2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Nebraska

$38 an Hour in Nebraska — 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 Nebraska state income tax, your take-home pay is $29.52/hr. In Nebraska's low cost-of-living environment, this is a comfortable living wage in Nebraska.

Gross Annual
$79,040
Net Annual
$61,410
Net Monthly
$5,118
Net Hourly
$29.52

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $38.00 $8.48 $29.52
Daily (8 hrs) $304.00 $67.81 $236.19
Weekly (40 hrs) $1,520.00 $339.04 $1,180.96
Biweekly $3,040.00 $678.07 $2,361.93
Monthly $6,586.67 $1,469.15 $5,117.51
Annual $79,040 $17,630 $61,410

Full Tax Breakdown — Nebraska, 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
Nebraska Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$7,900
Nebraska State Income Tax 3.8% −$3,024.49
Total Tax 22.3% effective −$17,629.85
Net Take-Home $61,410

How Does Nebraska Compare?

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

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $3,409.30 $5,085/mo $61,025 Florida None $5,370/mo $64,435 New York $3,725.69 $5,059/mo $60,709 Texas None $5,370/mo $64,435 Washington None $5,370/mo $64,435
Open Full Calculator for Nebraska — $38/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

$79,040 salary in Nebraska — full breakdown $79,040 after tax in Nebraska $79,040 salary to hourly Nebraska paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Nebraska

$35/hr in Nebraska$36/hr in Nebraska$37/hr in Nebraska$39/hr in Nebraska$40/hr in Nebraska$41/hr in Nebraska

Same Rate, Other States

$38/hr in Alabama$38/hr in Alaska$38/hr in Arizona$38/hr in Arkansas$38/hr in California$38/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Nebraska

✓ Comfortable — $38/hr covers costs in Nebraska
  • Avg 1BR rent in Omaha: $950/mo — within budget (14% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Nebraska: $34,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $61,410 ($27,410 above comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$46.9/hr

Working at $38/hr in Nebraska

At this level in Nebraska you're firmly upper-middle-class. Berkshire Hathaway and the broader insurance/finance cluster create real demand for skilled workers at this rate. Omaha's housing market remains very affordable relative to comparable metros.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 33 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Omaha (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's within the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 2.8x Nebraska's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Nebraska is 22.3% -- federal income tax accounts for 10.8%, FICA 7.6%, and Nebraska state tax 3.8%.

Nebraska's economy is built on agriculture, food processing (Tyson, ConAgra), insurance (Berkshire Hathaway, Mutual of Omaha), and finance. Omaha's 'insurance capital' status creates a stable professional sector. The state has very low unemployment historically.

Nebraska has a graduated income tax with rates from 2.46% to 3.99% (recently simplified and reduced). The state mirrors the federal standard deduction.

Nebraska's minimum wage is $13.50/hr (2026), rising to $15 by 2026.

Monthly Budget on $38/hr in Nebraska

Based on $5,118/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Nebraska's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $950 $11,400 18.6%
Food (groceries + dining) $614 $7,368 12.0%
Transportation $512 $6,144 10.0%
Utilities $307 $3,684 6.0%
Healthcare $256 $3,072 5.0%
Entertainment $256 $3,072 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $512 $6,144 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $1,711 $20,532 33.4%

Overtime Pay — $38/hr in Nebraska

At time-and-a-half ($57.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Nebraska. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~28.0%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $285 $205 $10,250
10 hrs/week $570 $410 $20,500
20 hrs/week $1,140 $821 $41,050

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 $29.52 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 1.4 hrs 1.7 hrs
Week of groceries $120 3.2 hrs 4.1 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 21.1 hrs 27.1 hrs
1 month rent (Omaha) $950 25 hrs 32.2 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 263.2 hrs 338.8 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 1263.2 hrs 1625.8 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

38/hr in Nebraska gives you $61,410/year after taxes -- a comfortable living wage in Nebraska. Avg 1BR rent in Omaha: $950/month (within the 30% rule).

What is 38 an hour after taxes in Nebraska?

38/hr in Nebraska = $61,410/year or $5,118/month net. Effective rate: 22.3%.

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

38/hr in Nebraska has similar purchasing power to ~46.9/hr in Texas.

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

On $5,118/month in Nebraska: rent $950, food $614, transport $512, savings $512, surplus ~$1,711.

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

At 1.5x (57.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$10,250/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$20,500/year.