Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Median $19.41 an hour in West Virginia · 8,820 jobs
West Virginia · 2026 take-home pay
$20 an hour after taxes in West Virginia
At $20 an hour in West Virginia you keep about $16.59 of every hour — $664 a week, $2,876 a month or $34,512 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and West Virginia income tax. West Virginia has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $8.75 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 |
| West Virginia income tax | −$1,094 | −$21 | −$0.53 |
| Take-home pay | $34,512 | $664 | $16.59 |
Effective tax rate 17% · federal bracket 12% · West Virginia bracket 3.16%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $800.00 | $663.69 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,600.00 | $1,327.37 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,733.33 | $1,437.99 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,466.67 | $2,875.98 |
$20 an hour at different hours
Take-home in West Virginia 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 | $18,281 |
| 30 hours a week | $600 | $509 | $26,484 |
| 40 hours a week | $800 | $664 | $34,512 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $950 | $778 | $40,454 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,100 | $892 | $46,392 |
*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 West Virginia?
- Minimum wage: $20 an hour is 2.3 times West Virginia's minimum wage of $8.75 an hour. Employers with 6 or more employees at one location.
- Among West Virginia workers: It's about the 43rd percentile of hourly pay in West Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 43 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $21.78 an hour.
- Local prices: West Virginia's price level is 89.5% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $34,512 a year buys about what $38,562 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 West Virginia that pay about $20 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in West Virginia is within 4% of $20 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Median $20.62 an hour in West Virginia · 7,620 jobs
Construction Laborers
Median $20.51 an hour in West Virginia · 6,620 jobs
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
Median $19.20 an hour in West Virginia · 2,660 jobs
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Median $20.03 an hour in West Virginia · 1,400 jobs
Public Safety Telecommunicators
Median $19.46 an hour in West Virginia · 880 jobs
How West Virginia compares on $20 an hour
West Virginia ranks 22nd 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 West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $16.59 | $34,512 | $8.75 | — |
| Kentucky | $16.47 | $34,267 | $7.25 | −$245 a year |
| Maryland | $16.34 | $33,996 | $15.00 | −$516 a year |
| Ohio | $16.78 | $34,905 | $11.00 | +$393 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $16.49 | $34,299 | $7.25 | −$213 a year |
| Virginia | $16.36 | $34,028 | $12.77 | −$484 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 West Virginia income tax on $41,600 ($20 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $41,600 of West Virginia wages minus $2,000 in exemptions = $39,600.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 2.11% | $10,000 | $211 |
| 2.81% | $15,000 | $422 |
| 3.16% | $14,600 | $461 |
| Total | $39,600 | $1,094 |
Common questions
How much is $20 an hour after taxes in West Virginia?
About $16.59 for every hour you work, or $34,512 a year at 40 hours a week ($41,600 gross). Taxes take about 17% 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 West Virginia?
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 West Virginia?
About $2,876 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,467 gross.
Is $20 an hour good pay in West Virginia?
$20 an hour is 2.3 times West Virginia's minimum wage of $8.75 an hour. It's about the 43rd percentile of hourly pay in West Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 43 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in West Virginia is $21.78. After taxes and local prices, $34,512 a year buys about what $38,562 would at national-average prices.
Is West Virginia a high-tax state for $20 an hour?
It ranks 22nd 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 West Virginia
- $16 an hour in West Virginia
- $17 an hour in West Virginia
- $18 an hour in West Virginia
- $19 an hour in West Virginia
- $21 an hour in West Virginia
- $22 an hour in West Virginia
- $23 an hour in West Virginia
- $24 an hour in West Virginia
$20 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in West Virginia · $45,000 a year in West Virginia · West Virginia paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, West Virginia's income tax rules (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.