52 dollars an hour is how much a year

18 dollars an hour is how much a year? Calculate your annual, monthly, and weekly salary (before and after taxes) and determine whether you can actually live off of $18 an hour.

This post is a complete guide to making $18 an hour including how much you'll earn per year, month, and week (before and after taxes). You'll also discover the answer to "Can I live off $18 an hour?" We even include a sample budget to get you started. Finally, we break down the best jobs that earn 18 dollars an hour without a degree!

Let's get to it.

Stop wasting your money on expensive home & auto insurance! Gabi compares rates and finds you the cheapest insurance in minutes! Try Gabi…it's FREE

18 Dollars an hour is how much a year

$18 an hour is $37,440 per year.

Here's how we arrived at this number:

40 hours of work per week multiplied by 52 (the number of weeks in a year) equals 2,080 hours worked per year.

Multiply the total hours worked per year (2,080) by $18 to get $37,440. This is the amount you'll make per year before taxes.

Working full-time

For the record, in America, if you work between 30-40 hours a week, you are considered a full-time employee.

Our calculations above are based on a 40-hour workweek multiplied by 52 weeks a year.

If you work 30 hours per week and earn $18 an hour, you will make $28,080 per year.

30 hours per week multiplied by 52 weeks in the year is 1,560 hours worked. If you multiply 1,560 by $18 an hour, you get $28,080.

Working part-time

Part-time is considered anything under 30 hours worked per week. Typically, part-time employees work between 20-29 hours a week.

If you work 25 hours per week at $18 an hour, you will earn $23,400 a year before taxes.

How much is 18 dollars an hour a year after taxes?

If you make $37,440 a year, you'll pay 15.1% (on average) of your income in federal taxes, social security, and Medicare. You'll pay even more if you live in a state that collects an income tax.

This brings your approximate annual take-home pay to $31,769 if you work full-time (40 hours per week) and about $20,473 a year if you work part-time (25 hours per week).

Now, let's address the elephant in the room…

Can you live off of $18 an hour?

The US Census Bureau estimates that the annual median personal income for 2019 was $35,977. So, if you make $37,440 (or more) a year, you can consider yourself just above average (as far as earnings in America go).

The bright side is that a full-time job making $18 an hour would put you well above poverty guidelines ($12,750 a year) for a single individual.

That's all well and good, but can you live (comfortably) on $18 an hour?

According to a recent study by Go Banking Rates you can't.

Based on a recent survey they conducted, which took into account rising housing costs as well as basic living expenses, you'll need to earn anywhere between $58,321 a year (to get by in Mississippi) all the way up to a minimum of $136,437 a year to get by in Hawaii.

I mean, really…who wants to live in Hawaii anyway?

I don't know what kind of MATH their smoking because, up until recently, our family has never earned more than $50,000 a year…

In fact…

My husband and I lived on $40,000 ($19.23) an hour for years while raising our (3) children in Colorado (which has a state income tax), and somehow, we managed to survive.

We even bought a nice 3 bedroom 2 bath home on that salary which we later sold (in just 24-hours) for a tidy profit.

Currently my son manages to live well on just $15 an hour, working part-time while living in a city with a high cost of living index.

Based on personal experience, if you are single, and live in an area with a low cost of living, you can live quite well on $18 an hour.

Can you buy a house making $18 an hour?

Mmmmm…MAYBE.

The answer to "can you buy a house when you make $18 an hour" is a tricky one that depends on a handful of factors.

For example, if you:

Have a healthy savings account
Know how to budget
Live in a low-cost of living area
Have a debt-to-income ratio <43%

Then, yes, you can afford to buy a (modest) home on $37,400 a year.

However, if you:

Struggle to live on a budget
Live in a city with a high cost of living index
Have a debt-to-income ratio >43%
Work less than full-time

You cannot afford to buy a house on $18 an hour.

Tips to live on $18 an hour

As I mentioned earlier, my son lives well on $15 an hour in a big (expensive) city. Here's how he does it:

With the exception of a small student loan (he does not have any debt)
He keeps his food costs low
He lives with (3) roommates
He's frugal and budgets his money wisely
He lives on less than he earns

Ways to make more money if $18 an hour isn't enough

If the tips above don't appeal to you, there are a plethora of ways to increase your income if you find that $18 doesn't quite get you the lifestyle of your dreams.

