Part-time and full-time at $42 an hour
| Hours | Gross / yr | Gross / mo | After tax / yr | After tax / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 h/week | $43,680 | $3,640 | $37,277 | $3,106 |
| 30 h/week | $65,520 | $5,460 | $54,825 | $4,569 |
| 40 h/week | $87,360 | $7,280 | $70,288 | $5,857 |
After-tax figures use federal tax and FICA only. Part-time earners often pay a lower effective rate: at 20 hours a week the federal income tax is $3,062 (7.0% of pay) versus $10,389 (11.9%) full-time, because the $16,100 standard deduction covers a bigger share of income.
Unpaid time off. The 2,080-hour figure assumes you are paid for every week, including holidays and vacation. If you take two unpaid weeks a year, $84,000 is a more realistic annual figure; with ten unpaid holidays as well, about $80,640.
Nearby hourly wages
| Hourly | Yearly | Monthly | After tax / yr | After tax / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40/hr | $83,200 | $6,933 | $67,361 | $5,613 |
| $41/hr | $85,280 | $7,107 | $68,824 | $5,735 |
| $42 | $87,360 | $7,280 | $70,288 | $5,857 |
| $43/hr | $89,440 | $7,453 | $71,751 | $5,979 |
| $44/hr | $91,520 | $7,627 | $73,214 | $6,101 |
FAQ
$42 an hour is how much a year?
$42 an hour is $87,360 a year before taxes for a full-time worker (40 hours a week × 52 weeks = 2,080 hours). That is $7,280 a month, $3,360 every two weeks and $1,680 a week.
How much is $42 an hour after taxes?
For a single filer in 2026, $87,360 a year leaves about $70,288 after federal income tax ($10,389) and Social Security and Medicare ($6,683) in a state with no income tax such as Texas or Florida — about $33.79 an hour or $5,857 a month. In California it is about $66,408, in New York $66,167 and in Illinois $66,108.
How much is $42 an hour part-time?
At 20 hours a week $42 an hour is $43,680 a year ($37,277 after federal tax and FICA); at 30 hours a week it is $65,520 ($54,825 after tax).
Is $42 an hour a good wage?
$42 is 5.8 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25 and 71% above the U.S. median hourly wage of $24.51 (BLS, May 2025). Whether it is enough depends heavily on local housing costs and household size.
What is $42 an hour in overtime?
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt workers earn at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, so $42 an hour becomes $63.00 an hour of overtime.
Assumptions & sources
- 2,080 hours = 40 hours × 52 weeks; daily = 8 hours; biweekly = 26 paychecks.
- Taxes: single filer, 2026 standard deduction $16,100, brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32; Social Security 6.2% to $184,500 (SSA); Medicare 1.45%; state rates from Tax Foundation 2026 and state revenue departments. No local income tax or state payroll taxes (e.g. CA SDI). Data as of 2026-11-03.
- Federal minimum wage $7.25 an hour (Fair Labor Standards Act, unchanged since July 24, 2009); many states and cities set higher minimums.
- Median hourly wage $24.51 and mean $33.54, all occupations — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (released May 15, 2026).
See the $85,000 salary after taxes in all 50 states or compute your own paycheck with the 2026 paycheck calculator.