How Much is $31 an Hour Per Year After Taxes?

When evaluating an hourly wage, such as $31 per hour, it’s important to understand how much of that income will actually be yours after taxes. The journey from your gross income, which is the total before deductions, to your net pay, which is what you take home, involves several factors. These include federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare contributions. In this article, I will walk you through the math behind calculating your net annual income from a $31 per hour wage, taking into account all relevant tax deductions and other considerations.

Step 1: Calculating Gross Annual Income

The first step is to figure out how much you will earn in gross income, which is the total amount before any deductions or taxes. The formula to calculate gross annual income is simple:

\text{Gross Annual Income} = \text{Hourly Rate} \times \text{Hours per Week} \times \text{Weeks per Year}

For a worker making $31 an hour, and assuming a standard full-time schedule of 40 hours per week and 52 weeks in a year (no time off), the calculation would be:

31 , \text{USD/hour} \times 40 , \text{hours/week} \times 52 , \text{weeks/year} = 64,480 , \text{USD/year}

So, your gross annual income at $31 per hour is $64,480.

Step 2: Federal Income Tax Deductions

Now, let’s account for federal income tax. In the United States, the federal income tax is progressive, meaning that the more you earn, the higher your tax rate. For 2025, the federal income tax brackets for a single filer are as follows:

10% on income up to $11,000
12% on income from $11,001 to $44,725
22% on income from $44,726 to $95,375
24% on income from $95,376 to $182,100
32% on income from $182,101 to $231,250
35% on income from $231,251 to $578,100
37% on income over $578,100

In our case, your gross income is $64,480, so we need to calculate the taxable income by subtracting the standard deduction. For a single filer in 2025, the standard deduction is $13,850. Therefore, your taxable income becomes:

64,480 , \text{USD} - 13,850 , \text{USD} = 50,630 , \text{USD}

Now, we can break down the taxes:

The first $11,000 is taxed at 10%:

11,000 \times 0.10 = 1,100 , \text{USD}

The next $33,725 (from $11,001 to $44,725) is taxed at 12%:

33,725 \times 0.12 = 4,047 , \text{USD}

The remaining $5,905 (from $44,726 to $50,630) is taxed at 22%:

5,905 \times 0.22 = 1,299.10 , \text{USD}

So, the total federal income tax would be:

1,100 + 4,047 + 1,299.10 = 6,446.10 , \text{USD}

Step 3: State Income Tax Deductions

State income tax rates vary by state. For this example, let’s assume you live in California, which has a relatively high state income tax rate. For 2025, the tax brackets for California are as follows:

1% on income up to $10,099
2% on income from $10,100 to $23,942
4% on income from $23,943 to $37,788
6% on income from $37,789 to $52,455
8% on income from $52,456 to $66,295

Since your taxable income after the standard deduction is $50,630, the state tax calculation would look like this:

The first $10,099 is taxed at 1%:

10,099 \times 0.01 = 100.99 , \text{USD}

The next $13,843 (from $10,100 to $23,942) is taxed at 2%:

13,843 \times 0.02 = 276.86 , \text{USD}

The next $13,846 (from $23,943 to $37,788) is taxed at 4%:

13,846 \times 0.04 = 553.84 , \text{USD}

The remaining $12,842 (from $37,789 to $50,630) is taxed at 6%:

12,842 \times 0.06 = 770.52 , \text{USD}

So, the total California state income tax would be:

100.99 + 276.86 + 553.84 + 770.52 = 1,702.21 , \text{USD}

In addition to federal and state taxes, you must also pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, which are part of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). These taxes are fixed percentages of your income:

Social Security tax: 6.2% on income up to $160,200 (as of 2025)
Medicare tax: 1.45% on all income (no income cap)

Let’s calculate these taxes based on your $64,480 salary:

Social Security tax:

64,480 \times 0.062 = 3,997.76 , \text{USD}

Medicare tax:

64,480 \times 0.0145 = 936.96 , \text{USD}

Step 5: Total Tax Deductions

Now, let’s add up all the tax deductions:

Federal income tax: $6,446.10
State income tax (California): $1,702.21
Social Security tax: $3,997.76
Medicare tax: $936.96

Total tax deductions:

6,446.10 + 1,702.21 + 3,997.76 + 936.96 = 13,083.03 , \text{USD}

Step 6: Net Pay After Taxes

To find your net pay (the amount you take home), subtract the total tax deductions from your gross income:

64,480 - 13,083.03 = 51,396.97 , \text{USD}

So, your net annual income after taxes is approximately $51,396.97.

Step 7: Comparison with Other Hourly Wages

Now, let’s compare how the net pay for $31 per hour stacks up against other hourly wages. This comparison will give you an understanding of where $31 per hour stands in terms of overall take-home pay after taxes.

Hourly Rate	Gross Annual Income	Federal Tax	State Tax (CA)	Social Security	Medicare	Total Tax Deductions	Net Annual Income
$31/hour	$64,480	$6,446.10	$1,702.21	$3,997.76	$936.96	$13,083.03	$51,396.97
$35/hour	$72,800	$7,690.00	$2,106.00	$4,513.60	$1,054.60	$15,364.20	$57,435.80
$40/hour	$83,200	$9,170.00	$2,510.00	$5,158.40	$1,208.80	$18,047.20	$65,152.80
$45/hour	$93,600	$10,650.00	$2,914.00	$5,803.20	$1,357.20	$20,724.40	$72,875.60

As seen in the table, the net income increases as the hourly wage goes up, but the increase is not purely linear due to the progressive nature of the tax system.

Additional Considerations

While this breakdown gives a solid idea of what you can expect in terms of net income, there are additional considerations that can affect your take-home pay. Employer-sponsored benefits such as health insurance, retirement plan contributions, and other deductions (like union dues or garnishments) can further reduce your net income.

Also, if you’re eligible for tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Child Tax Credit, these can further reduce your tax burden, which means your net income would be higher.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you earn $31 an hour, your gross annual income is $64,480. After accounting for federal income tax, state tax (for California in this case), Social Security, and Medicare contributions, your net income will be approximately $51,396.97. This figure is important to know when planning your budget or considering a

new job opportunity. Understanding how taxes and deductions impact your take-home pay can help you make better financial decisions and plan accordingly. Always remember that taxes vary based on your location, filing status, and any additional deductions or credits, so it’s wise to consult with a tax professional for personalized advice.

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