Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median $21.00 an hour in Rhode Island · 7,490 jobs
Rhode Island · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Rhode Island
At $21 an hour in Rhode Island you keep about $17.20 of every hour — $688 a week, $2,981 a month or $35,775 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Rhode Island income tax and state payroll programs. Rhode Island has a graduated income tax plus TDI, 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 |
| Rhode Island income tax | −$1,021 | −$20 | −$0.49 |
| TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance, includes TCI paid family leave) | −$480 | −$9 | −$0.23 |
| Take-home pay | $35,775 | $688 | $17.20 |
Effective tax rate 18.1% · federal bracket 12% · Rhode Island bracket 3.75%.
TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance, includes TCI paid family leave): 1.1% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $687.99 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,375.97 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,490.64 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $2,981.27 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Rhode Island 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 | $368 | $19,153 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $529 | $27,531 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $688 | $35,775 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $807 | $41,959 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $926 | $48,142 |
*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 Rhode Island?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 1.3 times Rhode Island's minimum wage of $16.00 an hour.
- Among Rhode Island workers: It's about the 31st percentile of hourly pay in Rhode Island (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 31 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $27.30 an hour.
- Local prices: Rhode Island's price level is 102.3% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $35,775 a year buys about what $34,978 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 $1,491 a month for needs, $894 for wants and $596 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Rhode Island that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Rhode Island is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Receptionists and Information Clerks
Median $20.49 an hour in Rhode Island · 4,270 jobs
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
Median $21.51 an hour in Rhode Island · 4,040 jobs
Pharmacy Technicians
Median $21.34 an hour in Rhode Island · 1,540 jobs
Self-Enrichment Teachers
Median $20.17 an hour in Rhode Island · 1,400 jobs
Tellers
Median $21.78 an hour in Rhode Island · 830 jobs
How Rhode Island compares on $21 an hour
Rhode Island ranks 37th 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 Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $17.20 | $35,775 | $16.00 | — |
| Connecticut | $17.09 | $35,555 | $16.94 | −$220 a year |
| Massachusetts | $16.88 | $35,112 | $15.00 | −$663 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 Rhode Island income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of Rhode Island wages minus $11,200 standard deduction minus $5,250 in exemptions = $27,230.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.75% | $27,230 | $1,021 |
| Total | $27,230 | $1,021 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Rhode Island?
About $17.20 for every hour you work, or $35,775 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 18.1% 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 Rhode Island?
About $688 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,376.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Rhode Island?
About $2,981 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Rhode Island?
$21 an hour is 1.3 times Rhode Island's minimum wage of $16.00 an hour. It's about the 31st percentile of hourly pay in Rhode Island (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 31 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Rhode Island is $27.30. After taxes and local prices, $35,775 a year buys about what $34,978 would at national-average prices.
Is Rhode Island a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 37th 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 Rhode Island
- $17 an hour in Rhode Island
- $18 an hour in Rhode Island
- $19 an hour in Rhode Island
- $20 an hour in Rhode Island
- $22 an hour in Rhode Island
- $23 an hour in Rhode Island
- $24 an hour in Rhode Island
- $25 an hour in Rhode Island
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Rhode Island · $45,000 a year in Rhode Island · Rhode Island paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Rhode Island's income tax rules and Rhode Island'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.