2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Idaho

$18 an Hour in Idaho — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $18/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $37,440. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Idaho state income tax, your take-home pay is $14.92/hr. In Idaho's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Idaho.

Gross Annual
$37,440
Net Annual
$31,025
Net Monthly
$2,585
Net Hourly
$14.92

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $18.00 $3.08 $14.92
Daily (8 hrs) $144.00 $24.67 $119.33
Weekly (40 hrs) $720.00 $123.36 $596.64
Biweekly $1,440.00 $246.72 $1,193.28
Monthly $3,120.00 $534.56 $2,585.44
Annual $37,440 $6,415 $31,025

Full Tax Breakdown — Idaho, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $18/hr × 2,080 hrs $37,440
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $21,340
Federal Income Tax 6.2% −$2,312.80
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,321.28
Medicare (1.45%) −$542.88
Idaho Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Idaho State Income Tax 3.3% −$1,237.72
Total Tax 17.1% effective −$6,414.68
Net Take-Home $31,025

How Does Idaho Compare?

See how $18/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $671.98 $2,633/mo $31,591 Florida None $2,689/mo $32,263 New York $1,292.09 $2,581/mo $30,971 Texas None $2,689/mo $32,263 Washington None $2,689/mo $32,263
Open Full Calculator for Idaho — $18/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$18/hr = $37,440/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$37,440 salary in Idaho — full breakdown $37,440 after tax in Idaho $37,440 salary to hourly Idaho paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Idaho

$15/hr in Idaho$16/hr in Idaho$17/hr in Idaho$19/hr in Idaho$20/hr in Idaho$21/hr in Idaho

Same Rate, Other States

$18/hr in Alabama$18/hr in Alaska$18/hr in Arizona$18/hr in Arkansas$18/hr in California$18/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Idaho

✗ Difficult — $18/hr falls short in Idaho
  • Avg 1BR rent in Boise: $1,200/mo — over the 30% rule (38% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Idaho: $40,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $31,025 ($8,975 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$18.9/hr

Working at $18/hr in Idaho

This is a comfortable income in most of Idaho. Boise's tech economy creates upward mobility, and the flat 5.8% tax is predictable. The outdoor recreation amenities (skiing, hiking, rivers) add quality-of-life value that doesn't show up in salary comparisons.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 81 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Boise (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 2.5x Idaho's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Idaho is 17.1% -- federal income tax accounts for 6.2%, FICA 7.7%, and Idaho state tax 3.3%.

Boise has emerged as a tech hub (Micron Technology is headquartered here) and has attracted significant in-migration from California. Agriculture, food processing, and manufacturing are the state's traditional economic base.

Idaho has a flat 5.8% income tax rate (2026). The state mirrors the federal standard deduction, keeping calculation simple.

Idaho follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr.

Monthly Budget on $18/hr in Idaho

Based on $2,585/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Idaho's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,200 $14,400 46.4%
Food (groceries + dining) $310 $3,720 12.0%
Transportation $259 $3,108 10.0%
Utilities $155 $1,860 6.0%
Healthcare $129 $1,548 5.0%
Entertainment $129 $1,548 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $259 $3,108 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $144 $1,728 5.6%

Overtime Pay — $18/hr in Idaho

At time-and-a-half ($27.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Idaho. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~19.3%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $135 $109 $5,450
10 hrs/week $270 $218 $10,900
20 hrs/week $540 $436 $21,800

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $18/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $14.92 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 2.8 hrs 3.4 hrs
Week of groceries $120 6.7 hrs 8.1 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 44.4 hrs 53.6 hrs
1 month rent (Boise) $1,200 66.7 hrs 80.5 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 555.6 hrs 670.5 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 2666.7 hrs 3218.1 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

18 an hour -- is it a good wage in Idaho?

18/hr in Idaho gives you $31,025/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Idaho. Avg 1BR rent in Boise: $1,200/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 18 an hour after taxes in Idaho?

18/hr in Idaho = $31,025/year or $2,585/month net. Effective rate: 17.1%.

How does 18/hr go further -- Idaho or Texas?

18/hr in Idaho has similar purchasing power to ~18.9/hr in Texas.

What does 18/hr look like as a monthly budget in Idaho?

On $2,585/month in Idaho: rent $1,200, food $310, transport $259, savings $259, surplus ~$144.

How much does overtime add at 18/hr in Idaho?

At 1.5x (27.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$5,450/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$10,900/year.