2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Alabama

$10 an Hour in Alabama — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $10/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $20,800. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Alabama state income tax, your take-home pay is $8.60/hr. In Alabama's low cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Alabama.

Gross Annual
$20,800
Net Annual
$17,889
Net Monthly
$1,491
Net Hourly
$8.60

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $10.00 $1.40 $8.60
Daily (8 hrs) $80.00 $11.20 $68.80
Weekly (40 hrs) $400.00 $55.98 $344.02
Biweekly $800.00 $111.97 $688.03
Monthly $1,733.33 $242.60 $1,490.73
Annual $20,800 $2,911 $17,889

Full Tax Breakdown — Alabama, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $10/hr × 2,080 hrs $20,800
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $4,700
Federal Income Tax 2.3% −$470.00
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$1,289.60
Medicare (1.45%) −$301.60
Alabama Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$3,000
Alabama State Income Tax 4.1% −$850.00
Total Tax 14.0% effective −$2,911.20
Net Take-Home $17,889

How Does Alabama Compare?

See how $10/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $204.40 $1,545/mo $18,534 Florida None $1,562/mo $18,739 New York $512.00 $1,519/mo $18,227 Texas None $1,562/mo $18,739 Washington None $1,562/mo $18,739
Open Full Calculator for Alabama — $10/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$10/hr = $20,800/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$20,800 salary in Alabama — full breakdown $20,800 after tax in Alabama $20,800 salary to hourly Alabama paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Alabama

$11/hr in Alabama$12/hr in Alabama$13/hr in Alabama

Same Rate, Other States

$10/hr in Alaska$10/hr in Arizona$10/hr in Arkansas$10/hr in California$10/hr in Colorado$10/hr in Connecticut

Cost of Living in Alabama

✗ Difficult — $10/hr falls short in Alabama
  • Avg 1BR rent in Birmingham: $900/mo — over the 30% rule (52% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Alabama: $32,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $17,889 ($14,111 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$13.1/hr

Working at $10/hr in Alabama

At this wage level in Alabama, you're earning well above the $7.25 state minimum — but Birmingham's rising rents mean budget discipline is essential. The low cost of living outside metro areas gives rural workers more breathing room than the numbers suggest.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 105 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Birmingham (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.4x Alabama's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Alabama is 14.0% -- federal income tax accounts for 2.3%, FICA 7.6%, and Alabama state tax 4.1%.

Manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive industries dominate Alabama's economy. The Huntsville area has grown significantly due to aerospace and defense contracts.

Alabama taxes income at 2–5% and does not fully follow the federal standard deduction, resulting in a somewhat higher effective state tax rate than the flat rate suggests.

Alabama follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr — no state increase.

Monthly Budget on $10/hr in Alabama

Based on $1,491/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Alabama's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $900 $10,800 60.4%
Food (groceries + dining) $179 $2,148 12.0%
Transportation $149 $1,788 10.0%
Utilities $89 $1,068 6.0%
Healthcare $75 $900 5.0%
Entertainment $75 $900 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $149 $1,788 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-125 $-1,500 -8.4%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Alabama at $10/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $10/hr in Alabama

At time-and-a-half ($15.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Alabama. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~16.4%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $75 $63 $3,150
10 hrs/week $150 $125 $6,250
20 hrs/week $300 $251 $12,550

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $10/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $8.60 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 5 hrs 5.9 hrs
Week of groceries $120 12 hrs 14 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 79.9 hrs 93 hrs
1 month rent (Birmingham) $900 90 hrs 104.7 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 1000 hrs 1162.8 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 4800 hrs 5581.2 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

10 an hour -- is it a good wage in Alabama?

10/hr in Alabama gives you $17,889/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Alabama. Avg 1BR rent in Birmingham: $900/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 10 an hour after taxes in Alabama?

10/hr in Alabama = $17,889/year or $1,491/month net. Effective rate: 14.0%.

How does 10/hr go further -- Alabama or Texas?

10/hr in Alabama has similar purchasing power to ~13.1/hr in Texas.

What does 10/hr look like as a monthly budget in Alabama?

On $1,491/month in Alabama: rent $900, food $179, transport $149, savings $149, surplus ~$0.

How much does overtime add at 10/hr in Alabama?

At 1.5x (15.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$3,150/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$6,250/year.