This post is a complete guide to making $30 an hour in 2024.
We’ll not only show you exactly how much you’ll earn per year, month, and week (before and after taxes), but we’ll also answer the burning question of “Can I live off $30 an hour?”
We even include a sample budget to get you started. Finally, we’ll break down the best jobs that earn 30 dollars an hour without a degree!
30 dollars an hour is how much a year?
$30 an hour is an annual income of $62,400 a year before taxes.
Don’t believe us? Check our math:
40 hours of work per week multiplied by 52 (the number of weeks in a year) equals 2,080 hours worked per year (on average).
If you multiply the total number of hours worked per year (2,080) by $30, you get $62,400. This is your yearly salary before taxes.
If you work 25 hours per week (part-time) making $30 an hour, you will earn $39,000 a year before taxes.
How many working days in 2024?
If you want to get really precise and find out exactly much you’ll make for the year in 2024, (at an hourly rate of $30), you’ll need to know how many actual working days (total days minus public holidays and weekends) there are in any given year.
There are a total of 250 working days for the calendar year of 2024.
Going by this number, if you manage to land a job working full-time with weekends and (unpaid) holidays off, making $30 an hour, you’ll clear an even $60,000 for the year.
This is slightly more than you would have earned in 2021, which had 249 working days. In case you’re wondering, there are also 249 working days in 2024.
How much is $30 an hour per day?
Let’s break this down a little further.
An hourly pay of $30, multiplied by 8 working hours a day equals $240 a day before taxes. After taxes, you’ll net approximately $200 a day if you work full-time.
If you work part-time, 30 dollars hourly times 5 working hours a day equals $150 a day before taxes. After taxes, you’ll take home $127 a day.
How much is 30 dollars an hour per week?
$30 an hour at 40 hours per week equals $1,200 before taxes, and approximately $960 take-home or net pay per week.
$30 an hour at 25 hours per week equals $750 gross income (before taxes), and about $635 after taxes.
How much is $30 an hour bi-weekly?
$30 an hour (@40 hours a week) is $2,440 every (2) weeks before taxes. This averages out to a bi-weekly salary of $1,920 after taxes.
If you work 25 hours a week at $30 an hour, you’ll gross $1,500 every 2 weeks and take home around $1,270.
How much is 30 dollars an hour per month
If you work 40-hours a week at $30 an hour, you’ll gross $5,200 per month.
You’ll take home (net) around $4,160 a month if you earn $30 an hour and work 40 hours a week.
Working part-time (25 hours a week) making $30 an hour, you’ll gross $3,250 a month and take home (net) about $2,752 a month.
Related: How much is 6 figures?
How much is 30 dollars a year after taxes?
Earning $62,400 a year will put you in a higher tax bracket than if you earn $37,000 a year.
If you earn $62,400 a year, you can expect to pay about 20% of your income in taxes. This includes federal taxes, social security, and medicare. You’ll pay more if you live in a state which collects an income tax.
Put simply, if you work full-time (40 hours a week) your income after taxes (net income) will be $49,920. If you work part-time (25 hours a week) your take-home pay will be about $33,022.
Summary chart of $30 an hour (working full-time)
In America, working 40 hours a week is considered full-time. The calculations on the chart below assume an hourly wage of $30 for a person averaging 40 work hours per week.
| Time period | # of hours worked | Income before taxes | Income after taxes (average) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | 8 | $240 | $192 |
| Weekly | 40 | $1,200 | $960 |
| Bi-weekly | 80 | $2,400 | $1,920 |
| Monthly (average) | 174 | $5,200 | $4,160 |
| Yearly (with unpaid vacation) | 2,000 | $60,000 | $48,000 |
| Yearly (with paid vacation) | 2,080 | $62,400 | $49,920 |
Summary chart of $30 an hour (working part-time)
Generally, in America, if you work less than 39 hours a week, you are considered part-time. The chart below assumes a workweek of 25 hours a week earning $30 an hour.
| Time frame | Total # of hours worked | Income before taxes | Income after taxes (average) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | 5 | $150 | $127 |
| Weekly | 25 | $750 | $635 |
| Bi-weekly | 50 | $1,500 | $1,270 |
| Monthly (average) | 108 | $3,250 | $2,752 |
| Yearly | 1,300 | $39,000 | $33,022 |
Can you live off 30 dollars an hour?
The short answer is, yes, you can live on $30 an hour in America.
Given that the 2024 federal poverty level for an individual in the US is $14,580, and the average per capita income for 2019 was $35,103, if you earn an annual salary of $62,400, you’re considered above the national average.
