Security Guards
Median $21.27 an hour in New York · 134,700 jobs
New York · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in New York
At $21 an hour in New York you keep about $16.97 of every hour — $679 a week, $2,941 a month or $35,295 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, New York income tax and state payroll programs. New York has a graduated income tax plus DBL and PFL, and its minimum wage is $16.00 an hour.
Where $21 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An 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 |
| New York income tax | −$1,762 | −$34 | −$0.85 |
| DBL (Disability Benefits Law) | −$31 | −$1 | −$0.02 |
| PFL (Paid Family Leave) | −$189 | −$4 | −$0.09 |
| Take-home pay | $35,295 | $679 | $16.97 |
Effective tax rate 19.2% · federal bracket 12% · New York bracket 5.4%.
DBL (Disability Benefits Law): 0.5% of wages (capped) · PFL (Paid Family Leave): 0.43% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $678.76 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,357.51 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,470.64 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $2,941.27 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in New York 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.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $420 | $363 | $18,887 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $522 | $27,158 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $679 | $35,295 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $796 | $41,398 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $913 | $47,501 |
*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 New York?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 1.3 times New York's minimum wage of $16.00 an hour. $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester; $16.00 in the rest of the state.
- Among New York workers: It's about the 28th percentile of hourly pay in New York (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 28 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $28.69 an hour.
- Local prices: New York's price level is 107.9% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $35,295 a year buys about what $32,705 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 $1,471 a month for needs, $882 for wants and $588 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in New York that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in New York is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Median $21.46 an hour in New York · 100,950 jobs
Cooks, Restaurant
Median $21.00 an hour in New York · 71,530 jobs
Receptionists and Information Clerks
Median $20.71 an hour in New York · 65,010 jobs
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
Median $21.56 an hour in New York · 47,600 jobs
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $20.17 an hour in New York · 41,740 jobs
How New York compares on $21 an hour
New York ranks 48th of 51 for take-home pay on $21 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $16.97 | $35,295 | $16.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $17.09 | $35,555 | $16.94 | +$260 a year |
| Massachusetts | $16.88 | $35,112 | $15.00 | −$183 a year |
| New Jersey | $17.33 | $36,042 | $15.92 | +$747 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $17.26 | $35,905 | $7.25 | +$610 a year |
| Vermont | $17.43 | $36,247 | $14.42 | +$952 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:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $15,180 | $1,822 |
| Total | $27,580 | $3,062 |
How the New York income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of New York wages minus $8,000 standard deduction = $35,680.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.9% | $8,500 | $332 |
| 4.4% | $3,200 | $141 |
| 5.15% | $2,200 | $113 |
| 5.4% | $21,780 | $1,176 |
| Total | $35,680 | $1,762 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in New York?
About $16.97 for every hour you work, or $35,295 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 19.2% 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 New York?
About $679 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,358.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in New York?
About $2,941 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in New York?
$21 an hour is 1.3 times New York's minimum wage of $16.00 an hour. It's about the 28th percentile of hourly pay in New York (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 28 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in New York is $28.69. After taxes and local prices, $35,295 a year buys about what $32,705 would at national-average prices.
Is New York a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 48th 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.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in New York
- $17 an hour in New York
- $18 an hour in New York
- $19 an hour in New York
- $20 an hour in New York
- $22 an hour in New York
- $23 an hour in New York
- $24 an hour in New York
- $25 an hour in New York
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in New York · $45,000 a year in New York · New York paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, New York's income tax rules and New York'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.