You can:

Ask for a raise
Look for ways to make money online-blogging, surveys, freelance writing, become a VA, sell your skills on Fiverr
Take on a part-time side hustle-clean houses, babysit, drive for Uber, do odd jobs
Turn your hobby into a cash cow

Jobs that earn $18 an hour

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the majority of jobs that make $18 an hour do not require prior experience or formal education, however, you will need a high school diploma to be considered for employment just about anywhere.

Job	Average pay (per hour)	What they do
Animal Control Worker	$18.07	Controls abandoned, dangerous, or unattended animals
Audiovisual Equipment Install/Repair	$18.99	Install, repair, or adjust audio or other electronic entertainment equipment in homes or other venues
Camera Repair Tech	$18.69	Repair and adjust cameras and photographic equipment, including commercial video and motion picture camera equipment
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setter	$18.06	Set up, operate, and repair machines that crush, grind, or polish materials
Healthcare Support Worker	$18.49	Home health aides, nursing assistants, physical therapy assistants
Quality Control Inspector	$18.82	Examine products and materials for defects
General Maintenance and Repair Worker	$18.79	Fix and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings
Motorcycle Mechanic	$18.19	Inspect, service, and repair motorized power equipment
Optician	$18.19	Help fit eyeglasses and contact lenses, following prescriptions from ophthalmologists and optometrists.
Pipe Layer	$18.66	Lay pipe for storm or sanitation sewers, drains, and water mains

U.S. jobs earning $18 an hour-Savvy Budget Boss

Sample budget for $18 an hour

Here's a sample budget example for someone who earns $2,647 per month after taxes using a 70/20/10 budget (70% of income spent on monthly expenses including entertainment, 20% set aside for retirement & savings, and 10% allocated for debt repayment):

Expense	Amount
Rent/Mortgage	$950
Utilities	$150
Transportation	$225
Groceries	$300
Charitable Contributions	$100
Entertainment	$127.90
Long/Short-Term Savings	$529.40
Debt Repayment	$264.70

sample budget $18 an hour-Savvy Budget Boss

How much is $18 an hour per day?

$18 hours an hour times 8 hours equals $144 a day before taxes. After taxes, you'll net about $122 per day if you work full-time.

If you work 5 hours a day at 18 dollars an hour, you'll take home approximately $79 a day after taxes.

How much is 18 dollars an hour per week?

18 dollars an hour at 40 hours a week is $720 per week (before taxes) and around $611 per week after taxes.

$18 dollars an hour at 25 hours a week (part-time) is $450 per week (before taxes) and about $394 after taxes.

How much is $18 an hour bi-weekly?

$18 an hour (@40 hours a week) is $1440 every (2) weeks before taxes. This averages out to around $1,324 bi-weekly after taxes.

If you work 25 hours a week earning $18 an hour, you'll take home around $853 every 2 weeks.

How much is 18 dollars an hour per month?

If you work 40-hours a week at $18 an hour, you'll gross $3120 per month.

You'll take home (net) around $2,647 a month if you earn $18 an hour and work 40 hours a week.

Working part-time (25 hours a week) making $18 an hour, you'll gross $1,950 a month and take home (net) about $1,706 a month.

$18 an hour final thoughts

In short, 18 dollars is $37,440 a year which is above the minimum wage and is enough to live on in most areas as long as you do not have any dependents.

Most jobs earning $18 an hour do not require a degree and are in stable, high-growth industries such as manufacturing, health care, and technical fields. The majority of these jobs offer opportunities for growth relative to training/increased education.

If you learn the importance of budgeting, live a frugal lifestyle, and look for ways to increase your income as your expenses increase, there's a good chance you'll do just fine on $18 an hour.

I used to be a hot mess with money! Then, I realized the way I thought about money was all wrong! So, I changed my money mindset, began saving more money, created a successful side hustle, learned to love budgeting, and paid off $50,000 of debt. I rewrote my money story and you can too!