That said, if you live in one of the 10 most expensive cities in the US, you may find it tough to get by on $30 an hour.
For example, if you live in New York City, (considered the most expensive city in America), you’d be lucky to find a studio apartment for $2,500 a month. After rent, you’d be left with just over $1,500 a month to cover food, transportation, and health insurance.
My husband and I raised 3 kids living on much less than $30 an hour. Our income has only recently surpassed 6-figures (as a result of my working from home).
Based upon my research and personal experience, a single person earning 30 dollars an hour can live quite comfortably as long as they:
- Don’t have children
- Don’t live in a city with high housing costs
- Budget their income
- Don’t have a lot of debt
Obviously, if one is a single parent, is a member of a family who lives on one income, lives in an area with a high cost of living, or is drowning in debt, they will likely have a difficult time living on $30 an hour.
Related: Can you live off of $15 an hour?
Can you invest if you make $30 an hour?
So long as you avoid many of the money-sucking pitfalls I mentioned above, you should be able to invest at least 10% of your monthly income of $4,160.
Start by setting aside an emergency fund of at least $1,500 (if you rent) to $2,000 (if you own your home). Next, if your employer matches it, you’ll want to fully fund your retirement investment accounts.
Anything leftover can (and should) be invested in stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.
Can you buy a house making 30 per hour?
In my experience, yes, you can purchase a (modest) home if you make $30 an hour providing you have a decent credit score (670 or higher) and a debt-to-income ratio lower than 43%.
The tricky part to buying a house on an income of $62,400 a year will be coming up with a sizeable down payment.
Thankfully, there are tons of mortgage loan options that offer down payment assistance/forgiveness depending on the cost of the home and where it’s located.
Tips to living on $30 an hour
Follow these helpful tips for living well on any income:
- Always live on less than you earn
- Keep your food budget low
- Live with roomates or take in boarders if you can
- Keep your needs simple (be frugal)
- Avoid debt whenever possible
- Learn to love budgeting
Ways to make more money if 30 an hour is not enough
If you find that $4,160 is not enough to live on, there are lots of (fairly simple) steps you can take to increase your income. For example, you can:
- Ask for a raise
- Join the gig economy-clean houses, drive for Uber, walk dogs, etc.
- Sell stuff you don’t use
- Look for ways to make extra money online-blogging, surveys, freelance writing, become a VA, sell your skills on Fiverr
30 dollars an hour jobs (updated for 2024)
There are a lot of jobs that pay 30 an hour or more. Some of these include skilled and manual labor jobs, as well as technical and professional jobs.
You can also find online jobs that pay 30 an hour or more.
The majority of these careers do not require a college degree, however, you will need to undergo some amount of training if you hope to land one of these jobs.
| Job | Average pay (per hour) | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Appraiser | $30.00 | Provide a value estimate on real estate |
| Accountant | $35.37 | Prepare and examine financial records |
| Blogger | $30.00 | Research and write articles designed for the web that inform or entertain |
| Fire Inspector | $30.00 | Examine buildings in order to detect fire hazards and ensure that federal, state, and local fire codes are met |
| Fashion Designer | $36.45 | Design and create clothing, accessories, and footwear |
| Multimedia Artist/Animator | $30.20 | Create special effects, animation, or other visual images |
| Detective | $32.35 | Gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes |
| Railroad Worker | $30.87 | Ensure that passenger and freight trains operate safely. Drive trains, coordinate the activities of the trains, or control signals and switches in the rail yard |
| Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Rep | $31.45 | sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations |
| Web Designer | $37.12 | Design, create and maintain websites |
30 dollars an hour budget sample
Below is a sample budget example for someone who earns $4,160 per month after taxes using a 70/20/10 budget.
A 70/20/10 budget breaks down like so: 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 | $1373.00 |
| Utilities | $300.00 |
| Transportation | $568.00 |
| Groceries | $300.00 |
| Debt Repayment/Charitable Contributions | $416.00 |
| Health/Life Insurance | $200.00 |
| Long/Short-Term Savings | $832.00 |
| Entertainment | $171.00 |
Is 30 an hour good?
Some people may think that $30 an hour is not a lot of money to live on, and, depending on which part of the country you live in, it may not be.
However, if you are single, no matter where you live, you should be able to get by on 30 bucks an hour.
Ultimately, it really depends on your living situation and spending habits. If you know how to budget and keep your expenses low, you absolutely can live a beautiful life on $30 an hour.
