Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Median $27.86 an hour in Massachusetts · 37,750 jobs
Massachusetts · 2026 take-home pay
$28 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts
At $28 an hour in Massachusetts you keep about $22.12 of every hour — $885 a week, $3,835 a month or $46,016 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 $28 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $58,240 | $1,120 | $28.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$4,809 | −$92 | −$2.31 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,611 | −$69 | −$1.74 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$844 | −$16 | −$0.41 |
| Massachusetts income tax | −$2,692 | −$52 | −$1.29 |
| PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share | −$268 | −$5 | −$0.13 |
| Take-home pay | $46,016 | $885 | $22.12 |
Effective tax rate 21% · 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) | $1,120.00 | $884.92 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,240.00 | $1,769.84 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,426.67 | $1,917.33 |
| Monthly (12) | $4,853.33 | $3,834.66 |
$28 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Massachusetts for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $28 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* | $560 | $466 | $24,208 |
| 30 hours a week | $840 | $675 | $35,112 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,120 | $885 | $46,016 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,330 | $1,037 | $53,928 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,540 | $1,173 | $61,014 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $28 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
- Minimum wage: $28 an hour is 1.9 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.
- Among Massachusetts workers: It's about the 43rd percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 43 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 $46,016 a year buys about what $43,511 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,456 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,917 a month for needs, $1,150 for wants and $767 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Massachusetts that pay about $28 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Massachusetts is within 4% of $28 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Median $28.04 an hour in Massachusetts · 29,830 jobs
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Median $28.77 an hour in Massachusetts · 29,110 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
Median $27.64 an hour in Massachusetts · 20,240 jobs
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
Median $28.80 an hour in Massachusetts · 18,190 jobs
Dental Assistants
Median $27.88 an hour in Massachusetts · 9,680 jobs
How Massachusetts compares on $28 an hour
Massachusetts ranks 50th of 51 for take-home pay on $28 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 | $22.12 | $46,016 | $15.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $22.33 | $46,454 | $16.94 | +$438 a year |
| New Hampshire | $23.55 | $48,976 | $7.25 | +$2,960 a year |
| New York | $22.19 | $46,145 | $16.00 | +$129 a year |
| Rhode Island | $22.48 | $46,768 | $16.00 | +$752 a year |
| Vermont | $22.82 | $47,459 | $14.42 | +$1,443 a year |
How the federal tax on $58,240 ($28 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $58,240 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $42,140. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $29,740 | $3,569 |
| Total | $42,140 | $4,809 |
How the Massachusetts income tax on $58,240 ($28 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $58,240 of Massachusetts wages minus $4,400 in exemptions = $53,840.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 5% | $53,840 | $2,692 |
| Total | $53,840 | $2,692 |
Common questions
How much is $28 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $22.12 for every hour you work, or $46,016 a year at 40 hours a week ($58,240 gross). Taxes take about 21% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $28 an hour a week after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $885 a week at 40 hours, from $1,120 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,770.
How much is $28 an hour a month after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $3,835 a month at 40 hours a week, from $4,853 gross.
Is $28 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
$28 an hour is 1.9 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 43rd percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 43 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Massachusetts is $30.57. After taxes and local prices, $46,016 a year buys about what $43,511 would at national-average prices.
Is Massachusetts a high-tax state for $28 an hour?
It ranks 50th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $28 an hour. The most you'd keep is $48,976 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $44,730 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Massachusetts
- $24 an hour in Massachusetts
- $25 an hour in Massachusetts
- $26 an hour in Massachusetts
- $27 an hour in Massachusetts
- $29 an hour in Massachusetts
- $30 an hour in Massachusetts
- $31 an hour in Massachusetts
- $32 an hour in Massachusetts
$28 an hour in every state · $55,000 a year in Massachusetts · $60,000 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.