Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Median $30.56 an hour in New Jersey · 47,980 jobs
New Jersey · 2026 take-home pay
$31 an hour after taxes in New Jersey
At $31 an hour in New Jersey you keep about $24.77 of every hour — $991 a week, $4,293 a month or $51,514 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 $31 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $64,480 | $1,240 | $31.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$5,558 | −$107 | −$2.67 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,998 | −$77 | −$1.92 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$935 | −$18 | −$0.45 |
| New Jersey income tax | −$2,015 | −$39 | −$0.97 |
| TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance) | −$123 | −$2 | −$0.06 |
| FLI (Family Leave Insurance) | −$148 | −$3 | −$0.07 |
| UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share | −$171 | −$3 | −$0.08 |
| WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share | −$19 | −$0 | −$0.01 |
| Take-home pay | $51,514 | $991 | $24.77 |
Effective tax rate 20.1% · 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 (capped) · WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share: 0.04% of wages (capped).
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $1,240.00 | $990.65 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,480.00 | $1,981.30 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,686.67 | $2,146.40 |
| Monthly (12) | $5,373.33 | $4,292.81 |
$31 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 $31 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* | $620 | $526 | $27,336 |
| 30 hours a week | $930 | $760 | $39,520 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,240 | $991 | $51,514 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,473 | $1,144 | $59,497 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,705 | $1,292 | $67,182 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $31 an hour good pay in New Jersey?
- Minimum wage: $31 an hour is 1.9 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 54th percentile of hourly pay in New Jersey (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 54 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 $51,514 a year buys about what $47,345 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,612 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $2,146 a month for needs, $1,288 for wants and $859 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in New Jersey that pay about $31 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in New Jersey is within 4% of $31 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Construction Laborers
Median $30.80 an hour in New Jersey · 23,590 jobs
Computer User Support Specialists
Median $31.00 an hour in New Jersey · 18,200 jobs
Carpenters
Median $30.77 an hour in New Jersey · 14,230 jobs
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
Median $30.20 an hour in New Jersey · 14,210 jobs
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
Median $30.15 an hour in New Jersey · 9,410 jobs
How New Jersey compares on $31 an hour
New Jersey ranks 33rd of 51 for take-home pay on $31 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 | $24.77 | $51,514 | $15.92 | — |
| Delaware | $24.43 | $50,817 | $15.00 | −$697 a year |
| New York | $24.42 | $50,795 | $16.00 | −$719 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $24.98 | $51,965 | $7.25 | +$451 a year |
How the federal tax on $64,480 ($31 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $64,480 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $48,380. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $35,980 | $4,318 |
| Total | $48,380 | $5,558 |
How the New Jersey income tax on $64,480 ($31 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $64,480 of New Jersey wages minus $1,000 in exemptions = $63,480.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4% | $20,000 | $280 |
| 1.75% | $15,000 | $263 |
| 3.5% | $5,000 | $175 |
| 5.53% | $23,480 | $1,297 |
| Total | $63,480 | $2,015 |
Common questions
How much is $31 an hour after taxes in New Jersey?
About $24.77 for every hour you work, or $51,514 a year at 40 hours a week ($64,480 gross). Taxes take about 20.1% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $31 an hour a week after taxes in New Jersey?
About $991 a week at 40 hours, from $1,240 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,981.
How much is $31 an hour a month after taxes in New Jersey?
About $4,293 a month at 40 hours a week, from $5,373 gross.
Is $31 an hour good pay in New Jersey?
$31 an hour is 1.9 times New Jersey's minimum wage of $15.92 an hour. It's about the 54th percentile of hourly pay in New Jersey (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 54 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in New Jersey is $28.16. After taxes and local prices, $51,514 a year buys about what $47,345 would at national-average prices.
Is New Jersey a high-tax state for $31 an hour?
It ranks 33rd of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $31 an hour. The most you'd keep is $53,990 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $49,219 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in New Jersey
- $27 an hour in New Jersey
- $28 an hour in New Jersey
- $29 an hour in New Jersey
- $30 an hour in New Jersey
- $32 an hour in New Jersey
- $33 an hour in New Jersey
- $34 an hour in New Jersey
- $35 an hour in New Jersey
$31 an hour in every state · $60,000 a year in New Jersey · $65,000 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.