Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Median $21.45 an hour in Wisconsin · 70,520 jobs
Wisconsin · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Wisconsin
At $21 an hour in Wisconsin you keep about $17.31 of every hour — $693 a week, $3,001 a month or $36,012 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Wisconsin income tax. Wisconsin has a graduated income tax, 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 |
| Wisconsin income tax | −$1,265 | −$24 | −$0.61 |
| Take-home pay | $36,012 | $693 | $17.31 |
Effective tax rate 17.6% · federal bracket 12% · Wisconsin bracket 4.4%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $692.53 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,385.06 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,500.48 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $3,000.97 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Wisconsin 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 | $372 | $19,337 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $534 | $27,776 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $693 | $36,012 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $811 | $42,189 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $930 | $48,366 |
*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 Wisconsin?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 2.9 times Wisconsin's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
- Among Wisconsin workers: It's about the 37th percentile of hourly pay in Wisconsin (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 37 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $24.17 an hour.
- Local prices: Wisconsin's price level is 94.1% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $36,012 a year buys about what $38,272 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 $1,500 a month for needs, $900 for wants and $600 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Wisconsin that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Wisconsin is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Office Clerks, General
Median $21.63 an hour in Wisconsin · 51,440 jobs
Nursing Assistants
Median $21.70 an hour in Wisconsin · 28,370 jobs
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Median $21.27 an hour in Wisconsin · 8,590 jobs
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Median $21.13 an hour in Wisconsin · 8,420 jobs
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
Median $21.25 an hour in Wisconsin · 6,330 jobs
How Wisconsin compares on $21 an hour
Wisconsin ranks 27th of 51 for take-home pay on $21 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
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 Wisconsin income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of Wisconsin wages minus $11,133 standard deduction minus $700 in exemptions = $31,847.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5% | $15,110 | $529 |
| 4.4% | $16,737 | $736 |
| Total | $31,847 | $1,265 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Wisconsin?
About $17.31 for every hour you work, or $36,012 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 17.6% 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 Wisconsin?
About $693 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,385.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Wisconsin?
About $3,001 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Wisconsin?
$21 an hour is 2.9 times Wisconsin's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. It's about the 37th percentile of hourly pay in Wisconsin (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 37 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Wisconsin is $24.17. After taxes and local prices, $36,012 a year buys about what $38,272 would at national-average prices.
Is Wisconsin a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 27th 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 Wisconsin
- $17 an hour in Wisconsin
- $18 an hour in Wisconsin
- $19 an hour in Wisconsin
- $20 an hour in Wisconsin
- $22 an hour in Wisconsin
- $23 an hour in Wisconsin
- $24 an hour in Wisconsin
- $25 an hour in Wisconsin
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Wisconsin · $45,000 a year in Wisconsin · Wisconsin paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Wisconsin'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.