Firefighters
Median $35.00 an hour in Massachusetts · 11,940 jobs
Massachusetts · 2026 take-home pay
$34 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts
At $34 an hour in Massachusetts you keep about $26.41 of every hour — $1,057 a week, $4,578 a month or $54,940 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 $34 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $70,720 | $1,360 | $34.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$6,728 | −$129 | −$3.23 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$4,385 | −$84 | −$2.11 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$1,025 | −$20 | −$0.49 |
| Massachusetts income tax | −$3,316 | −$64 | −$1.59 |
| PFML (Paid Family & Medical Leave) employee share | −$325 | −$6 | −$0.16 |
| Take-home pay | $54,940 | $1,057 | $26.41 |
Effective tax rate 22.3% · federal bracket 22% · 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) | $1,360.00 | $1,056.54 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,720.00 | $2,113.08 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,946.67 | $2,289.18 |
| Monthly (12) | $5,893.33 | $4,578.35 |
$34 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Massachusetts for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $34 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* | $680 | $555 | $28,881 |
| 30 hours a week | $1,020 | $810 | $42,122 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,360 | $1,057 | $54,940 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,615 | $1,222 | $63,545 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,870 | $1,387 | $72,149 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $34 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
- Minimum wage: $34 an hour is 2.3 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.
- Among Massachusetts workers: It's about the 55th percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 55 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 $54,940 a year buys about what $51,949 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,768 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $2,289 a month for needs, $1,374 for wants and $916 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Massachusetts that pay about $34 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Massachusetts is within 4% of $34 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Median $35.02 an hour in Massachusetts · 6,130 jobs
Chefs and Head Cooks
Median $33.43 an hour in Massachusetts · 6,000 jobs
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
Median $35.23 an hour in Massachusetts · 4,870 jobs
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Median $32.96 an hour in Massachusetts · 2,510 jobs
Interpreters and Translators
Median $34.98 an hour in Massachusetts · 2,280 jobs
How Massachusetts compares on $34 an hour
Massachusetts ranks 49th of 51 for take-home pay on $34 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 | $26.41 | $54,940 | $15.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $26.45 | $55,013 | $16.94 | +$73 a year |
| New Hampshire | $28.16 | $58,582 | $7.25 | +$3,642 a year |
| New York | $26.45 | $55,023 | $16.00 | +$83 a year |
| Rhode Island | $26.81 | $55,768 | $16.00 | +$828 a year |
| Vermont | $27.12 | $56,418 | $14.42 | +$1,478 a year |
How the federal tax on $70,720 ($34 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $70,720 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $54,620. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $38,000 | $4,560 |
| 22% | $4,220 | $928 |
| Total | $54,620 | $6,728 |
How the Massachusetts income tax on $70,720 ($34 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $70,720 of Massachusetts wages minus $4,400 in exemptions = $66,320.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 5% | $66,320 | $3,316 |
| Total | $66,320 | $3,316 |
Common questions
How much is $34 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $26.41 for every hour you work, or $54,940 a year at 40 hours a week ($70,720 gross). Taxes take about 22.3% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $34 an hour a week after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $1,057 a week at 40 hours, from $1,360 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $2,113.
How much is $34 an hour a month after taxes in Massachusetts?
About $4,578 a month at 40 hours a week, from $5,893 gross.
Is $34 an hour good pay in Massachusetts?
$34 an hour is 2.3 times Massachusetts's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 55th percentile of hourly pay in Massachusetts (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 55 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Massachusetts is $30.57. After taxes and local prices, $54,940 a year buys about what $51,949 would at national-average prices.
Is Massachusetts a high-tax state for $34 an hour?
It ranks 49th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $34 an hour. The most you'd keep is $58,582 a year, in 7 places including Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada; the least, $53,324 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Massachusetts
- $30 an hour in Massachusetts
- $31 an hour in Massachusetts
- $32 an hour in Massachusetts
- $33 an hour in Massachusetts
- $35 an hour in Massachusetts
- $36 an hour in Massachusetts
- $37 an hour in Massachusetts
- $38 an hour in Massachusetts
$34 an hour in every state · $70,000 a year in Massachusetts · $75,000 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.