$42,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?
Divide $42,000 by the 2,080 hours in a standard work year (40 hours × 52 weeks) and you get $20.19 an hour. Paid monthly that's about $3,500.00; paid every two weeks it's $1,615.38 per check; per working day it's $161.54 — all gross figures. Federal income tax takes an estimated 6.8% at this income (2026, single filer, standard deduction), leaving roughly $18.82 an hour in federal take-home. The sections below show the complete period-by-period breakdown, the after-tax math, typical jobs at this pay level and a comparison against neighboring salaries. Change the hours in the calculator if your week isn't 40 — the hourly rate scales directly with the hours you actually work.
$42,000 a year breakdown
How we worked it out
To turn an annual salary into an hourly wage, divide it by the number of paid hours in a year. At 40 hours a week for 52 weeks that's 2,080 hours, so $42,000 ÷ 2,080 = $20.19 per hour. These are gross figures before tax. To estimate take-home pay, see the Income Tax Calculator, or use the full Salary Calculator to change the hours, days and weeks.
$42,000 a year after taxes
On $42,000, estimated federal income tax is about $2,860 for a single filer taking the 2026 standard deduction — an effective rate of 6.8%, with the top dollar taxed in the 12% bracket. That leaves roughly $39,140 in federal take-home pay, about $3,262 a month or $18.82 an hour. Two people earning $42,000 can still take home different amounts: your net drops further after Social Security and Medicare (FICA, about 7.65%), and by another few percent in most states that levy an income tax — while nine states (including Texas and Florida) charge none. Use the Income Tax Calculator to try a different filing status or add pre-tax 401(k) and HSA contributions.
Federal income tax only (2026 brackets, standard deduction). Excludes FICA and state/local tax.
Jobs that pay around $42,000 a year
These occupations have a national median wage closest to $42,000, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, May 2024). Actual pay varies widely by state, metro area and experience.
| Occupation | Median annual pay | ≈ Hourly (40 hrs/wk) |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing assistants | $39,610 | $19.04 |
| Customer service representatives | $39,680 | $19.08 |
| Delivery drivers | $39,950 | $19.21 |
| Pharmacy technicians | $40,300 | $19.38 |
| Medical assistants | $42,000 | $20.19 |
How $42,000 compares to nearby salaries
| Salary | Hourly | Monthly | Federal take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| $38,000 a year | $18.27 | $3,167 | $35,620 |
| $40,000 a year | $19.23 | $3,333 | $37,380 |
| $44,000 a year | $21.15 | $3,667 | $40,900 |
| $45,000 a year | $21.63 | $3,750 | $41,780 |
| $42,000 a year (this page) | $20.19 | $3,500.00 | $39,140 |
Take-home is federal income tax only (2026, single filer, standard deduction), before FICA and state tax.
Is $42,000 a year a good salary?
Measured against national benchmarks, $42,000 sits about 30% below what the typical U.S. full-time worker earns ($60,000 or so) and below the U.S. median household income of about $80,000. In day-to-day terms that's roughly $807.69 per week, or $161.54 per working day, before any tax comes out. Whether it feels like a good salary comes down to geography and household size: the same paycheck covers a lot more in a low-cost region than in a coastal metro where rent dominates. Base your budget on net pay — federal tax, FICA and any state tax all reduce the $42,000 headline first.