about what $40,565 would at national-average prices.
Is Massachusetts a high-tax state for $26 an hour?
It ranks 50th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $26 an hour. The most you'd keep is $45,633 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $41,736 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Massachusetts
- $22 an hour in Massachusetts
- $23 an hour in Massachusetts
- $24 an hour in Massachusetts
- $25 an hour in Massachusetts
- $27 an hour in Massachusetts
- $28 an hour in Massachusetts
- $29 an hour in Massachusetts
- $30 an hour in Massachusetts
$26 an hour in every state · $50,000 a year in Massachusetts · $55,000 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.