$12 an Hour Is How Much a Year?
At 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, $12 an hour is $24,960 a year before tax and roughly $22,165 after federal income tax and FICA in a state with no income tax. That is $1,847 a month.
Tax year 2026 · Updated 2026-08-29 · Based on 2,080 paid hours a year
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$12 an hour in every time frame
| Period | Gross | Take-home (no state tax) | Take-home (California) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per hour | $12.00 | $10.66 | $10.45 |
| Per day (8 hours) | $96.00 | $85.25 | $83.59 |
| Per week (40 hours) | $480.00 | $426.24 | $417.96 |
| Bi-weekly (80 hours) | $960.00 | $852.48 | $835.93 |
| Per month | $2,080.00 | $1,847.05 | $1,811.17 |
| Per year | $24,960 | $22,165 | $21,734 |
What changes the annual figure
The 2,080-hour convention assumes you are paid for every one of 52 weeks. Very few hourly jobs work like that. Unpaid time off, seasonal shutdowns, a school-year contract or a part-time schedule all reduce it, while regular overtime raises it.
| Schedule | Paid hours | Gross a year | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full time, 40 h × 52 weeks | 2080 h | $24,960 | $22,165 |
| Full time with 2 weeks unpaid | 2000 h | $24,000 | $21,374 |
| 35 hours a week | 1820 h | $21,840 | $19,595 |
| 30 hours a week | 1560 h | $18,720 | $17,026 |
| 20 hours a week | 1040 h | $12,480 | $11,525 |
| Full time plus 5 h overtime a week | 2340 h | $28,080 | $24,734 |
That last row is worth noting: five overtime hours a week at time and a half adds $4,680 of gross pay a year, and $1,560 of it counts as qualified overtime premium for the federal deduction created for 2025 through 2028. The tips and overtime calculator works out what that is worth.
Is $12 an hour a living wage?
At $24,960 a year gross this is below the US median individual income, and after tax it leaves roughly $1,847 a month. In most metropolitan areas that is tight against typical rent, which is why the gap between the federal minimum of $7.25 and the state minimums — several now above $16 — matters so much. The minimum wage calculator shows the rate where you work.
Comparing it with a salary offer
An hourly rate and a salary at the same nominal figure are not equivalent. The salaried worker is usually paid for holidays and sick days; the hourly worker is not. The salaried worker rarely gets overtime; the hourly worker does. The hourly to salary calculator converts between the two, and the salary paycheck calculator shows the after-tax figure for the salary side.
Frequently asked questions
How much is $12 an hour a year?
$24,960 a year gross at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, or about $22,165 after federal tax and FICA in a state with no income tax.
How much is $12 an hour a month?
$2,080.00 of gross pay a month, or roughly $1,847 after tax.
How much is $12 an hour bi-weekly?
$960.00 of gross pay for 80 hours, or about $852.48 after tax.
How much is $12 an hour after taxes?
About $10.66 an hour after federal tax and FICA in a state with no income tax, and around $10.45 an hour in California.