# Hourly paycheck calculator (2026)

Type an hourly rate and hours per week. Takehome Cash annualizes at rate × hours × 52, then applies 2026 federal brackets, Social Security, Medicare, and a simplified state model. The calculator below starts at $25 an hour, 40 hours, California, single.

Hourly workers see a different stub shape than salaried peers even at the same annual gross: overtime, unpaid holidays, and variable hours change the annualized wage. This page models a steady week. $25 × 40 × 52 is $52,000 a year — a common full-time sample, not a promise of your hours.

Federal income tax uses the IRS 2026 standard deduction and brackets. Social Security is 6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base; Medicare is 1.45% (plus 0.9% additional Medicare above the filing-status threshold). Traditional 401(k) deferrals reduce federal and typically state taxable wages but stay in the FICA base.

California is the default because it has a graduated wage tax. Switch the state control to Texas or Florida to see the same hourly rate with no state wage tax. Local taxes, SDI, and most credits are omitted. Figures are engine estimates, last reviewed August 23, 2026.

## Sample estimates

### $25/hr × 40h, CA single

- Gross: $52,000.00
- Federal income tax: $4,060.00
- Social Security: $3,224.00
- Medicare: $754.00
- State income tax: $1,169.49
- Net / take-home: $42,792.51 (effective tax 17.7%)
- Per paycheck net: $822.93 (52 periods)

Label: engine estimates, not pay stubs.

## FAQ

### How do you turn an hourly rate into a paycheck?

Annual gross = hourly rate × hours per week × 52. Weekly net is that annual result divided by 52. We do not add overtime multipliers.

### What sample is preloaded?

$25 per hour, 40 hours a week, California, single, no 401(k), no health premium, tax year 2026. Change any field.

### Is $25 an hour after taxes shown here?

This page is the hourly calculator. A dedicated $25/hour walkthrough lives at /25-dollars-an-hour-after-taxes/ with the same engine.

## Related

- [$25 an hour after taxes](https://takehomecash.com/25-dollars-an-hour-after-taxes/index.md)
- [Weekly paycheck calculator](https://takehomecash.com/weekly-paycheck-calculator/index.md)
- [California paycheck calculator](https://takehomecash.com/california-paycheck-calculator/index.md)