2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Massachusetts

$10 an Hour in Massachusetts — 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 Massachusetts state income tax, your take-home pay is $8.51/hr. In Massachusetts's very high cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Massachusetts.

Gross Annual
$20,800
Net Annual
$17,699
Net Monthly
$1,475
Net Hourly
$8.51

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $10.00 $1.49 $8.51
Daily (8 hrs) $80.00 $11.93 $68.07
Weekly (40 hrs) $400.00 $59.64 $340.36
Biweekly $800.00 $119.28 $680.72
Monthly $1,733.33 $258.43 $1,474.90
Annual $20,800 $3,101 $17,699

Full Tax Breakdown — Massachusetts, 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
Massachusetts Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$0
Massachusetts State Income Tax 5.0% −$1,040.00
Total Tax 14.9% effective −$3,101.20
Net Take-Home $17,699

How Does Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts — $10/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

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

Adjacent Rates in Massachusetts

$11/hr in Massachusetts$12/hr in Massachusetts$13/hr in Massachusetts

Same Rate, Other States

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

Cost of Living in Massachusetts

✗ Difficult — $10/hr falls short in Massachusetts
  • Avg 1BR rent in Boston: $2,200/mo — over the 30% rule (127% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Massachusetts: $64,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $17,699 ($46,301 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$6.6/hr

Working at $10/hr in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has among the highest costs of living in the US. Boston 1BR rents average $2,200+/month — this wage doesn't comfortably cover rent alone. Workers at this level typically rely on roommates, subsidized housing, or commute from more affordable communities west of Boston.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 259 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Boston (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 0.7x Massachusetts's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Massachusetts is 14.9% -- federal income tax accounts for 2.3%, FICA 7.6%, and Massachusetts state tax 5.0%.

Massachusetts has one of the most educated and highest-paid workforces in the US. Boston is a global leader in biotech/pharma (Pfizer, Moderna, Biogen), finance, higher education (Harvard, MIT, 100+ colleges), and healthcare. The tech sector is significant. Labor demand consistently exceeds supply in high-skill roles.

Massachusetts has a flat 5% income tax on most income — but added a 4% surtax on income above $1M ('millionaire's tax') in 2023. The flat structure is relatively predictable. Boston has no local income tax. The state has no standard deduction, so the full gross is subject to the 5% rate.

Massachusetts' minimum wage is $15.00/hr (2026).

Monthly Budget on $10/hr in Massachusetts

Based on $1,475/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Massachusetts's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $2,200 $26,400 149.2%
Food (groceries + dining) $177 $2,124 12.0%
Transportation $147 $1,764 10.0%
Utilities $88 $1,056 6.0%
Healthcare $74 $888 5.0%
Entertainment $74 $888 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $147 $1,764 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-1,432 $-17,184 -97.1%

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

Overtime Pay — $10/hr in Massachusetts

At time-and-a-half ($15.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Massachusetts. 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 $8.51 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 14.2 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 79.9 hrs 94 hrs
1 month rent (Boston) $2,200 220 hrs 258.6 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 1000 hrs 1175.3 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 4800 hrs 5641.1 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

10/hr in Massachusetts gives you $17,699/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Massachusetts. Avg 1BR rent in Boston: $2,200/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 10 an hour after taxes in Massachusetts?

10/hr in Massachusetts = $17,699/year or $1,475/month net. Effective rate: 14.9%.

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

10/hr in Massachusetts has similar purchasing power to ~6.6/hr in Texas.

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

On $1,475/month in Massachusetts: rent $2,200, food $177, transport $147, savings $147, surplus ~$0.

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

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