$30 an Hour Is How Much a Year? (2026 Salary Guide)

At $30 an hour, you're earning a solid middle-class wage in most of the US. But the gap between your hourly rate and your actual take-home pay can be surprising if you've never done the math.

$30 an Hour to Annual Salary

Working full-time at 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year:

• Annual salary: $30 × 40 hrs × 52 weeks = $62,400/year
• Monthly gross: $5,200
• Biweekly paycheck (gross): $2,400
• Weekly gross: $1,200
• Daily (8-hour day): $240

Note: If you work part-time or have paid time off you don't use, your actual annual hours will vary from the standard 2,080.

Federal Taxes on $62,400

For a single filer in 2026, here's how federal income tax works on a $62,400 salary:

• Standard deduction: $15,000
• Taxable income: $47,400
• Tax on first $11,925 at 10%: $1,193
• Tax on remaining $35,475 at 12%: $4,257
• Total federal income tax: ~$5,450

Your effective federal income tax rate is about 8.7%. Your marginal rate — the rate on your next dollar earned — is 12%.

FICA: Social Security and Medicare

FICA taxes come out of your gross pay before any deductions apply:

• Social Security (6.2%): $3,869
• Medicare (1.45%): $905
• Total FICA: $4,774

Combined with federal income tax, your total mandatory federal deductions on a $62,400 salary come to approximately $10,224 per year.

Take-Home Pay by State

State income taxes make a significant difference in your actual take-home. Here's what $62,400 yields annually as a single filer in key states:

• No state tax (TX/FL/NV): ~$52,176/year — $4,348/month — $2,007/biweekly
• Arizona (2.5% flat): ~$50,616/year
• Colorado (4.4% flat): ~$49,668/year ($62,400 × 4.4% = $2,746 in state tax)
• Georgia (5.29% flat): ~$49,075/year
• California (est. ~8.5% effective): ~$47,500/year

Use our take-home pay calculator to get an exact number for your state and filing status.

Is $30 an Hour a Good Wage?

$30/hour equals $62,400/year — that's 138% of the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour) and puts you solidly above the US median individual income of roughly $59,000 in 2026. By that measure, it's a genuinely comfortable income for a single adult in most of the country.

But livability varies heavily by city. $30/hour goes a long way in Fort Wayne, Indiana or Jackson, Mississippi — where you can cover rent, a car payment, and still save meaningfully. It's considerably tighter in San Francisco or New York City, where studios rent for $2,500+ and basic expenses push the limits of this income level.

For state-by-state context, see our pages for Florida, California, and Texas.

Ways to Increase Your Take-Home at $30/Hour

Your gross pay may be fixed, but your tax burden isn't entirely out of your control:

• 401(k) pre-tax contributions: The 2026 limit is $23,500. Every dollar you contribute reduces your federal (and usually state) taxable income. Contributing $6,000/year at your 12% marginal rate saves about $720 in federal taxes alone.
• HSA contributions: If you're on a high-deductible health plan, you can contribute up to $4,300 (single, 2026) pre-tax. HSA contributions are exempt from both income tax and FICA — a rare double benefit.
• FSA for healthcare or dependent care: Flexible Spending Accounts let you pay eligible expenses with pre-tax dollars, lowering your taxable income without requiring a specific plan type.

Use our take-home pay calculator to see exactly what your paycheck looks like after taxes in your state. For more hourly pay breakdowns, see $25 an hour or explore the hourly vs salary comparison.