2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Arizona

$21 an Hour in Arizona — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $21/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $43,680. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Arizona state income tax, your take-home pay is $17.59/hr. In Arizona's medium cost-of-living environment, this is enough to get by in Arizona, though budget carefully.

Gross Annual
$43,680
Net Annual
$36,587
Net Monthly
$3,049
Net Hourly
$17.59

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $21.00 $3.41 $17.59
Daily (8 hrs) $168.00 $27.28 $140.72
Weekly (40 hrs) $840.00 $136.40 $703.60
Biweekly $1,680.00 $272.79 $1,407.21
Monthly $3,640.00 $591.05 $3,048.95
Annual $43,680 $7,093 $36,587

Full Tax Breakdown — Arizona, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $21/hr × 2,080 hrs $43,680
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $27,580
Federal Income Tax 7.0% −$3,061.60
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,708.16
Medicare (1.45%) −$633.36
Arizona Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Arizona State Income Tax 1.6% −$689.50
Total Tax 16.2% effective −$7,092.62
Net Take-Home $36,587

How Does Arizona Compare?

See how $21/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $921.58 $3,030/mo $36,355 Florida None $3,106/mo $37,277 New York $1,657.13 $2,968/mo $35,620 Texas None $3,106/mo $37,277 Washington None $3,106/mo $37,277
Open Full Calculator for Arizona — $21/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$21/hr = $43,680/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$43,680 salary in Arizona — full breakdown $43,680 after tax in Arizona $43,680 salary to hourly Arizona paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Arizona

$18/hr in Arizona$19/hr in Arizona$20/hr in Arizona$22/hr in Arizona$23/hr in Arizona$24/hr in Arizona

Same Rate, Other States

$21/hr in Alabama$21/hr in Alaska$21/hr in Arkansas$21/hr in California$21/hr in Colorado$21/hr in Connecticut

Cost of Living in Arizona

⚠ Tight — $21/hr is borderline in Arizona
  • Avg 1BR rent in Phoenix: $1,350/mo — over the 30% rule (37% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Arizona: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $36,587 ($5,413 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$21/hr

Working at $21/hr in Arizona

This is a comfortable wage in most Arizona metros. The 2.5% flat state tax means your effective burden is low — a meaningful advantage over neighboring California. Phoenix's job market is booming in tech and manufacturing, creating real upward mobility at this level.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 77 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Phoenix (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.4x Arizona's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Arizona is 16.2% -- federal income tax accounts for 7.0%, FICA 7.6%, and Arizona state tax 1.6%.

Arizona's economy has grown rapidly, led by semiconductor manufacturing (TSMC's Phoenix fab), real estate, tourism, and healthcare. The Phoenix metro is one of the fastest-growing job markets in the US.

Arizona simplified to a flat 2.5% income tax rate in 2023 — one of the lowest flat rates in the country. This means workers at all income levels pay the same low effective state rate.

Arizona's minimum wage is $14.70/hr (2026), adjusted annually for inflation.

Monthly Budget on $21/hr in Arizona

Based on $3,049/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Arizona's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,350 $16,200 44.3%
Food (groceries + dining) $366 $4,392 12.0%
Transportation $305 $3,660 10.0%
Utilities $183 $2,196 6.0%
Healthcare $152 $1,824 5.0%
Entertainment $152 $1,824 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $305 $3,660 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $236 $2,832 7.7%

Overtime Pay — $21/hr in Arizona

At time-and-a-half ($31.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Arizona. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~16.0%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $158 $132 $6,600
10 hrs/week $315 $265 $13,250
20 hrs/week $630 $530 $26,500

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $21/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $17.59 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 2.4 hrs 2.9 hrs
Week of groceries $120 5.8 hrs 6.9 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 38.1 hrs 45.5 hrs
1 month rent (Phoenix) $1,350 64.3 hrs 76.8 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 476.2 hrs 568.6 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 2285.8 hrs 2728.9 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

21 an hour -- is it a good wage in Arizona?

21/hr in Arizona gives you $36,587/year after taxes -- enough to get by in Arizona, though budget carefully. Avg 1BR rent in Phoenix: $1,350/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 21 an hour after taxes in Arizona?

21/hr in Arizona = $36,587/year or $3,049/month net. Effective rate: 16.2%.

How does 21/hr go further -- Arizona or Texas?

21/hr in Arizona has similar purchasing power to ~21/hr in Texas.

What does 21/hr look like as a monthly budget in Arizona?

On $3,049/month in Arizona: rent $1,350, food $366, transport $305, savings $305, surplus ~$236.

How much does overtime add at 21/hr in Arizona?

At 1.5x (31.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$6,600/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$13,250/year.