Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Median $25.06 an hour in Alabama · 36,650 jobs
Alabama · 2026 take-home pay
$26 an hour after taxes in Alabama
At $26 an hour in Alabama you keep about $20.86 of every hour — $834 a week, $3,615 a month or $43,385 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Alabama income tax. Alabama has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
Where $26 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $54,080 | $1,040 | $26.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$4,310 | −$83 | −$2.07 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,353 | −$64 | −$1.61 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$784 | −$15 | −$0.38 |
| Alabama income tax | −$2,249 | −$43 | −$1.08 |
| Take-home pay | $43,385 | $834 | $20.86 |
Effective tax rate 19.8% · federal bracket 12% · Alabama bracket 5%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $1,040.00 | $834.32 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,080.00 | $1,668.64 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,253.33 | $1,807.70 |
| Monthly (12) | $4,506.67 | $3,615.40 |
$26 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Alabama for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $26 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* | $520 | $439 | $22,841 |
| 30 hours a week | $780 | $637 | $33,116 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,040 | $834 | $43,385 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,235 | $982 | $51,086 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,430 | $1,116 | $58,041 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $26 an hour good pay in Alabama?
- Minimum wage: $26 an hour is 3.6 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which applies in Alabama. Alabama has no state minimum wage law.
- Among Alabama workers: It's about the 60th percentile of hourly pay in Alabama (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 60 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $21.96 an hour.
- Local prices: Alabama's price level is 88.8% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $43,385 a year buys about what $48,844 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,352 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,808 a month for needs, $1,085 for wants and $723 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Alabama that pay about $26 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Alabama is within 4% of $26 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Electricians
Median $26.78 an hour in Alabama · 10,900 jobs
Machinists
Median $26.71 an hour in Alabama · 5,170 jobs
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Median $25.14 an hour in Alabama · 3,800 jobs
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
Median $25.19 an hour in Alabama · 3,120 jobs
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
Median $25.98 an hour in Alabama · 2,720 jobs
How Alabama compares on $26 an hour
Alabama ranks 42nd of 51 for take-home pay on $26 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $20.86 | $43,385 | $7.25 | — |
| Florida | $21.94 | $45,633 | $15.00 | +$2,248 a year |
| Georgia | $21.00 | $43,683 | $7.25 | +$298 a year |
| Mississippi | $21.25 | $44,202 | $7.25 | +$817 a year |
| Tennessee | $21.94 | $45,633 | $7.25 | +$2,248 a year |
How the federal tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $37,980. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $25,580 | $3,070 |
| Total | $37,980 | $4,310 |
How the Alabama income tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 of Alabama wages minus $2,500 standard deduction minus $1,500 in exemptions minus $4,310 deduction for federal income tax = $45,770.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $500 | $10 |
| 4% | $2,500 | $100 |
| 5% | $42,770 | $2,139 |
| Total | $45,770 | $2,249 |
Common questions
How much is $26 an hour after taxes in Alabama?
About $20.86 for every hour you work, or $43,385 a year at 40 hours a week ($54,080 gross). Taxes take about 19.8% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $26 an hour a week after taxes in Alabama?
About $834 a week at 40 hours, from $1,040 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,669.
How much is $26 an hour a month after taxes in Alabama?
About $3,615 a month at 40 hours a week, from $4,507 gross.
Is $26 an hour good pay in Alabama?
$26 an hour is 3.6 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which applies in Alabama. Alabama has no state minimum wage law. It's about the 60th percentile of hourly pay in Alabama (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 60 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Alabama is $21.96. After taxes and local prices, $43,385 a year buys about what $48,844 would at national-average prices.
Is Alabama a high-tax state for $26 an hour?
It ranks 42nd of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $26 an hour. The most you'd keep is $45,633 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $41,736 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Alabama
- $22 an hour in Alabama
- $23 an hour in Alabama
- $24 an hour in Alabama
- $25 an hour in Alabama
- $27 an hour in Alabama
- $28 an hour in Alabama
- $29 an hour in Alabama
- $30 an hour in Alabama
$26 an hour in every state · $50,000 a year in Alabama · $55,000 a year in Alabama · Alabama paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Alabama'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.