Salary for $20 an hour, yeah, you are reading it on the right and it is not a misprint or a mistake. You can make that much if you have skill-sets required in business administration and are looking to become an executive assistant. This job is perfect for you if helping clients/employers with their small and big tasks by keeping track of their work schedule and life calendar, doing scheduling and researching things of their interest like upcoming show tickets, hotels and international flights are your specialty.
$20 an hour is a great salary for someone who is just starting out in the field, and it’s easy to see why: $20 an hour is equivalent to $40,000 a year. That’s enough to live comfortably in many parts of the country, and it’s certainly enough to support yourself in any number of cities.
But if you’re looking for more than just a part-time job or something that will keep you busy while you’re still in school, this salary might not be quite enough for you. If you want to make it as an artist or writer full time, for example, you’ll need more than $20 an hour on average—or at least more than $20 an hour consistently over time.
That means that if you want to get paid more per hour as a freelance artist or writer, there are several things you can do: first off, ask for it! If your boss gives you a flat rate per project instead of an hourly wage, ask them if they’d consider paying by the hour instead. You could also consider raising your prices—your clients may be willing to pay more if they know they can count on your availability and reliability (and
Salary for $20 an hour
Many industries are reporting labor shortages due to “The Great Resignation.” As labor demand goes up, so does the price of labor. With such a demand and companies posting their pay in different ways, it’s helpful to be able to compare hourly wages to other pay methods.
To figure out how much $20 an hour is per year, multiply $20 by how many hours you work per week. For most full-time jobs, that’s 40 hours per week or 2,080 hours per year, if you don’t take any time off. That means $20 an hour is $41,600 a year.
What Does $20 an Hour Look Like for Other Pay Periods?
The table below shows what the gross pay will be for different pay periods if you make $20 per hour. The figures in this table assume that you didn’t have any time off.
| Length of Time | Amount | Math |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | $160 | $20 ✕ 8 hours |
| Weekly | $800 | $20 ✕ 40 hours |
| Biweekly | $1,600 | $20 ✕ 80 hours |
| Monthly | $3,467 | $20 ✕ (2,080 hours / 12 months) |
It’s important to remember that gross pay is not the same amount that ends up in your bank account.
Take-Home Pay After Taxes
Taxes can take a big chunk out of your paycheck, and the amount can vary wildly between individuals, even with the same hourly pay. Here are some taxes you’ll need to be aware of when trying to convert $20 an hour to an annual salary.
Federal Taxes
The United States uses a progressive tax system, which means that, as income goes up, the tax rate goes up. Each individual’s income is broken into brackets, and each bracket has its own rate.
For 2021, the first $9,950 is taxed at 10%. The next bracket — any income from $9,951 to $40,525 — is taxed at 12%. The third tier — $40,526 to $86,375 — is taxed at 22%. If you made $20 an hour ($41,600 for the year) in 2021, you would pay $4,664 plus 22% of the amount over $40,525 — a total of $4,900.50.
After taxes, you would have made $36,699.50 in 2021.
State Income Taxes
The example doesn’t include state income taxes or other deductions or strategies to lower your tax bill. Most states use a progressive tax system similar to the federal government’s. Nine states use a flat rate:
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Utah
Some states don’t have any income tax, which may simplify your math. The states that have no income tax:
- Alaska
- Florida
- Nevada
- New Hampshire (taxes dividends and interest)
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Washington (taxes high capital gains)
- Wyoming
On the other hand, these are the states (and district) with the highest individual income tax:
- California (13.3%)
- Hawaii (11%)
- New York (10.9%)
- District of Columbia (10.75%)
- New Jersey (10.75%)
- Oregon (9.9%)
- Minnesota (9.85%)
- Vermont (8.75%)
- Iowa (8.53%)
- Wisconsin (7.65%)
Advice for Living on $20 per Hour
If you are single and live in an area that has a low cost of living, then it might be easy, or even comfortable, for you to live on $20 an hour. If you live in New York and have a couple of dependents, then $20 an hour is going to be a struggle.
There may be some situations where $20 an hour just isn’t going to work and other times when $20 an hour is almost luxurious. For everyone in between, here are some tips for making living on $20 an hour a little easier.
A simple option is the 50/20/30 budget — popularized by Sen. Elizabeth Warren. That breaks down your take-home income into 50% for mandatory expenses, 20% for savings and debts and 30% for discretionary spending.
You can find more involved budget advice from experts such as Dave Ramsay or You Need a Budget. If you like having the utmost control, you can make your own budget in Google Sheets or Excel.
