Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Median $53,750 · 416,210 jobs
Hourly to salary · 2026
$26 an Hour Is How Much a Year?
$26.00 an hour works out to $54,080 a year for full-time work. Below: what that is per paycheck, what's left after 2026 taxes in every state, what it buys where you live, and which jobs typically pay it.
$26.00 an hour, every way
| Per | Gross pay |
|---|---|
| Year (2,080 hours) | $54,080.00 |
| Month | $4,506.67 |
| Two weeks (biweekly) | $2,080.00 |
| Semi-monthly | $2,253.33 |
| Week (40 hours) | $1,040.00 |
| Day (8 hours) | $208.00 |
| Hour | $26.00 |
After taxes
$3,803 a month after federal tax and FICA (single, no state income tax)
- Federal income tax a year
- $4,310
- Social Security + Medicare a year
- $4,137
- Take-home a year (no state tax)
- $45,633
- Share you keep
- 84.4%
- Rent at 30% of gross income
- $1,352 a month
Add your state, 401(k) and health deductions in the paycheck calculator.
Is $26.00 an hour good pay?
About the 53rd percentile among all U.S. workers (BLS May 2025) — roughly 53 in 100 workers earn less. It's 6% above the median for all occupations ($50,980 a year, or $24.51 an hour).
Whether it's enough depends heavily on where you live. After 2026 taxes and local prices, $26.00 an hour goes furthest in South Dakota ($51,513 in national-average prices) and least far in Hawaii ($39,149).
$26.00 an hour after taxes in every state
Estimated 2026 take-home for a single filer paid biweekly, with no pre-tax deductions or local tax. The last column restates take-home in national-average prices using BEA Regional Price Parities (2024).
| State | Take-home a year | A month | In national prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $45,633 | $3,803 | $44,127 |
| Nevada | $45,633 | $3,803 | $45,643 |
| New Hampshire | $45,633 | $3,803 | $43,809 |
| North Dakota | $45,633 | $3,803 | $51,297 |
| South Dakota | $45,633 | $3,803 | $51,513 |
| Tennessee | $45,633 | $3,803 | $49,672 |
| Texas | $45,633 | $3,803 | $47,017 |
| Wyoming | $45,633 | $3,803 | $49,232 |
| Alaska | $45,363 | $3,780 | $44,317 |
| Washington | $44,883 | $3,740 | $41,942 |
| Arizona | $44,675 | $3,723 | $44,375 |
| Ohio | $44,590 | $3,716 | $48,063 |
| Louisiana | $44,397 | $3,700 | $50,333 |
| South Carolina | $44,363 | $3,697 | $47,321 |
| New Mexico | $44,257 | $3,688 | $47,995 |
| Vermont | $44,255 | $3,688 | $45,178 |
| Iowa | $44,230 | $3,686 | $50,398 |
| Mississippi | $44,202 | $3,684 | $50,834 |
| Arkansas | $44,120 | $3,677 | $50,749 |
| Indiana | $44,067 | $3,672 | $47,217 |
| Nebraska | $44,052 | $3,671 | $48,891 |
| Missouri | $44,029 | $3,669 | $48,481 |
| West Virginia | $44,017 | $3,668 | $49,183 |
| North Carolina | $43,984 | $3,665 | $46,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,935 | $3,661 | $45,028 |
| Idaho | $43,875 | $3,656 | $45,946 |
| Kentucky | $43,858 | $3,655 | $48,645 |
| Wisconsin | $43,855 | $3,655 | $46,608 |
| Montana | $43,848 | $3,654 | $46,329 |
| New Jersey | $43,776 | $3,648 | $40,233 |
| Oklahoma | $43,745 | $3,645 | $49,799 |
| Utah | $43,726 | $3,644 | $44,229 |
| Colorado | $43,724 | $3,644 | $42,429 |
| Georgia | $43,683 | $3,640 | $45,365 |
| California | $43,646 | $3,637 | $39,420 |
| Rhode Island | $43,627 | $3,636 | $42,655 |
| Michigan | $43,586 | $3,632 | $45,299 |
| District of Columbia | $43,554 | $3,630 | $39,631 |
| Maryland | $43,430 | $3,619 | $41,379 |
| Kansas | $43,415 | $3,618 | $48,203 |
| Maine | $43,390 | $3,616 | $44,709 |
| Alabama | $43,385 | $3,615 | $48,844 |
| Virginia | $43,338 | $3,611 | $42,865 |
| Minnesota | $43,241 | $3,603 | $43,846 |
| Connecticut | $43,138 | $3,595 | $41,635 |
| Illinois | $43,101 | $3,592 | $43,119 |
| Delaware | $43,092 | $3,591 | $43,175 |
| New York | $43,045 | $3,587 | $39,886 |
| Hawaii | $43,044 | $3,587 | $39,149 |
| Massachusetts | $42,901 | $3,575 | $40,565 |
| Oregon | $41,791 | $3,483 | $40,432 |
Jobs that pay about $26.00 an hour
Occupations whose national median is within 4% of $54,080 a year, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Real Estate Sales Agents
Median $52,830 · 193,370 jobs
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Median $55,570 · 156,280 jobs
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
Median $54,210 · 154,800 jobs
Automotive Body and Related Repairers
Median $54,890 · 149,310 jobs
Roofers
Median $55,440 · 135,490 jobs
Public Safety Telecommunicators
Median $53,040 · 102,500 jobs
Cargo and Freight Agents
Median $52,260 · 97,670 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
Median $55,940 · 81,480 jobs
Tax Preparers
Median $54,920 · 76,480 jobs
Surveying and Mapping Technicians
Median $54,240 · 58,010 jobs
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Median $53,340 · 41,820 jobs
$26.00 an hour with different hours
| Schedule | A year | A month |
|---|---|---|
| Full time, 40 hours × 52 weeks | $54,080 | $4,507 |
| Two unpaid weeks off (50 weeks) | $52,000 | $4,333 |
| 37.5-hour week | $50,700 | $4,225 |
| Part time, 30 hours | $40,560 | $3,380 |
| Part time, 20 hours | $27,040 | $2,253 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime hours a week | $64,220 | $5,352 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime hours a week | $74,360 | $6,197 |
$26.00 × 40 hours × 52 weeks = $54,080
Change the hours or weeks in the hourly to salary calculator.
Sources and method
Conversions assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Taxes use our 2026 federal and state engine (methodology); local income taxes aren't included. Wage rankings and occupations use BLS OEWS May 2025; price levels use BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 9, 2026.