$19 an Hour Is How Much a Year?

Are you on the hunt for a new job? Or perhaps you’re a freelancer considering the appropriate hourly rate to ask for. Either way, if making 19 bucks per hour is one of your options, you should keep reading.

A Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) report on the second quarter of 2022 shows that the median US weekly wage is $1,041, or $54,132 a year. So is $19 an hour good pay compared to the median?

We need to answer one question first: $19 an hour is how much a year, exactly?

Pre-Tax Earnings

We can quickly calcullate your early pre-tax earnings based on a $19/hour wage by applying a simple formula.

Let’s assume you work eight hours a day, 40 hours a week, and take no weeks off during the entire year. Your yearly salary for 19 dollars an hour would then be:

19 x 40 x 52 (roughly the number of weeks in a year) = $39,520 per year

But what about per day, week, or fortnight? Also, $19 an hour is how much a month in gross income? That’s even simpler to calculate:

• Daily: $19 x 8 hours = $152
• Weekly: $152 a day x 5 days = $760
• Bi-weekly: $152 a day x 10 days = $1,520
• Monthly: $760 a week x 4.33 (the average number of weeks per month) = just shy of $3,291.

Remember, this is your total earned income, so it’s just a starting point for us here.

Actual Earnings (After Tax)

Now that we’ve worked out your $19 per hour gross annual income, let’s see how much you will actually earn after being a responsible citizen and paying your taxes.

Let’s assume that you are a single individual with an $19/hour annual salary using the 2022 standard deduction of $12,950. Then we can calculate your taxable income:

$39,520 – $12,950 = $26,570

This amount puts you in the 12% bracket, according to the 2022 federal tax table. But you don’t actually pay 12% on the whole amount. You’ll pay:

• $10,275 taxed at 10% = $1,027.50
• The remaining $16,295 taxed at 12% = $1,955.40
• A total federal income tax of $2,982.90

You also need to consider the FICA and state income taxes, although the former is covered by most employers and the latter isn’t taxed in all states.

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act moves 1.45% of your gross wages to Medicare and  6.20% towards your social security tax, which means you’ll have to deduct a further $3,023 from the amount we’ve reached above.

When it comes to state income taxes, the rates vary greatly. Nine states have no income tax at all. If you live in one of them, your net yearly pay would be $36,496. However, 10 states use a flat rate, and 32 apply a progressive tax model similar to the federal income tax system. The median state income tax burden is 10.2%, which would take you take-home annual salary to around $33,786.

Note: These are all just estimates. There are several variables to factor in. Use an online paycheck calculator to get a more precise figure.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there’s quite a big difference between gross and net pay, especially in places like California and New York, where state income rates are over 10%. The number of hours you work a day and the unpaid holidays you take also count into the equation.

Hopefully, though, our calculations have given you an idea of how much you can earn at your $19/hour job. Of course, whether it’s a good pay depends on your individual circumstances. But generally speaking, the wage could make for a decent living income, especially if you know how to save money and manage your expenses.