Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Median $16.61 an hour in Connecticut · 5,810 jobs
Connecticut · 2026 take-home pay
$16 an hour after taxes in Connecticut
At $16 an hour in Connecticut you keep about $13.50 of every hour — $540 a week, $2,340 a month or $28,084 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Connecticut income tax and state payroll programs. Connecticut has a graduated income tax plus CT Paid Leave, and its minimum wage is $16.94 an hour.
Where $16 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $33,280 | $640 | $16.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,814 | −$35 | −$0.87 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,063 | −$40 | −$0.99 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$483 | −$9 | −$0.23 |
| Connecticut income tax | −$670 | −$13 | −$0.32 |
| CT Paid Leave | −$166 | −$3 | −$0.08 |
| Take-home pay | $28,084 | $540 | $13.50 |
Effective tax rate 15.6% · federal bracket 12% · Connecticut bracket 4.5%.
CT Paid Leave: 0.5% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $640.00 | $540.08 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,280.00 | $1,080.16 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,386.67 | $1,170.18 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,773.33 | $2,340.36 |
$16 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Connecticut for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $16 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* | $320 | $293 | $15,222 |
| 30 hours a week | $480 | $421 | $21,910 |
| 40 hours a week | $640 | $540 | $28,084 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $760 | $626 | $32,564 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $880 | $713 | $37,091 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $16 an hour good pay in Connecticut?
- Minimum wage: $16 an hour is below Connecticut's minimum wage of $16.94 an hour, so most employers there can't pay it.
- Among Connecticut workers: It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in Connecticut (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median is $28.70 an hour.
- Local prices: Connecticut's price level is 103.6% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $28,084 a year buys about what $27,106 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $832 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,170 a month for needs, $702 for wants and $468 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Connecticut that pay about $16 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Connecticut is within 4% of $16 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Median $16.45 an hour in Connecticut · 3,670 jobs
Parking Attendants
Median $16.52 an hour in Connecticut · 2,240 jobs
Transportation Workers, All Other
Median $16.35 an hour in Connecticut · 140 jobs
Passenger Attendants
Median $16.50 an hour in Connecticut · 110 jobs
Craft Artists
Median $16.35 an hour in Connecticut · 70 jobs
How Connecticut compares on $16 an hour
Connecticut ranks 31st of 51 for take-home pay on $16 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Connecticut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $13.50 | $28,084 | $16.94 | — |
| Massachusetts | $13.14 | $27,323 | $15.00 | −$761 a year |
| New York | $13.24 | $27,545 | $16.00 | −$539 a year |
| Rhode Island | $13.42 | $27,923 | $16.00 | −$161 a year |
How the federal tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $33,280 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $17,180. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $4,780 | $574 |
| Total | $17,180 | $1,814 |
How the Connecticut income tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $33,280 of Connecticut wages minus $11,000 in exemptions = $22,280.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $10,000 | $200 |
| 4.5% | $12,280 | $553 |
| Personal tax credit (11% of tax) | — | −$83 |
| Total | $22,280 | $670 |
Common questions
How much is $16 an hour after taxes in Connecticut?
About $13.50 for every hour you work, or $28,084 a year at 40 hours a week ($33,280 gross). Taxes take about 15.6% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $16 an hour a week after taxes in Connecticut?
About $540 a week at 40 hours, from $640 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,080.
How much is $16 an hour a month after taxes in Connecticut?
About $2,340 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,773 gross.
Is $16 an hour good pay in Connecticut?
$16 an hour is below Connecticut's minimum wage of $16.94 an hour, so most employers there can't pay it. It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in Connecticut (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Connecticut is $28.70. After taxes and local prices, $28,084 a year buys about what $27,106 would at national-average prices.
Is Connecticut a high-tax state for $16 an hour?
It ranks 31st of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $16 an hour. The most you'd keep is $28,920 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $26,771 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Connecticut
- $12 an hour in Connecticut
- $13 an hour in Connecticut
- $14 an hour in Connecticut
- $15 an hour in Connecticut
- $17 an hour in Connecticut
- $18 an hour in Connecticut
- $19 an hour in Connecticut
- $20 an hour in Connecticut
$16 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in Connecticut · $35,000 a year in Connecticut · Connecticut paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Connecticut's income tax rules and Connecticut'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.