2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · North Carolina

$10 an Hour in North Carolina — 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 North Carolina state income tax, your take-home pay is $8.85/hr. In North Carolina's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in North Carolina.

Gross Annual
$20,800
Net Annual
$18,418
Net Monthly
$1,535
Net Hourly
$8.85

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $10.00 $1.15 $8.85
Daily (8 hrs) $80.00 $9.16 $70.84
Weekly (40 hrs) $400.00 $45.82 $354.18
Biweekly $800.00 $91.63 $708.37
Monthly $1,733.33 $198.53 $1,534.80
Annual $20,800 $2,382 $18,418

Full Tax Breakdown — North Carolina, 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
North Carolina Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$12,750
North Carolina State Income Tax 1.5% −$321.20
Total Tax 11.5% effective −$2,382.40
Net Take-Home $18,418

How Does North Carolina 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 North Carolina — $10/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

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

Adjacent Rates in North Carolina

$11/hr in North Carolina$12/hr in North Carolina$13/hr in North Carolina

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 North Carolina

✗ Difficult — $10/hr falls short in North Carolina
  • Avg 1BR rent in Charlotte: $1,200/mo — over the 30% rule (69% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in North Carolina: $40,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $18,418 ($21,582 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$10.5/hr

Working at $10/hr in North Carolina

North Carolina's rapidly growing economy and low income tax make this wage competitive. Charlotte and Raleigh have seen significant rent increases due to in-migration, but compared to Northern peers, housing costs remain reasonable. The $12,750 standard deduction shields a meaningful portion of income.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 136 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Charlotte (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.4x North Carolina's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in North Carolina is 11.5% -- federal income tax accounts for 2.3%, FICA 7.6%, and North Carolina state tax 1.5%.

North Carolina has been one of the fastest-growing states for over a decade. Charlotte is a major banking hub (Bank of America, Truist HQ). The Research Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) is a top tech and biotech cluster. Toyota, Apple, and Google have all made major investments in the state.

North Carolina has a flat 4.5% income tax rate (2026), continuing to phase down toward 3.99% by 2027. The state has moved aggressively to simplify and reduce taxes in recent years. Standard deduction of $12,750 for single filers.

North Carolina follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr.

Monthly Budget on $10/hr in North Carolina

Based on $1,535/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for North Carolina's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,200 $14,400 78.2%
Food (groceries + dining) $184 $2,208 12.0%
Transportation $153 $1,836 10.0%
Utilities $92 $1,104 6.0%
Healthcare $77 $924 5.0%
Entertainment $77 $924 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $153 $1,836 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-401 $-4,812 -26.1%

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

Overtime Pay — $10/hr in North Carolina

At time-and-a-half ($15.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in North Carolina. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~15.4%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $75 $63 $3,150
10 hrs/week $150 $127 $6,350
20 hrs/week $300 $254 $12,700

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 $8.85 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 5 hrs 5.7 hrs
Week of groceries $120 12 hrs 13.6 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 79.9 hrs 90.3 hrs
1 month rent (Charlotte) $1,200 120 hrs 135.6 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 1000 hrs 1129.4 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 4800 hrs 5421 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

10 an hour -- is it a good wage in North Carolina?

10/hr in North Carolina gives you $18,418/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in North Carolina. Avg 1BR rent in Charlotte: $1,200/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 10 an hour after taxes in North Carolina?

10/hr in North Carolina = $18,418/year or $1,535/month net. Effective rate: 11.5%.

How does 10/hr go further -- North Carolina or Texas?

10/hr in North Carolina has similar purchasing power to ~10.5/hr in Texas.

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

On $1,535/month in North Carolina: rent $1,200, food $184, transport $153, savings $153, surplus ~$0.

How much does overtime add at 10/hr in North Carolina?

At 1.5x (15.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$3,150/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$6,350/year.