$16 an Hour in Minnesota — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $16/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $33,280. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Minnesota state income tax, your take-home pay is $13.46/hr. In Minnesota's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Minnesota.

Gross Annual
$33,280
Net Annual
$28,001
Net Monthly
$2,333
Net Hourly
$13.46

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $16.00 $2.54 $13.46
Daily (8 hrs) $128.00 $20.30 $107.70
Weekly (40 hrs) $640.00 $101.51 $538.49
Biweekly $1,280.00 $203.03 $1,076.98
Monthly $2,773.33 $439.89 $2,333.45
Annual $33,280 $5,279 $28,001

Full Tax Breakdown — Minnesota, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $16/hr × 2,080 hrs $33,280
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $17,180
Federal Income Tax 5.4% −$1,813.60
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,063.36
Medicare (1.45%) −$482.56
Minnesota Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Minnesota State Income Tax 2.8% −$919.13
Total Tax 15.9% effective −$5,278.65
Net Take-Home $28,001

How Does Minnesota Compare?

See how $16/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$16/hr = $33,280/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

Adjacent Rates in Minnesota

Same Rate, Other States

Cost of Living in Minnesota

✗ Difficult — $16/hr falls short in Minnesota
  • Avg 1BR rent in Minneapolis: $1,250/mo — over the 30% rule (45% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Minnesota: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $28,001 ($13,999 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$16/hr

Working at $16/hr in Minnesota

This is a comfortable income in the Twin Cities. Major corporate employers create stable mid-income employment. The 6.8% state rate on income above $29k is a real factor — notably higher than Iowa, Wisconsin, or Colorado at comparable income levels.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 93 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Minneapolis (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.4x Minnesota's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Minnesota is 15.9% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.4%, FICA 7.6%, and Minnesota state tax 2.8%.

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 $16/hr in Minnesota

Based on $2,333/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 53.6%
Food (groceries + dining) $280 $3,360 12.0%
Transportation $233 $2,796 10.0%
Utilities $140 $1,680 6.0%
Healthcare $117 $1,404 5.0%
Entertainment $117 $1,404 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $233 $2,796 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-37 $-444 -1.6%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Minnesota at $16/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $16/hr in Minnesota

At time-and-a-half ($24.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Minnesota. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~18.8%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $120 $97 $4,850
10 hrs/week $240 $195 $9,750
20 hrs/week $480 $390 $19,500

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $16/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $13.46 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3.2 hrs 3.8 hrs
Week of groceries $120 7.5 hrs 9 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 50 hrs 59.4 hrs
1 month rent (Minneapolis) $1,250 78.2 hrs 92.9 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 625 hrs 742.9 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3000 hrs 3565.6 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

16/hr in Minnesota gives you $28,001/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 16 an hour after taxes in Minnesota?

16/hr in Minnesota = $28,001/year or $2,333/month net. Effective rate: 15.9%.

How does 16/hr go further -- Minnesota or Texas?

16/hr in Minnesota has similar purchasing power to ~16/hr in Texas.

What does 16/hr look like as a monthly budget in Minnesota?

On $2,333/month in Minnesota: rent $1,250, food $280, transport $233, savings $233, surplus ~$0.

How much does overtime add at 16/hr in Minnesota?

At 1.5x (24.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,850/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,750/year.