Independent calculator. Not financial advice. Estimates use 2026 federal brackets and state tax tables verified April 2026. Methodology
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Is $30,000 a Year a Good Salary in 2026?

$30,000 per year = $2,500/month gross. Take-home, 5-city comparison, and 50/30/20 budget breakdown. Updated August 2026.

$30,000 a year is $2,500.00 a month, $576.92 a week, $1,153.85 every two weeks, and $14.42 an hour before tax (40-hour week, 52 weeks). After federal tax and FICA, take-home is about $2,190 a month in a no-state-income-tax state like Texas. Pick your city below for state and city tax.

$30,000/yr
Annual Gross
$2,190/mo
Austin Take-Home
$438/mo
Savings (20%)
$14.42/hr
Hourly Equivalent

Customise Your Calculation

$30,000/yr in Austin
$2,190/mo
monthly take-home
Federal Tax$1,420 (4.7%)
State Tax$0 (no state tax)
FICA$2,295 (7.6%)
Annual Take-Home$26,285

$30,000 a Year Is How Much...

Per Month (gross)
÷ 12
$2,500.00
Per Month (take-home)
after tax, Austin
$2,190
Per Week (gross)
÷ 52
$576.92
Per Week (take-home)
after tax, Austin
$505.48
Bi-weekly (gross)
÷ 26
$1,153.85
Bi-weekly (take-home)
after tax, Austin
$1,010.96
Per Hour
÷ 2,080
$14.42/hr
Bi-weekly? biweeklysalarycalculator.com shows your 26-paycheck 2026 calendar.

50/30/20 Budget on $30,000

Needs (50%)
$1,095/mo
$13,143/yr
Wants (30%)
$657/mo
$7,886/yr
Savings (20%)
$438/mo
$5,257/yr
Customise splits with sliders

$30,000 in 5 Cities: Take-Home Comparison

Single filer, standard deduction, no 401k contribution.

CityState TaxMonthly Take-HomeMedian 1BR RentRent % of Needs
Austin, TXNo state tax$0$2,190$1,600146%
New York, NY$904$2,033$3,500344%
San Francisco, CA$382$2,159$3,200297%
Miami, FLNo state tax$0$2,190$2,200201%
Boston, MA$1,500$2,065$2,800271%

Rent % of 50% needs allocation. Under 100%: rent fits the budget rule. Over 100%: rent exceeds needs allocation.

Is $30,000 a Year a Good Salary in 2026?

Well Below US Median

$30,000 per year is well below the 2023 US median individual income of approximately $60,000 for full-time, year-round workers (US Census), and is a little under twice the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a single person ($15,960, HHS). Gross monthly income is $2,500. After federal tax and FICA (no state tax baseline), take-home is about $2,190 per month. This is an entry-wage income: for a single earner it is workable only in the lowest-cost metros, and in most cities it requires roommates or shared housing, because median 1-bedroom rent absorbs most or all of the take-home.

Typical Occupations

Fast food and counter workers, cashiers, dishwashers, hosts and hostesses, dining-room and cafeteria attendants, food preparation workers, and other entry-level service roles (BLS OEWS May 2024).

City Context

Workable solo only in the lowest-cost metros with strict budgeting. With roommates: San Antonio, Memphis, Tulsa, Oklahoma City. Difficult everywhere on the coasts (NYC, SF, LA, Boston, Seattle), where median 1-bedroom rent exceeds the entire 50% needs allocation.

BLS Data Note

BLS OEWS May 2024 median for fast food and counter workers: $14.65/hr, roughly $30,472/yr. Cashiers: $31,190/yr ($14.99/hr). These occupations cluster right at the $30,000 level.

For paycheck-level tax detail with deductions and 401k, use salarycalculatoraftertaxes.com. For California-specific paycheck math, use paycheckcalculatorforcalifornia.com.

$35,000/year|All citiesBudget toolCompare citiesAfter-tax detailEffective tax rate

Frequently Asked Questions

Is $30,000 (30k) a year a good salary in 2026?+
It depends on your city, and the size of that difference is tax before it is anything else. In Austin, Texas, which levies no state income tax, $30,000 per year produces roughly $2,190 per month take-home for a single filer. Austin median 1-bedroom rent of $1,600 is more than the 50% needs allocation of $1,095 per month, so housing takes a larger share of take-home. In New York City, where state and city income tax both apply on top of federal, the same gross produces approximately $2,033 per month take-home, a gap of about $157 a month on identical pay, and median 1-bedroom rent of $3,500 exceeds the 50% needs allocation at most income levels.
$30,000 a year is how much a month?+
$30,000 divided by 12 equals $2,500 per month gross. That is the answer to 30k a year monthly before deductions. After federal income tax, FICA (Social Security 6.2% and Medicare 1.45%) and no state tax (Texas baseline), monthly take-home is approximately $2,190. State income tax reduces this: in California the same salary pays about $32 per month in state tax, bringing take-home down to approximately $2,159 per month.
How much a week is 30k a year?+
$30,000 divided by 52 equals $576.92 per week gross, or roughly $505 after federal tax and FICA (no state tax baseline). Paid bi-weekly, the same salary is $30,000 divided by 26, or $1,153.85 gross per paycheck, about $1,011 bi-weekly after taxes on that baseline. Twice-monthly pay is a different number again: 24 paychecks of $1,250.00 gross, which is why a semi-monthly cheque is larger than a bi-weekly one on identical pay. State income tax lowers all of these; use the city selector above for your state. For a 2026 bi-weekly payday calendar and 3-paycheck months, see biweeklysalarycalculator.com.
$30,000 a year is how much bi-weekly after taxes?+
Paid every two weeks, $30,000 a year is $30,000 divided by 26 pay periods, which is $1,153.85 gross per paycheck. After federal income tax and FICA with no state income tax (Texas baseline), that works out to roughly $1,011 take-home per bi-weekly cheque. In a state that levies income tax the net is lower: in California the same salary nets about $996 bi-weekly. Bi-weekly (26 cheques) is not the same as semi-monthly (24 cheques of $1,250.00 gross); two months each year carry a third bi-weekly payday, which is why a bi-weekly cheque is smaller than a semi-monthly one on identical pay.
$30,000 a year is how much per hour?+
$30,000 divided by 2,080 work hours (40 hours per week times 52 weeks) equals $14.42 per hour. This assumes a standard full-time schedule with paid time off. With two weeks of unpaid vacation, annual hours drop to 2,000, making the effective hourly rate $15.00.
What is the 50/30/20 budget on $30,000 per year?+
On $30,000 per year in Austin (no state tax, roughly $2,190 monthly take-home), the 50/30/20 rule allocates $1,095 to needs, $657 to wants and $438 to savings per month. In New York City (approximately $2,033 take-home) the same percentages produce smaller dollar amounts. Use the budget tool above to customise splits for your city and filing status.