2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Minnesota

$12 an Hour in Minnesota — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $12/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $24,960. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Minnesota state income tax, your take-home pay is $10.43/hr. In Minnesota's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Minnesota.

Gross Annual
$24,960
Net Annual
$21,691
Net Monthly
$1,808
Net Hourly
$10.43

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $12.00 $1.57 $10.43
Daily (8 hrs) $96.00 $12.57 $83.43
Weekly (40 hrs) $480.00 $62.87 $417.13
Biweekly $960.00 $125.75 $834.25
Monthly $2,080.00 $272.45 $1,807.55
Annual $24,960 $3,269 $21,691

Full Tax Breakdown — Minnesota, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $12/hr × 2,080 hrs $24,960
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $8,860
Federal Income Tax 3.5% −$886.00
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$1,547.52
Medicare (1.45%) −$361.92
Minnesota Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Minnesota State Income Tax 1.9% −$474.01
Total Tax 13.1% effective −$3,269.45
Net Take-Home $21,691

How Does Minnesota Compare?

See how $12/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $287.60 $1,823/mo $21,877 Florida None $1,847/mo $22,165 New York $678.40 $1,791/mo $21,486 Texas None $1,847/mo $22,165 Washington None $1,847/mo $22,165
Open Full Calculator for Minnesota — $12/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$12/hr = $24,960/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$24,960 salary in Minnesota — full breakdown $24,960 after tax in Minnesota $24,960 salary to hourly Minnesota paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Minnesota

$10/hr in Minnesota$11/hr in Minnesota$13/hr in Minnesota$14/hr in Minnesota$15/hr in Minnesota

Same Rate, Other States

$12/hr in Alabama$12/hr in Alaska$12/hr in Arizona$12/hr in Arkansas$12/hr in California$12/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Minnesota

✗ Difficult — $12/hr falls short in Minnesota
  • Avg 1BR rent in Minneapolis: $1,250/mo — over the 30% rule (60% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Minnesota: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $21,691 ($20,309 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$12/hr

Working at $12/hr in Minnesota

Minnesota's progressive income tax starts hitting meaningfully around $20k. At lower wages, the effective state rate is 4–5%. Minneapolis 1BR rents average $1,250/month. The city's strong labor movement and corporate presence create upward mobility.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 120 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Minneapolis (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.1x Minnesota's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Minnesota is 13.1% -- federal income tax accounts for 3.5%, FICA 7.6%, and Minnesota state tax 1.9%.

Minnesota has a highly educated workforce and strong corporate base — Target, UnitedHealth Group, 3M, General Mills, and Best Buy are all headquartered here. The Twin Cities metro has a diverse, resilient economy. Healthcare, finance, retail, and manufacturing are major sectors.

Minnesota has a progressive income tax with a top rate of 9.85% — one of the highest in the Midwest. The brackets are steep: the 6.8% rate applies above ~$29k for single filers. This creates a noticeably higher state tax burden at mid and upper incomes relative to neighboring Wisconsin or Iowa.

Minnesota's minimum wage is $11.13/hr for large employers (2026).

Monthly Budget on $12/hr in Minnesota

Based on $1,808/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Minnesota's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,250 $15,000 69.2%
Food (groceries + dining) $217 $2,604 12.0%
Transportation $181 $2,172 10.0%
Utilities $108 $1,296 6.0%
Healthcare $90 $1,080 5.0%
Entertainment $90 $1,080 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $181 $2,172 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-309 $-3,708 -17.1%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Minnesota at $12/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $12/hr in Minnesota

At time-and-a-half ($18.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Minnesota. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~16.8%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $90 $75 $3,750
10 hrs/week $180 $150 $7,500
20 hrs/week $360 $300 $15,000

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $12/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $10.43 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 4.2 hrs 4.8 hrs
Week of groceries $120 10 hrs 11.6 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 66.6 hrs 76.7 hrs
1 month rent (Minneapolis) $1,250 104.2 hrs 119.9 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 833.4 hrs 959 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 4000 hrs 4603 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

12 an hour -- is it a good wage in Minnesota?

12/hr in Minnesota gives you $21,691/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Minnesota. Avg 1BR rent in Minneapolis: $1,250/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 12 an hour after taxes in Minnesota?

12/hr in Minnesota = $21,691/year or $1,808/month net. Effective rate: 13.1%.

How does 12/hr go further -- Minnesota or Texas?

12/hr in Minnesota has similar purchasing power to ~12/hr in Texas.

What does 12/hr look like as a monthly budget in Minnesota?

On $1,808/month in Minnesota: rent $1,250, food $217, transport $181, savings $181, surplus ~$0.

How much does overtime add at 12/hr in Minnesota?

At 1.5x (18.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$3,750/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$7,500/year.