$18 an Hour Is How Much a Year?
At 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, $18 an hour is $37,440 a year before tax and roughly $32,263 after federal income tax and FICA in a state with no income tax. That is $2,689 a month.
Tax year 2026 · Updated 2026-08-29 · Based on 2,080 paid hours a year
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$18 an hour in every time frame
| Period | Gross | Take-home (no state tax) | Take-home (California) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per hour | $18.00 | $15.51 | $15.05 |
| Per day (8 hours) | $144.00 | $124.09 | $120.43 |
| Per week (40 hours) | $720.00 | $620.44 | $602.14 |
| Bi-weekly (80 hours) | $1,440.00 | $1,240.89 | $1,204.28 |
| Per month | $3,120.00 | $2,688.59 | $2,609.28 |
| Per year | $37,440 | $32,263 | $31,311 |
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 | $37,440 | $32,263 |
| Full time with 2 weeks unpaid | 2000 h | $36,000 | $31,106 |
| 35 hours a week | 1820 h | $32,760 | $28,503 |
| 30 hours a week | 1560 h | $28,080 | $24,734 |
| 20 hours a week | 1040 h | $18,720 | $17,026 |
| Full time plus 5 h overtime a week | 2340 h | $42,120 | $36,023 |
That last row is worth noting: five overtime hours a week at time and a half adds $7,020 of gross pay a year, and $2,340 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 $18 an hour a living wage?
At $37,440 a year gross, this lands around the middle of the US individual income distribution. After tax it leaves about $2,689 a month in a state with no income tax and $2,609 in California — a difference of $79 a month created purely by state tax.
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 $18 an hour a year?
$37,440 a year gross at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, or about $32,263 after federal tax and FICA in a state with no income tax.
How much is $18 an hour a month?
$3,120.00 of gross pay a month, or roughly $2,689 after tax.
How much is $18 an hour bi-weekly?
$1,440.00 of gross pay for 80 hours, or about $1,240.89 after tax.
How much is $18 an hour after taxes?
About $15.51 an hour after federal tax and FICA in a state with no income tax, and around $15.05 an hour in California.