$42 an Hour in Arizona — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $42/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $87,360. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Arizona state income tax, your take-home pay is $32.94/hr. In Arizona's medium cost-of-living environment, this is a comfortable living wage in Arizona.

Gross Annual
$87,360
Net Annual
$68,506
Net Monthly
$5,709
Net Hourly
$32.94

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $42.00 $9.06 $32.94
Daily (8 hrs) $336.00 $72.51 $263.49
Weekly (40 hrs) $1,680.00 $362.57 $1,317.43
Biweekly $3,360.00 $725.14 $2,634.86
Monthly $7,280.00 $1,571.15 $5,708.86
Annual $87,360 $18,854 $68,506

Full Tax Breakdown — Arizona, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $42/hr × 2,080 hrs $87,360
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $71,260
Federal Income Tax 11.9% −$10,389.20
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$5,416.32
Medicare (1.45%) −$1,266.72
Arizona Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Arizona State Income Tax 2.0% −$1,781.50
Total Tax 21.6% effective −$18,853.74
Net Take-Home $68,506

How Does Arizona Compare?

See how $42/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$42/hr = $87,360/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

Adjacent Rates in Arizona

Same Rate, Other States

Cost of Living in Arizona

✓ Comfortable — $42/hr covers costs in Arizona
  • Avg 1BR rent in Phoenix: $1,350/mo — within budget (19% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Arizona: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $68,506 ($26,506 above comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$42/hr

Working at $42/hr in Arizona

Arizona's combination of low flat-rate income tax (2.5%), no inheritance tax, and lower housing costs than California make this wage genuinely rewarding. TSMC and Intel's Chandler campus have elevated wages in this tier significantly since 2022.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 41 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Phoenix (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's within the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 2.9x Arizona's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Arizona is 21.6% -- federal income tax accounts for 11.9%, FICA 7.6%, and Arizona state tax 2.0%.

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 $42/hr in Arizona

Based on $5,709/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 23.6%
Food (groceries + dining) $685 $8,220 12.0%
Transportation $571 $6,852 10.0%
Utilities $343 $4,116 6.0%
Healthcare $285 $3,420 5.0%
Entertainment $285 $3,420 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $571 $6,852 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $1,619 $19,428 28.4%

Overtime Pay — $42/hr in Arizona

At time-and-a-half ($63.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Arizona. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~25.9%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $315 $233 $11,650
10 hrs/week $630 $467 $23,350
20 hrs/week $1,260 $933 $46,650

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $42/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $32.94 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 1.2 hrs 1.6 hrs
Week of groceries $120 2.9 hrs 3.7 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 19.1 hrs 24.3 hrs
1 month rent (Phoenix) $1,350 32.2 hrs 41 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 238.1 hrs 303.7 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 1142.9 hrs 1457.4 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

42/hr in Arizona gives you $68,506/year after taxes -- a comfortable living wage in Arizona. Avg 1BR rent in Phoenix: $1,350/month (within the 30% rule).

What is 42 an hour after taxes in Arizona?

42/hr in Arizona = $68,506/year or $5,709/month net. Effective rate: 21.6%.

How does 42/hr go further -- Arizona or Texas?

42/hr in Arizona has similar purchasing power to ~42/hr in Texas.

What does 42/hr look like as a monthly budget in Arizona?

On $5,709/month in Arizona: rent $1,350, food $685, transport $571, savings $571, surplus ~$1,619.

How much does overtime add at 42/hr in Arizona?

At 1.5x (63.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$11,650/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$23,350/year.