“How much will I be earning in an hour?” you might have asked yourself after seeing an open job posting. You find yourself wondering how much you’d be earning daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly if you’re hired. Let’s calculate an example, say, $46,000 a year is how much an hour?
This post will break down that income amount for you in different pay periods, explain taxes and cost-of-living in different states, and offer tips on how to live within your current income. Read on.
$46,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?
$46,000 a year is $22 an hour.
First, find the number of hours you worked during the year. There are 5 working days each week, and, with 8 hours of work daily, we have 40 regular hours making up for a complete work week (5 days * 8 hrs/day). Then, there are 52 work weeks in a year. Let’s make it simple with this formula:
- 40 total working hours a week * 52 total working weeks in a year = Total working hours in a year
- 40 * 52 = 2,080 hours
With $46,000 gross yearly income as a full-time worker, you make $22.11 or $22 hourly.
- Yearly salary/total working hours in a year = Total hourly salary
- $46,000 / 2,080 = $22.11 or $22 an hour
If you have a part-time job that requires you to only work 4 hours a day instead of 8, which is half the daily work hours, your total annual pay will also be halved to $23,000. Divide this amount by the number of hours in a working year (1,040), and you’ll get your total hourly salary of $22 as a part-timer.
$46,000 a Year Is How Much After Taxes?
If you work full-time or live in California, an annual gross income of $46,000 will become $36,852 after deducting $9,148 in taxes, including federal and state taxes and other government deductible items.
A Texas resident’s total tax will amount to $7,280, and the net annual pay is $38,721.
Assuming that you work part-time, perhaps only 4 instead of 8 hours a day, your total yearly income of $23,000 is subject to a tax deduction of $3,337 if you are in California, leaving you with a net annual pay of $19,663. But, if you are from Texas with no state taxes, your take-home pay for the year after taxes of $2,786 will be $20,214.
This computation can present a clearer picture of your annual income post-taxes. Now, let’s see how much tax is imposed on you monthly, bi-weekly, weekly, and daily. Remember that the figures stated here can be more if you work long hours or overtime or less if you take sick leaves and other personal time off.
$46,000 a Year Is How Much per Month?
A $46,000 gross annual income translates to $3,833 monthly.
Your income for the month is calculated by dividing your yearly pay by the total number of months in a year (12).
- $46,000/12 = $3,833.33 or $3,833
With your gross monthly pay of $3,833, full-time work in California will give you $3,071 in net monthly income after $762 in tax deductions. In Texas, you will take home around $3,226 after a tax of $607.
If you work as a part-timer bringing home a total of $1,916 monthly, your net pay for the month is around $1,638 after $278 in taxes if you are from California or $1,684 in Texas after deducting $232.
$46,000 a Year Is How Much per Week?
To get your weekly gross pay, divide $46,000 by the number of work weeks in a year (52), and you will come up with $884.62 or $885 per week.
You will take home $709 after $176 weekly taxes if you are a full-time worker from California. For the same period, you will receive $745 as your net weekly salary and get a tax deduction of $140 if you are from Texas.
Similarly, if you work part-time with a total weekly income of $442, your net monthly salary will be $378 in California and $388 in Texas, after tax deductions of $64.10 and $53.50, respectively.
Expect these figures to change if you worked fewer hours or rendered overtime work.
$46,000 a Year Is How Much Biweekly?
Here is how your gross biweekly income and tax are computed if you make $46,000 a year.
To make it simple, let’s multiply your gross weekly income ($885) into 2 weeks to get your total biweekly pay.
- $885 * 2 = $1,770
With an annual gross pay of $46,000, your total biweekly income is $1,770.
As a full-time worker, your gross biweekly income would be $1,770. Then, your net monthly take-home pay is $1,418 with $352 in taxes if you are in California; in Texas, you will get $1,490 after a deduction of $280.
Part-time work will bring you $885 in total pay every two weeks. Your net biweekly income after $128 in taxes is $757 in California. In Texas, expect a $107 tax deduction, leaving you with biweekly take-home pay of $778.
$46,000 a Year Is How Much per Day?
We have earlier computed the gross hourly pay as $22 with the following formula:
- $46,000 yearly salary/2,080 total working hours in a year = $22.11 or $22 total hourly salary
- $22 * 8 hours of work per day = $176
If you work a full-time eight-hour work schedule, your gross daily income will be $176.
In California, after deducting $34.93 or $35 in taxes, you will have $141 as your net pay for the day. Texas will deduct less at $27.82, but you will still be left with only $148 to take home for the day.
Working for only 4 hours a day with a daily pay rate of $22 an hour, part-timers earn $88 as their gross daily pay (4 * $22).
California workers make a net daily income of $75.27 after $12.73 in taxes. Those from Texas take home $77.37 after a $10.63 deduction.
It bears repeating that these figures may vary according to your work attendance, so don’t expect this exact amount.
How to Live Comfortably on $46,000 a Year
1. Avoiding Debts
Debts eat all your income instantly, so make sure you quit taking loans as soon as possible. We get that it is not possible for everyone, but staying away from high-interest debt like credit card debt should be a priority.
2. Saving
Another one on the list is saving. We recommend you save 10 to 15 percent of your income for unforeseen circumstances in an emergency fund.
This fund gives you the luxury of not going into debt when your car breaks down or when your laptop crashes.
3. Investing
Investing is one of the great ways to increase your overall wealth.
We recommend studying stocks and investing in them. You can also invest in cryptocurrencies or NFTs, which can boost your overall wealth quickly. Make sure you get a good knowledge of them before investing.
If you’re looking for low-cost and easy-to-maintain investments, see if any of these funds fit your preferences:
- FNILX Vs. FZROX – which are two different Fidelity funds that charge 0 fees.
