2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Minnesota

$42 an Hour in Minnesota — 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 Minnesota state income tax, your take-home pay is $31.68/hr. In Minnesota's medium cost-of-living environment, this is a comfortable living wage in Minnesota.

Gross Annual
$87,360
Net Annual
$65,902
Net Monthly
$5,492
Net Hourly
$31.68

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $42.00 $10.32 $31.68
Daily (8 hrs) $336.00 $82.53 $253.47
Weekly (40 hrs) $1,680.00 $412.66 $1,267.34
Biweekly $3,360.00 $825.32 $2,534.68
Monthly $7,280.00 $1,788.20 $5,491.80
Annual $87,360 $21,458 $65,902

Full Tax Breakdown — Minnesota, 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
Minnesota Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Minnesota State Income Tax 5.0% −$4,386.18
Total Tax 24.6% effective −$21,458.42
Net Take-Home $65,902

How Does Minnesota Compare?

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

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $4,183.06 $5,509/mo $66,105 Florida None $5,857/mo $70,288 New York $4,212.41 $5,506/mo $66,075 Texas None $5,857/mo $70,288 Washington None $5,857/mo $70,288
Open Full Calculator for Minnesota — $42/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

$87,360 salary in Minnesota — full breakdown $87,360 after tax in Minnesota $87,360 salary to hourly Minnesota paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Minnesota

$39/hr in Minnesota$40/hr in Minnesota$41/hr in Minnesota$43/hr in Minnesota$44/hr in Minnesota$45/hr in Minnesota

Same Rate, Other States

$42/hr in Alabama$42/hr in Alaska$42/hr in Arizona$42/hr in Arkansas$42/hr in California$42/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Minnesota

✓ Comfortable — $42/hr covers costs in Minnesota
  • Avg 1BR rent in Minneapolis: $1,250/mo — within budget (17% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Minnesota: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $65,902 ($23,902 above comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$42/hr

Working at $42/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 ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 40 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Minneapolis (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's within the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 3.8x Minnesota's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Minnesota is 24.6% -- federal income tax accounts for 11.9%, FICA 7.6%, and Minnesota state tax 5.0%.

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 $42/hr in Minnesota

Based on $5,492/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 22.8%
Food (groceries + dining) $659 $7,908 12.0%
Transportation $549 $6,588 10.0%
Utilities $330 $3,960 6.0%
Healthcare $275 $3,300 5.0%
Entertainment $275 $3,300 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $549 $6,588 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $1,605 $19,260 29.2%

Overtime Pay — $42/hr in Minnesota

At time-and-a-half ($63.00/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 $315 $220 $11,000
10 hrs/week $630 $439 $21,950
20 hrs/week $1,260 $879 $43,950

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 $31.68 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 3.8 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 19.1 hrs 25.3 hrs
1 month rent (Minneapolis) $1,250 29.8 hrs 39.5 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 238.1 hrs 315.7 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 1142.9 hrs 1515 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

42/hr in Minnesota gives you $65,902/year after taxes -- a comfortable living wage in Minnesota. Avg 1BR rent in Minneapolis: $1,250/month (within the 30% rule).

What is 42 an hour after taxes in Minnesota?

42/hr in Minnesota = $65,902/year or $5,492/month net. Effective rate: 24.6%.

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

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

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

On $5,492/month in Minnesota: rent $1,250, food $659, transport $549, savings $549, surplus ~$1,605.

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

At 1.5x (63.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$11,000/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$21,950/year.