Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Median $21.70 an hour in Texas · 149,650 jobs
Texas · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Texas
At $21 an hour in Texas you keep about $17.92 of every hour — $717 a week, $3,106 a month or $37,277 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare. Texas has no income tax on wages, and its minimum wage is $7.25 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 |
| Take-home pay | $37,277 | $717 | $17.92 |
Effective tax rate 14.7% · federal bracket 12% · no state income tax on wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $716.86 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,433.73 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,553.20 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $3,106.41 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Texas 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 | $377 | $19,595 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $548 | $28,503 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $717 | $37,277 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $843 | $43,858 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $970 | $50,438 |
*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 Texas?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 2.9 times Texas's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
- Among Texas workers: It's about the 41st percentile of hourly pay in Texas (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 41 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $23.38 an hour.
- Local prices: Texas's price level is 97.1% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $37,277 a year buys about what $38,407 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 $1,553 a month for needs, $932 for wants and $621 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Texas that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Texas is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
Median $20.29 an hour in Texas · 87,280 jobs
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Median $20.63 an hour in Texas · 78,740 jobs
Light Truck Drivers
Median $20.43 an hour in Texas · 78,540 jobs
Bus Drivers, School
Median $21.39 an hour in Texas · 37,550 jobs
Dental Assistants
Median $21.84 an hour in Texas · 33,230 jobs
How Texas compares on $21 an hour
Texas ranks tied for 1st of 51 (with 7 others) 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 Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $17.92 | $37,277 | $7.25 | — |
| Arkansas | $17.38 | $36,148 | $11.00 | −$1,129 a year |
| Louisiana | $17.48 | $36,353 | $7.25 | −$924 a year |
| New Mexico | $17.48 | $36,366 | $12.00 | −$911 a year |
| Oklahoma | $17.24 | $35,857 | $7.25 | −$1,420 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 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Texas?
About $17.92 for every hour you work, or $37,277 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 14.7% 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 Texas?
About $717 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,434.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Texas?
About $3,106 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Texas?
$21 an hour is 2.9 times Texas's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. It's about the 41st percentile of hourly pay in Texas (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 41 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Texas is $23.38. After taxes and local prices, $37,277 a year buys about what $38,407 would at national-average prices.
Is Texas a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks tied for 1st of 51 (with 7 others) 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 Texas, Florida, North Dakota; the least, $34,254 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Texas
- $17 an hour in Texas
- $18 an hour in Texas
- $19 an hour in Texas
- $20 an hour in Texas
- $22 an hour in Texas
- $23 an hour in Texas
- $24 an hour in Texas
- $25 an hour in Texas
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Texas · $45,000 a year in Texas · Texas paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare (methodology). Texas doesn't tax wages. 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.