- FXAIX Vs. SPY – where we compare 2 S&P 500 funds that contain the 500 biggest companies in the US.
- FZROX Vs. FSKAX – where we compare 2 funds that cover the entire stock market.
4. Budgeting
Budgeting is one of the easiest ways of making a flawless cash flow.
We advise you to list all the monthly expenses at the beginning of each month. Give each expense a certain percentage of your income, and avoid overspending.
5. Cutting Down on Expenses
$46,000 a year is not the salary that can give you a luxurious life, so make sure you limit your spending by cutting any unnecessary expenses.
6. Negotiate Your Bills
You can lessen your expenses by negotiating your bills. Platforms like Trim can find places that will help you save on your utilities, smartphone, and internet bills.
To start, you have to sign-up with Trim and then link your accounts and credit card accounts. Trim will skim through your accounts to search for places where you can save more.
Check out our full Trim review for more details on the platform.
7. Engaging in Online Money-Making and Side Hustles
Online platforms have become quite popular for making quick and easy money in recent years. Here is the list of online money-making techniques and side hustles.
- Freelance jobs on an online marketplace such as FlexJobs, Fiverr, and Upwork.
- Take part in online surveys. Just answer questionnaires or join focus groups sponsored by companies doing product research, and you get paid. Check out some of the best online survey sites to earn cash and gift cards.
- Rakuten. Want to get a cashback while you shop at over 3,500 stores? Check out this rewards site to save some shopping money. Read our full Rakuten review here.
- InboxDollars. Sign up, start doing the online tasks, and earn extra cash with Inbox Dollars. Take the surveys, redeem coupons, play games online, watch videos, search the web, and more. Making money can’t get any easier than that! Read our full InboxDollars review here.
- Survey Junkie. You can earn extra cash through this website by completing online surveys or sharing your data. You will be paid with gift cards or cash through Paypal. Read our full Survey Junkie review.
- Get a data entry job. You can earn cash from your home. Basic requirements include typing skills, attention to detail, and computer and Internet connection. Here are some tips on making it successfully in the data entry field.
- Flip items for profit. If you are good at finding saleable goods and reselling them at a profit, there are many online sites like Craigslist, Letgo, eBay, and Amazon where you can earn cash by buying and selling. You can also buy secondhand items or sell your own preloved or unused goods in online flea markets.
- Become an online tutor. There are many online teaching opportunities in English language tutorials and subjects like Math and Science. You can share your knowledge while you earn cash.
What Jobs Pay $46,000 a Year?
Here is the job list that pays $46,000 a year or more. Some of these jobs pay lower salaries in the first year at the job, but you can make your way up to $46,000 a year with time and experience.
| Occupation | Requirements | Salary |
| Equipment Operator | Responsible for controlling large machines such as bulldozers, dump trucks, and forklifts. | $40,000 a year |
| Carpenter | Responsible for building and repairing wood buildings and structures | Starts at $41,440 a year with a high probability of increment with time and experience |
| Machinist | Responsible for creating precise metal parts. Technical job that requires a high skill level. | From $42,940 a year |
| Mental Health Counselor | Responsible for taking care of patients through counseling sessions | From $44,360 |
| Sheet Metal Mechanic | Responsible for cutting and molding sheet metal. | From $44,360 |
| Firefighter | Responsible for responding to fire emergencies. | From $44,270 |
| Solar Technician | Responsible for solar panel installation and maintenance services. | From $45,100 per year |
| Electrician | Responsible for installation and repairs of electrical networks. | Around $47,760 yearly |
Is $46,000 a Year a Good Salary?
Yes, $46,000 a year before taxes is a good salary if you live in a state where the costs of living are considerably low. However, your expenses will become more difficult to cover if you live in a place such as New York or Washington.
Can You Live on $46,000 a Year?
Yes, you can live on $46,000 a year if you are living alone. But, the budget will be a little too tight if you live with a family with children.
We recommend you follow the tips in this article to improve your monthly income and get the best out of it.
Frequently Asked Questions – $46,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?
How Much Will I Take Home if I Earn $46,000?
If you earn $46,000 a year, you will take home $34,500 after 25% tax. The value may increase or decrease depending on where you live. Most US states impose around 20 to 30 percent tax, so we will pick an average of what most states charge.
What Is the Tax on $46,000 a Year?
Here is the list of tax rates in different US states:
- New York: $9,591
- New Mexico: $8,945
- New Hampshire: $7,280
- Nevada: $7,280
- Nebraska: $9,379
- Montana: $9,618
- Massachusetts: $9,638
Is $46,000 a Year Considered Middle Class?
Yes, a $46,000 a year salary is considered middle class.
According to a study conducted by Pew Research Center, around 52% of Americans earn less than $90,000 a year, which is considered the middle-class category. Different income indicators describe the middle class, but generally, it means having an income from $42,000 to $150,000.
Conclusion – $46,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?
While still within the income range of the middle class, $46,000 is on the lower end of the middle-class income range.
If you earn an annual income of $46,000 or $23.95 an hour, you can live comfortably provided you live alone, have no excessive monthly debt payments, or do not spend your paycheck recklessly.
It will be a bonus if you live in a US state with low-tax rates or totally no tax, as well as a low cost of living.
Otherwise, you should follow the tips we enumerated above about living within your means, making the most of your current income, and exploring your earning potential. Achieving your financial goals starts with the first step; take it.
Here are some related articles about varying income in different pay periods:
- $50,000 Per Year Is How Much An Hour?
- $40,000 a Year is How Much an Hour?
- $35,000 Per Year Is How Much an Hour?
Marjolein is a financial consultant who has built over €4,000 monthly passive income and saves over 70% of her income. Read Radicals’ inspiring story, from stuck in the 9-to-5 to loving life. Feel free to send Radical a message at the bottom of this page