Hourly pay after taxes in Washington
$20 an hour in Washington comes to $1,347.26 every two weeks after taxes, for a single person working full time.
Updated for 2026Checked Oct 29, 2026 against IRS and Washington Department of Revenue sourcesHow we check
Take-home pay by hourly wage, 2026
| Wage | Two weeks | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $17.13 | $1,165.96 | $2,526 | $30,315 |
| $18.00 | $1,220.92 | $2,645 | $31,744 |
| $20.00 | $1,347.26 | $2,919 | $35,029 |
| $22.00 | $1,473.59 | $3,193 | $38,313 |
| $25.00 | $1,663.11 | $3,603 | $43,241 |
| $30.00 | $1,978.96 | $4,288 | $51,453 |
| $35.00 | $2,270.58 | $4,920 | $59,035 |
| $40.00 | $2,546.43 | $5,517 | $66,207 |
| $50.00 | $3,098.13 | $6,713 | $80,551 |
Every column after the wage is take-home pay. Each row assumes 40 hours a week all year, one paycheck every two weeks, single, no dependents, and no benefits taken out. The monthly and yearly columns are that paycheck times 26. Use the paycheck calculator for your own hours and deductions.
What comes out of an hourly paycheck
At $25 an hour, a two-week paycheck in Washington starts at $2,000.00 and ends at $1,663.11.
| Federal income tax | $156.15 |
| Social Security | $124.00 |
| Medicare | $29.00 |
| Washington income tax | $0.00 |
| Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (employee share) | $16.14 |
| WA Cares Fund (long-term care premium) | $11.60 |
Washington has no income tax on wages, but it takes two premiums from pay in 2026. Paid Family and Medical Leave takes 0.807159 percent of wages, which is 71.43 percent of the 1.13 percent total premium, on wages up to $184,500. The WA Cares Fund long-term care premium takes 0.58 percent of all wages, with no cap. Federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare come out in addition.
Those two premiums are the only state deductions, and both come out of every check.
What changes your number
Washington's twist is that it taxes no wages yet still takes two premiums. They are flat percentages of pay, so they grow in step with the wage. The long-term care premium has no cap, so it follows you up every row of the table.
That leaves federal income tax as the only part that climbs faster than the wage. The minimum wage is set each September 30 under state law and takes effect the following January 1, so the first row will change at the start of 2027.
Hours matter too. At $20 an hour and 30 hours a week instead of 40, a two-week paycheck in Washington comes to $1,031.40.
The minimum wage in Washington
The minimum wage in Washington is $17.13 an hour, and a full-time worker at $17.13 takes home about $2,526 a month. It rises to $17.73 on Jan 1, 2027. Some local jurisdictions in Washington set higher minimum wages and different labor rules than the state.
Sources and checks
Checked on Oct 29, 2026. Source: Washington Department of Revenue, "Frequently asked questions about income tax" (dor.wa.gov/taxes-rates/income-tax/frequently-asked-questions-about-income-tax, fetched Oct 29, 2026): "Does Washington currently have an individual income tax? No. Washington does not currently have an individual income tax. Beginning Jan. 1, 2028, Washington will have a new 9.9% tax on individuals and married couples filing jointly with annual adjusted gross income exceeding $1 million." The new tax comes from Senate Bill 6346; the same page says "The first returns for the tax will be due in April 2029," so nothing is withheld from 2026 wages.
Disability: Employment Security Department news release "Paid Family & Medical Leave premium rate increases to 1.13% in 2026" (Oct. 29, 2025; esd.wa.gov/about-us/news-release/2025/paid-family-medical-leave-premium-rate-increases-113-2026, fetched Oct 29, 2026): "Starting Jan. 1, 2026: The premium rate will be 1.13%... Employers will pay 28.57% of the total premium and employees will pay 71.43%." Paid Leave, "Your role and responsibilities" (paidleave.wa.gov/employer-roles-responsibilities/, fetched Oct 29, 2026): "In 2026, the premium rate is 1.13% of each employee's gross wages, not including tips, up to the 2026 Social Security cap ($184,500)." WA Cares Fund, "Employer Information" (wacaresfund.wa.gov/employers/, fetched Oct 29, 2026): "The premium is 0.58% of an employee's gross wages... unlike Paid Leave, premium contributions are not capped at the taxable maximum for social security"; RCW 50B.04.080 (rate set at no more than .58 percent; employer collects it through payroll deductions).
Local taxes: RCW 36.65.030, "Tax on net income prohibited" (app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=36.65.030, fetched Oct 29, 2026): "A county, city, or city-county shall not levy a tax on net income."
Minimum wage: Washington Department of Labor and Industries, "Minimum Wage" (lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/, fetched Oct 29, 2026): "The 2026 minimum wage in the state of Washington is $17.13 per hour" and "The new minimum wage for 2027 will be $17.73 an hour for most workers... These changes take effect Jan. 1, 2027." The rate is set each Sept. 30 under RCW 49.46.020(2). L&I adds: "Some local jurisdictions have higher minimum wage rates and different labor rules than Washington State."
Federal withholding: IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A and its "2026 Percentage Method Tables for Automated Payroll Systems and Withholding on Periodic Payments of Pensions and Annuities," pages 10 to 12. Fetched directly from irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf and transcribed Oct 28, 2026.
Every figure above comes from the sources listed here. How we check our numbers.
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