$38 an Hour in Minnesota — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $38/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $79,040. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Minnesota state income tax, your take-home pay is $29.14/hr. In Minnesota's medium cost-of-living environment, this is a comfortable living wage in Minnesota.

Gross Annual
$79,040
Net Annual
$60,614
Net Monthly
$5,051
Net Hourly
$29.14

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $38.00 $8.86 $29.14
Daily (8 hrs) $304.00 $70.87 $233.13
Weekly (40 hrs) $1,520.00 $354.34 $1,165.66
Biweekly $3,040.00 $708.68 $2,331.32
Monthly $6,586.67 $1,535.48 $5,051.19
Annual $79,040 $18,426 $60,614

Full Tax Breakdown — Minnesota, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $38/hr × 2,080 hrs $79,040
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $62,940
Federal Income Tax 10.8% −$8,558.80
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$4,900.48
Medicare (1.45%) −$1,146.08
Minnesota Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Minnesota State Income Tax 4.8% −$3,820.42
Total Tax 23.3% effective −$18,425.77
Net Take-Home $60,614

How Does Minnesota Compare?

See how $38/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$38/hr = $79,040/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

Adjacent Rates in Minnesota

Same Rate, Other States

Cost of Living in Minnesota

✓ Comfortable — $38/hr covers costs in Minnesota
  • Avg 1BR rent in Minneapolis: $1,250/mo — within budget (19% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Minnesota: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $60,614 ($18,614 above comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$38/hr

Working at $38/hr in Minnesota

At this level in Minnesota the progressive tax structure takes a significant bite — effective state rates often reach 7–8%. The strong corporate presence (Fortune 500 companies per capita is among the highest in the US) means high-skill workers are well compensated to offset the higher taxes.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 43 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Minneapolis (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's within the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 3.4x Minnesota's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Minnesota is 23.3% -- federal income tax accounts for 10.8%, FICA 7.6%, and Minnesota state tax 4.8%.

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 $38/hr in Minnesota

Based on $5,051/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 24.7%
Food (groceries + dining) $606 $7,272 12.0%
Transportation $505 $6,060 10.0%
Utilities $303 $3,636 6.0%
Healthcare $253 $3,036 5.0%
Entertainment $253 $3,036 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $505 $6,060 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $1,376 $16,512 27.2%

Overtime Pay — $38/hr in Minnesota

At time-and-a-half ($57.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Minnesota. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~30.3%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $285 $199 $9,950
10 hrs/week $570 $398 $19,900
20 hrs/week $1,140 $795 $39,750

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $38/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $29.14 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 1.4 hrs 1.8 hrs
Week of groceries $120 3.2 hrs 4.2 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 21.1 hrs 27.5 hrs
1 month rent (Minneapolis) $1,250 32.9 hrs 42.9 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 263.2 hrs 343.2 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 1263.2 hrs 1647.2 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

38/hr in Minnesota gives you $60,614/year after taxes -- a comfortable living wage in Minnesota. Avg 1BR rent in Minneapolis: $1,250/month (within the 30% rule).

What is 38 an hour after taxes in Minnesota?

38/hr in Minnesota = $60,614/year or $5,051/month net. Effective rate: 23.3%.

How does 38/hr go further -- Minnesota or Texas?

38/hr in Minnesota has similar purchasing power to ~38/hr in Texas.

What does 38/hr look like as a monthly budget in Minnesota?

On $5,051/month in Minnesota: rent $1,250, food $606, transport $505, savings $505, surplus ~$1,376.

How much does overtime add at 38/hr in Minnesota?

At 1.5x (57.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$9,950/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$19,900/year.