Mississippi · 2026 take-home pay

$21 an hour after taxes in Mississippi

At $21 an hour in Mississippi you keep about $17.43 of every hour — $697 a week, $3,022 a month or $36,262 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Mississippi income tax. Mississippi has a flat 4% income tax, and its minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

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

Where $21 an hour goes

$21 an hour full time in Mississippi, single filer, 2026
A yearA weekAn hour
Gross pay$43,680$840$21.00
Federal income tax−$3,062−$59−$1.47
Social Security (6.2%)−$2,708−$52−$1.30
Medicare (1.45%+)−$633−$12−$0.30
Mississippi income tax−$1,015−$20−$0.49
Take-home pay$36,262$697$17.43

Effective tax rate 17% · federal bracket 12% · Mississippi bracket 4%.

Take-home per paycheck

40 hours a week, different pay schedules
PaidGrossTake-home
Weekly (52 paychecks)$840.00$697.34
Every two weeks (26)$1,680.00$1,394.68
Twice a month (24)$1,820.00$1,510.90
Monthly (12)$3,640.00$3,021.81

Change hours, overtime and deductions

$21 an hour at different hours

Take-home in Mississippi for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $21 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.

$21 an hour in Mississippi: weekly hours and take-home, 2026
ScheduleGross a weekTake-home a weekTake-home a year
20 hours a week*$420$374$19,454
30 hours a week$630$537$27,924
40 hours a week$840$697$36,262
40 hours + 5 overtime$998$818$42,515
40 hours + 10 overtime$1,155$938$48,768

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

Is $21 an hour good pay in Mississippi?

  • Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 2.9 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which applies in Mississippi. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law.
  • Among Mississippi workers: It's about the 54th percentile of hourly pay in Mississippi (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 54 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $19.29 an hour.
  • Local prices: Mississippi's price level is 87% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $36,262 a year buys about what $41,703 would at national-average prices.
  • Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,092 a month. Check it with your debts.
  • A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,511 a month for needs, $907 for wants and $604 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.

Jobs in Mississippi that pay about $21 an hour

Occupations whose median wage in Mississippi is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Upholsterers

Median $21.60 an hour in Mississippi · 2,410 jobs

How Mississippi compares on $21 an hour

Mississippi ranks 17th of 51 for take-home pay on $21 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.

Take-home on $21 an hour, 40 hours a week, single filer, 2026
StateAfter tax, per hourA yearMinimum wagevs Mississippi
Mississippi$17.43$36,262$7.25—
Alabama$17.06$35,486$7.25−$776 a year
Arkansas$17.38$36,148$11.00−$114 a year
Louisiana$17.48$36,353$7.25+$91 a year
Tennessee$17.92$37,277$7.25+$1,015 a year

How the federal tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out

Taxable income is $43,680 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $27,580. 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%$15,180$1,822
Total$27,580$3,062

How the Mississippi income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out

Taxable income is $43,680 of Mississippi wages minus $2,300 standard deduction minus $6,000 in exemptions = $35,380.

Mississippi income tax by bracket, single filer, 2026 rules
RateIncome in this bracketTax
0%$10,000$0
4%$25,380$1,015
Total$35,380$1,015

Common questions

How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Mississippi?

About $17.43 for every hour you work, or $36,262 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 17% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.

How much is $21 an hour a week after taxes in Mississippi?

About $697 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,395.

How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Mississippi?

About $3,022 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.

Is $21 an hour good pay in Mississippi?

$21 an hour is 2.9 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which applies in Mississippi. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law. It's about the 54th percentile of hourly pay in Mississippi (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 54 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Mississippi is $19.29. After taxes and local prices, $36,262 a year buys about what $41,703 would at national-average prices.

Is Mississippi a high-tax state for $21 an hour?

It ranks 17th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $21 an hour. The most you'd keep is $37,277 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $34,254 in Oregon.

Sources and method

Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Mississippi'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.

  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.