Texas · 2026 take-home pay

$18 an hour after taxes in Texas

At $18 an hour in Texas you keep about $15.51 of every hour — $620 a week, $2,689 a month or $32,263 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare. Texas has no income tax on wages, and its minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

By Work & Money Editorial Team · Last reviewed October 14, 2026

Where $18 an hour goes

$18 an hour full time in Texas, single filer, 2026
A yearA weekAn hour
Gross pay$37,440$720$18.00
Federal income tax−$2,313−$44−$1.11
Social Security (6.2%)−$2,321−$45−$1.12
Medicare (1.45%+)−$543−$10−$0.26
Take-home pay$32,263$620$15.51

Effective tax rate 13.8% · federal bracket 12% · no state income tax on wages.

Take-home per paycheck

40 hours a week, different pay schedules
PaidGrossTake-home
Weekly (52 paychecks)$720.00$620.44
Every two weeks (26)$1,440.00$1,240.89
Twice a month (24)$1,560.00$1,344.29
Monthly (12)$3,120.00$2,688.59

Change hours, overtime and deductions

$18 an hour at different hours

Take-home in Texas for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $18 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.

$18 an hour in Texas: weekly hours and take-home, 2026
ScheduleGross a weekTake-home a weekTake-home a year
20 hours a week*$360$327$17,026
30 hours a week$540$476$24,734
40 hours a week$720$620$32,263
40 hours + 5 overtime$855$729$37,904
40 hours + 10 overtime$990$837$43,544

*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.

Is $18 an hour good pay in Texas?

  • Minimum wage: $18 an hour is 2.5 times Texas's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
  • Among Texas workers: It's about the 29th percentile of hourly pay in Texas (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 29 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $23.38 an hour.
  • Local prices: Texas's price level is 97.1% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $32,263 a year buys about what $33,241 would at national-average prices.
  • Rent: the 30% rule points to about $936 a month. Check it with your debts.
  • A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,344 a month for needs, $807 for wants and $538 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.

Jobs in Texas that pay about $18 an hour

Occupations whose median wage in Texas is within 4% of $18 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

How Texas compares on $18 an hour

Texas ranks tied for 1st of 51 (with 7 others) for take-home pay on $18 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.

Take-home on $18 an hour, 40 hours a week, single filer, 2026
StateAfter tax, per hourA yearMinimum wagevs Texas
Texas$15.51$32,263$7.25—
Arkansas$15.08$31,365$11.00−$898 a year
Louisiana$15.16$31,526$7.25−$737 a year
New Mexico$15.20$31,620$12.00−$643 a year
Oklahoma$14.96$31,124$7.25−$1,139 a year

How the federal tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out

Taxable income is $37,440 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $21,340. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:

2026 federal income tax by bracket, single filer
RateIncome in this bracketTax
10%$12,400$1,240
12%$8,940$1,073
Total$21,340$2,313

Common questions

How much is $18 an hour after taxes in Texas?

About $15.51 for every hour you work, or $32,263 a year at 40 hours a week ($37,440 gross). Taxes take about 13.8% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.

How much is $18 an hour a week after taxes in Texas?

About $620 a week at 40 hours, from $720 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,241.

How much is $18 an hour a month after taxes in Texas?

About $2,689 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,120 gross.

Is $18 an hour good pay in Texas?

$18 an hour is 2.5 times Texas's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. It's about the 29th percentile of hourly pay in Texas (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 29 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Texas is $23.38. After taxes and local prices, $32,263 a year buys about what $33,241 would at national-average prices.

Is Texas a high-tax state for $18 an hour?

It ranks tied for 1st of 51 (with 7 others) among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $18 an hour. The most you'd keep is $32,263 a year, in 8 places including Texas, Florida, North Dakota; the least, $29,764 in Oregon.

Sources and method

Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare (methodology). Texas doesn't tax wages. 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.

  1. Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  3. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  4. Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.