Waiters and Waitresses
Median $26.98 an hour in Washington · 45,400 jobs
Washington · 2026 take-home pay
$26 an hour after taxes in Washington
At $26 an hour in Washington you keep about $21.58 of every hour — $863 a week, $3,740 a month or $44,883 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state payroll programs. Washington has no income tax on wages plus Paid Family & Medical Leave and WA Cares Fund, and its minimum wage is $17.13 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 |
| Paid Family & Medical Leave (employee share) | −$437 | −$8 | −$0.21 |
| WA Cares Fund (long-term care) | −$314 | −$6 | −$0.15 |
| Take-home pay | $44,883 | $863 | $21.58 |
Effective tax rate 17% · federal bracket 12% · no state income tax on wages.
Paid Family & Medical Leave (employee share): 0.81% of wages · WA Cares Fund (long-term care): 0.58% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $1,040.00 | $863.14 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,080.00 | $1,726.27 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,253.33 | $1,870.13 |
| Monthly (12) | $4,506.67 | $3,740.26 |
$26 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Washington 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 | $452 | $23,502 |
| 30 hours a week | $780 | $658 | $34,207 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,040 | $863 | $44,883 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,235 | $1,017 | $52,890 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,430 | $1,156 | $60,111 |
*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 Washington?
- Minimum wage: $26 an hour is 1.5 times Washington's minimum wage of $17.13 an hour. Seattle and some other cities set higher local minimums.
- Among Washington workers: It's about the 36th percentile of hourly pay in Washington (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 36 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $30.28 an hour.
- Local prices: Washington's price level is 107% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $44,883 a year buys about what $41,942 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 $1,870 a month for needs, $1,122 for wants and $748 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Washington that pay about $26 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Washington is within 4% of $26 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Bartenders
Median $26.84 an hour in Washington · 16,800 jobs
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Median $26.80 an hour in Washington · 14,820 jobs
Billing and Posting Clerks
Median $26.96 an hour in Washington · 11,960 jobs
Social and Human Service Assistants
Median $26.33 an hour in Washington · 7,590 jobs
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
Median $25.23 an hour in Washington · 6,160 jobs
How Washington compares on $26 an hour
Washington ranks 10th of 51 for take-home pay on $26 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
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 |
Common questions
How much is $26 an hour after taxes in Washington?
About $21.58 for every hour you work, or $44,883 a year at 40 hours a week ($54,080 gross). Taxes take about 17% 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 Washington?
About $863 a week at 40 hours, from $1,040 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,726.
How much is $26 an hour a month after taxes in Washington?
About $3,740 a month at 40 hours a week, from $4,507 gross.
Is $26 an hour good pay in Washington?
$26 an hour is 1.5 times Washington's minimum wage of $17.13 an hour. It's about the 36th percentile of hourly pay in Washington (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 36 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Washington is $30.28. After taxes and local prices, $44,883 a year buys about what $41,942 would at national-average prices.
Is Washington a high-tax state for $26 an hour?
It ranks 10th 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 Washington
- $22 an hour in Washington
- $23 an hour in Washington
- $24 an hour in Washington
- $25 an hour in Washington
- $27 an hour in Washington
- $28 an hour in Washington
- $29 an hour in Washington
- $30 an hour in Washington
$26 an hour in every state · $50,000 a year in Washington · $55,000 a year in Washington · Washington paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Washington's employee payroll programs (methodology). Washington 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.