Customer Service Representatives
Median $20.54 an hour in Virginia · 59,850 jobs
Virginia · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Virginia
At $21 an hour in Virginia you keep about $17.11 of every hour — $684 a week, $2,965 a month or $35,579 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Virginia income tax. Virginia has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $12.77 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 |
| Virginia income tax | −$1,698 | −$33 | −$0.82 |
| Take-home pay | $35,579 | $684 | $17.11 |
Effective tax rate 18.5% · federal bracket 12% · Virginia bracket 5.75%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $684.22 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,368.44 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,482.47 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $2,964.95 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Virginia 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 | $19,117 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $528 | $27,433 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $684 | $35,579 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $802 | $41,689 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $919 | $47,799 |
*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 Virginia?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 1.6 times Virginia's minimum wage of $12.77 an hour.
- Among Virginia workers: It's about the 33rd percentile of hourly pay in Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 33 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $26.78 an hour.
- Local prices: Virginia's price level is 101.1% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $35,579 a year buys about what $35,191 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 $1,482 a month for needs, $889 for wants and $593 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Virginia that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Virginia is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Waiters and Waitresses
Median $21.52 an hour in Virginia · 59,370 jobs
Nursing Assistants
Median $20.77 an hour in Virginia · 40,580 jobs
Security Guards
Median $20.98 an hour in Virginia · 34,870 jobs
Construction Laborers
Median $20.94 an hour in Virginia · 25,830 jobs
Light Truck Drivers
Median $20.41 an hour in Virginia · 25,170 jobs
How Virginia compares on $21 an hour
Virginia ranks 41st 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 Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $17.11 | $35,579 | $12.77 | — |
| Washington, D.C. | $17.22 | $35,822 | $18.40 | +$243 a year |
| Kentucky | $17.24 | $35,866 | $7.25 | +$287 a year |
| Maryland | $17.10 | $35,568 | $15.00 | −$11 a year |
| North Carolina | $17.33 | $36,043 | $7.25 | +$464 a year |
| Tennessee | $17.92 | $37,277 | $7.25 | +$1,698 a year |
| West Virginia | $17.36 | $36,099 | $8.75 | +$520 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 Virginia income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of Virginia wages minus $8,750 standard deduction minus $930 in exemptions = $34,000.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $3,000 | $60 |
| 3% | $2,000 | $60 |
| 5% | $12,000 | $600 |
| 5.75% | $17,000 | $978 |
| Total | $34,000 | $1,698 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Virginia?
About $17.11 for every hour you work, or $35,579 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 18.5% 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 Virginia?
About $684 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,368.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Virginia?
About $2,965 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Virginia?
$21 an hour is 1.6 times Virginia's minimum wage of $12.77 an hour. It's about the 33rd percentile of hourly pay in Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 33 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Virginia is $26.78. After taxes and local prices, $35,579 a year buys about what $35,191 would at national-average prices.
Is Virginia a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 41st 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 Virginia
- $17 an hour in Virginia
- $18 an hour in Virginia
- $19 an hour in Virginia
- $20 an hour in Virginia
- $22 an hour in Virginia
- $23 an hour in Virginia
- $24 an hour in Virginia
- $25 an hour in Virginia
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Virginia · $45,000 a year in Virginia · Virginia paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, 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.