Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Median $53,750 · 416,210 jobs
Salary to hourly · 2026
$55,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?
$55,000 a year works out to $26.44 an hour for full-time work. Below: what that is per paycheck, what's left after 2026 taxes in every state, what it buys where you live, and which jobs typically pay it.
$55,000 a year, every way
| Per | Gross pay |
|---|---|
| Year (2,080 hours) | $55,000.00 |
| Month | $4,583.33 |
| Two weeks (biweekly) | $2,115.38 |
| Semi-monthly | $2,291.67 |
| Week (40 hours) | $1,057.69 |
| Day (8 hours) | $211.54 |
| Hour | $26.44 |
After taxes
$3,864 a month after federal tax and FICA (single, no state income tax)
- Federal income tax a year
- $4,420
- Social Security + Medicare a year
- $4,208
- Take-home a year (no state tax)
- $46,373
- Share you keep
- 84.3%
- Rent at 30% of gross income
- $1,375 a month
Add your state, 401(k) and health deductions in the paycheck calculator.
Is $55,000 a year good pay?
About the 53rd percentile among all U.S. workers (BLS May 2025) — roughly 53 in 100 workers earn less. It's 8% above the median for all occupations ($50,980 a year, or $24.51 an hour).
Whether it's enough depends heavily on where you live. After 2026 taxes and local prices, $55,000 a year goes furthest in South Dakota ($52,347 in national-average prices) and least far in Hawaii ($39,756).
$55,000 a year after taxes in every state
Estimated 2026 take-home for a single filer paid biweekly, with no pre-tax deductions or local tax. The last column restates take-home in national-average prices using BEA Regional Price Parities (2024).
| State | Take-home a year | A month | In national prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $46,373 | $3,864 | $44,842 |
| Nevada | $46,373 | $3,864 | $46,382 |
| New Hampshire | $46,373 | $3,864 | $44,518 |
| North Dakota | $46,373 | $3,864 | $52,128 |
| South Dakota | $46,373 | $3,864 | $52,347 |
| Tennessee | $46,373 | $3,864 | $50,476 |
| Texas | $46,373 | $3,864 | $47,779 |
| Wyoming | $46,373 | $3,864 | $50,029 |
| Alaska | $46,102 | $3,842 | $45,039 |
| Washington | $45,610 | $3,801 | $42,621 |
| Arizona | $45,391 | $3,783 | $45,086 |
| Ohio | $45,304 | $3,775 | $48,832 |
| Louisiana | $45,109 | $3,759 | $51,140 |
| South Carolina | $45,041 | $3,753 | $48,045 |
| Vermont | $44,964 | $3,747 | $45,901 |
| New Mexico | $44,953 | $3,746 | $48,750 |
| Iowa | $44,934 | $3,745 | $51,200 |
| Mississippi | $44,905 | $3,742 | $51,642 |
| Arkansas | $44,825 | $3,735 | $51,560 |
| Indiana | $44,780 | $3,732 | $47,980 |
| Nebraska | $44,750 | $3,729 | $49,665 |
| Missouri | $44,725 | $3,727 | $49,247 |
| West Virginia | $44,717 | $3,726 | $49,965 |
| North Carolina | $44,687 | $3,724 | $47,375 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,646 | $3,720 | $45,756 |
| Idaho | $44,566 | $3,714 | $46,669 |
| Kentucky | $44,565 | $3,714 | $49,429 |
| Wisconsin | $44,549 | $3,712 | $47,345 |
| Montana | $44,544 | $3,712 | $47,065 |
| New Jersey | $44,460 | $3,705 | $40,862 |
| Oklahoma | $44,443 | $3,704 | $50,594 |
| Colorado | $44,419 | $3,702 | $43,103 |
| Utah | $44,413 | $3,701 | $44,923 |
| Georgia | $44,377 | $3,698 | $46,085 |
| Rhode Island | $44,322 | $3,693 | $43,334 |
| California | $44,318 | $3,693 | $40,027 |
| Michigan | $44,286 | $3,690 | $46,027 |
| District of Columbia | $44,239 | $3,687 | $40,253 |
| Maryland | $44,126 | $3,677 | $42,041 |
| Kansas | $44,103 | $3,675 | $48,967 |
| Alabama | $44,084 | $3,674 | $49,631 |
| Maine | $44,063 | $3,672 | $45,402 |
| Virginia | $44,024 | $3,669 | $43,543 |
| Minnesota | $43,914 | $3,659 | $44,528 |
| Connecticut | $43,823 | $3,652 | $42,296 |
| Illinois | $43,795 | $3,650 | $43,813 |
| Delaware | $43,777 | $3,648 | $43,861 |
| New York | $43,731 | $3,644 | $40,521 |
| Hawaii | $43,713 | $3,643 | $39,756 |
| Massachusetts | $43,590 | $3,632 | $41,217 |
| Oregon | $42,453 | $3,538 | $41,073 |
Jobs that pay about $55,000 a year
Occupations whose national median is within 4% of $55,000 a year, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
Median $57,020 · 206,170 jobs
Real Estate Sales Agents
Median $52,830 · 193,370 jobs
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Median $55,570 · 156,280 jobs
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
Median $54,210 · 154,800 jobs
Automotive Body and Related Repairers
Median $54,890 · 149,310 jobs
Roofers
Median $55,440 · 135,490 jobs
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other
Median $56,730 · 107,730 jobs
Public Safety Telecommunicators
Median $53,040 · 102,500 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
Median $55,940 · 81,480 jobs
Tax Preparers
Median $54,920 · 76,480 jobs
Glaziers
Median $57,080 · 58,480 jobs
$55,000 a year as an hourly rate
| Hours a year | Hourly rate |
|---|---|
| 2,080 (40 h × 52 weeks) | $26.44 |
| 2,000 (40 h × 50 weeks) | $27.50 |
| 1,950 (37.5 h × 52 weeks) | $28.21 |
| 2,340 (45 h × 52 weeks) | $23.50 |
| 2,600 (50 h × 52 weeks) | $21.15 |
$55,000 ÷ 2,080 hours = $26.44
Salaried workers who put in longer weeks earn less per hour than this.
Sources and method
Conversions assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Taxes use our 2026 federal and state engine (methodology); local income taxes aren't included. Wage rankings and occupations use BLS OEWS May 2025; price levels use BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 9, 2026.