$42/hour on a part-time schedule
Not everyone works 40 hours. Here's the same wage across common weekly schedules, year-round:
| Hours / week | Yearly | Monthly | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | $43,680 | $3,640 | $840 |
| 25 | $54,600 | $4,550 | $1,050 |
| 30 | $65,520 | $5,460 | $1,260 |
| 35 | $76,440 | $6,370 | $1,470 |
| 40 | $87,360 | $7,280 | $1,680 |
What $42/hour keeps after taxes
For a single filer in 2026 with the standard deduction and no state tax, $87,360 gross becomes about $70,288: federal income tax takes $10,389 and Social Security & Medicare take $6,683 — an effective federal rate of 19.5%. If your state taxes wages, see your state's page for the exact bite; nine states take nothing.
Overtime changes the math in your favor: non-exempt hourly workers earn at least 1.5× — $63.00/hour — beyond 40 hours a week. Five hours of weekly overtime at this wage adds about $16,380 a year gross.
Frequently asked questions
+Is $42 an hour a good wage?
Full-time, $42/hour grosses $87,360 a year. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 (many states set higher floors), and U.S. median earnings for full-time workers are roughly $60,000 — so $42/hour is above the middle of full-time earnings. Whether it's "good" depends heavily on your local cost of living.
+How much is $42 an hour biweekly?
$3,360 gross per two-week paycheck at 40 hours a week. After federal income tax and FICA (single filer), closer to $2,703 — before any state tax.
+How much is $42 an hour after taxes?
About $70,288 a year after 2026 federal income tax ($10,389) and Social Security & Medicare ($6,683) for a single filer with the standard deduction — an effective federal rate of 19.5%. State income tax, where it applies, reduces it further.
+What salary is equivalent to $42 an hour with two weeks unpaid?
At 50 paid weeks instead of 52: $84,000. Unpaid time off is the hidden gap between hourly and salaried offers — a salary with paid vacation is worth more than its hourly equivalent.