Receptionists and Information Clerks
Median $20.02 an hour in New Jersey · 42,060 jobs
New Jersey · 2026 take-home pay
$20 an hour after taxes in New Jersey
At $20 an hour in New Jersey you keep about $16.59 of every hour — $664 a week, $2,875 a month or $34,503 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, New Jersey income tax and state payroll programs. New Jersey has a graduated income tax plus TDI, FLI, UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share and WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share, and its minimum wage is $15.92 an hour.
Where $20 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $41,600 | $800 | $20.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,812 | −$54 | −$1.35 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,579 | −$50 | −$1.24 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$603 | −$12 | −$0.29 |
| New Jersey income tax | −$751 | −$14 | −$0.36 |
| TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance) | −$79 | −$2 | −$0.04 |
| FLI (Family Leave Insurance) | −$96 | −$2 | −$0.05 |
| UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share | −$159 | −$3 | −$0.08 |
| WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share | −$18 | −$0 | −$0.01 |
| Take-home pay | $34,503 | $664 | $16.59 |
Effective tax rate 17.1% · federal bracket 12% · New Jersey bracket 5.53%.
TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance): 0.19% of wages · FLI (Family Leave Insurance): 0.23% of wages · UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share: 0.38% of wages · WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share: 0.04% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $800.00 | $663.53 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,600.00 | $1,327.06 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,733.33 | $1,437.64 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,466.67 | $2,875.29 |
$20 an hour at different hours
Take-home in New Jersey for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $20 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* | $400 | $352 | $18,286 |
| 30 hours a week | $600 | $510 | $26,527 |
| 40 hours a week | $800 | $664 | $34,503 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $950 | $775 | $40,293 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,100 | $886 | $46,097 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $20 an hour good pay in New Jersey?
- Minimum wage: $20 an hour is 1.3 times New Jersey's minimum wage of $15.92 an hour. $15.23 for employers with fewer than 6 employees and for seasonal work.
- Among New Jersey workers: It's about the 28th percentile of hourly pay in New Jersey (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 28 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $28.16 an hour.
- Local prices: New Jersey's price level is 108.8% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $34,503 a year buys about what $31,711 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,040 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,438 a month for needs, $863 for wants and $575 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in New Jersey that pay about $20 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in New Jersey is within 4% of $20 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
Median $19.88 an hour in New Jersey · 30,470 jobs
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Median $19.37 an hour in New Jersey · 9,810 jobs
Crossing Guards and Flaggers
Median $20.00 an hour in New Jersey · 7,270 jobs
Production Workers, All Other
Median $19.23 an hour in New Jersey · 5,310 jobs
Tutors
Median $20.32 an hour in New Jersey · 5,270 jobs
How New Jersey compares on $20 an hour
New Jersey ranks 24th of 51 for take-home pay on $20 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $16.59 | $34,503 | $15.92 | — |
| Delaware | $16.25 | $33,807 | $15.00 | −$696 a year |
| New York | $16.22 | $33,745 | $16.00 | −$758 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $16.49 | $34,299 | $7.25 | −$204 a year |
How the federal tax on $41,600 ($20 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $41,600 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $25,500. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $13,100 | $1,572 |
| Total | $25,500 | $2,812 |
How the New Jersey income tax on $41,600 ($20 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $41,600 of New Jersey wages minus $1,000 in exemptions = $40,600.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4% | $20,000 | $280 |
| 1.75% | $15,000 | $263 |
| 3.5% | $5,000 | $175 |
| 5.53% | $600 | $33 |
| Total | $40,600 | $751 |
Common questions
How much is $20 an hour after taxes in New Jersey?
About $16.59 for every hour you work, or $34,503 a year at 40 hours a week ($41,600 gross). Taxes take about 17.1% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $20 an hour a week after taxes in New Jersey?
About $664 a week at 40 hours, from $800 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,327.
How much is $20 an hour a month after taxes in New Jersey?
About $2,875 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,467 gross.
Is $20 an hour good pay in New Jersey?
$20 an hour is 1.3 times New Jersey's minimum wage of $15.92 an hour. It's about the 28th percentile of hourly pay in New Jersey (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 28 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in New Jersey is $28.16. After taxes and local prices, $34,503 a year buys about what $31,711 would at national-average prices.
Is New Jersey a high-tax state for $20 an hour?
It ranks 24th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $20 an hour. The most you'd keep is $35,606 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $32,757 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in New Jersey
- $16 an hour in New Jersey
- $17 an hour in New Jersey
- $18 an hour in New Jersey
- $19 an hour in New Jersey
- $21 an hour in New Jersey
- $22 an hour in New Jersey
- $23 an hour in New Jersey
- $24 an hour in New Jersey
$20 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in New Jersey · $45,000 a year in New Jersey · New Jersey paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, New Jersey's income tax rules and New Jersey'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.