Tax year 2026 · Updated October 4, 2026

North Carolina Hourly Paycheck Calculator

Turn regular hours and time-and-a-half overtime into an estimated North Carolina paycheck. Compare weekly gross pay, supported deductions and take-home pay using your payroll elections.

North Carolina hourly paycheck calculator

Estimates for tax year 2026. Results update as you type.

Pay type

SalaryHourly

Hourly rate

Regular hours per week (excluding overtime)

Overtime hours per week (paid at 1.5×)Enter overtime separately: 45 total hours with 5 paid at time-and-a-half means 40 regular hours and 5 overtime hours. The calculator does not decide which hours qualify.

Pay frequency

Filing status (Form W-4, Step 1)

North Carolina NC-4 settings

Use your state certificate. NC-4 allowances are separate from federal W-4 credits.

Filing status on your NC-4

NC-4 Line 1: allowancesEnter the allowance count on your NC-4, not your number of dependents.

NC-4 Line 2: extra per paycheck

W-4 details, retirement and benefits

My current federal W-4 claims exemption

Use an existing qualifying election on Form W-4. Federal income-tax withholding, including extras, becomes $0. FICA and state deductions remain separate. Eligibility is not checked.

Step 2(c) box is checked (two jobs, or spouse also works)

Step 3: dependents credit (annual $)

$2,200 per qualifying child under 17, $500 per other dependent.

Step 4(c): extra withholding per paycheck

Step 4(a): other annual income

Step 4(b): deductions beyond the standard deduction

401(k) / 403(b) contribution

Percent of gross pay, pre-tax (traditional).

Health premiums, HSA, FSA per paycheck

Section 125 items also reduce Social Security and Medicare wages.

After-tax deductions per paycheck

Roth 401(k), union dues, garnishments.

Blank adjustments count as 0 unless another default is stated. Pay, hours and an active custom rate need a value; enter 0 when appropriate.

Estimated take-home pay per week$723.00$37,596.16 per year · $3,133.01 per month

North Carolina payroll withholding. The state income-tax line uses North Carolina NC-30 and your NC-4 elections for regular pay. The annual amount projects those paycheck estimates over a year; it does not calculate your final state tax bill.

Annual and monthly figures assume the entered pay repeats for a full year. Wage caps are averaged across those paychecks; year-to-date pay and deductions are not tracked.

Estimated tax share

17.8%

Federal marginal rate

12%

North Carolina marginal income-tax rate

3.99%

Line	Per paycheck	Full-year projection
Gross pay	$880.00	$45,760.00
Pre-tax retirement	$0.00	$0.00
Health, HSA, FSA (pre-tax)	$0.00	$0.00
Federal income-tax withholding	$63.68	$3,311.20
Social Security (6.2%)	$54.56	$2,837.12
Medicare (1.45%)	$12.76	$663.52
North Carolina withholding	$26.00	$1,352.00
After-tax deductions	$0.00	$0.00
Take-home pay	$723.00	$37,596.16

Estimated tax share is the displayed federal withholding, FICA, state/local tax estimate and state payroll deductions divided by gross pay. Benefit deductions are excluded from that share; it is not your final income-tax rate.

NC withholding uses 4.09% and rounds regular withholding to whole dollars per paycheck, then adds your NC-4 extra amount. It is separate from the income-tax rate shown above. NC-4 NRA adjustments, exempt certificates and separately paid bonuses are not included.

Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T for a 2020-or-later W-4. Social Security applies to the first $184,500 of wages in 2026.

From a timecard to a North Carolina paycheck estimate

Use paid hours after unpaid breaks. Enter regular hours separately from overtime; putting all 45 hours in the regular field and another 5 in overtime would count those 5 hours twice.

Weekly gross = hourly rate × (regular hours + 1.5 × overtime hours)

For example, $20 × (40 + 1.5 × 5) gives $950 gross for a 45-hour week. The calculator repeats that week over 52 weeks and divides the annual amount by your selected pay frequency. Every two weeks uses 26 paychecks; twice a month uses 24, so it is an average rather than the actual hours in a particular half-month.

The Department of Labor's overtime guidance covers regular-rate and eligibility rules. This tool assumes the rate you enter is the applicable regular rate and the overtime hours you enter are paid at time-and-a-half. Daily overtime, double time, tipped pay and multiple hourly rates need separate treatment.

Hourly wage to take-home pay in North Carolina (2026)

Weekly take-home pay for a single filer working 40 hours with a standard W-4 and no pre-tax deductions, single NC-4 status, zero allowances and no extra state withholding.

Weekly take-home pay by hourly rate in North Carolina
Hourly rate	Gross per week	Take-home per week	Full-year take-home	Estimated tax share
$15.00 / hour	$600.00	$509.02	$26,469	15.2%
$20.00 / hour	$800.00	$661.72	$34,410	17.3%
$25.00 / hour	$1,000.00	$814.42	$42,350	18.6%
$30.00 / hour	$1,200.00	$967.12	$50,290	19.4%

What 5 or 10 overtime hours add at $20 an hour

Each row assumes 40 regular hours plus the stated overtime every week for a full year, a single filer, standard W-4, no benefit deductions and the same North Carolina settings as the hourly table above. These figures are generated by this calculator; they do not predict a one-off overtime check.

Repeated-week overtime comparison in North Carolina, 2026
Overtime hours	Gross per week	Estimated take-home	Extra take-home
0	$800.00	$661.72	$0.00
5	$950.00	$776.25	$114.53
10	$1,100.00	$890.77	$229.05

A qualifying federal overtime deduction is separate from the amount of overtime pay. The calculator does not decide eligibility or subtract it automatically. The IRS explains how an updated W-4 can reflect the expected deduction; Social Security and Medicare generally still apply. The examples use a W-4 with no adjustments.

The North Carolina calculation used for these wages

The state income-tax line uses North Carolina NC-30 and your NC-4 elections for regular pay. The annual amount projects those paycheck estimates over a year; it does not calculate your final state tax bill.

Official state payroll method. Enter your state certificate elections independently of your federal W-4.

Limits of this state estimate. North Carolina's 2026 income tax rate is 3.99%; regular-wage withholding uses 4.09% under NC-30. The calculator uses the NC-30 annualized method, your NC-4 filing status and allowances, and whole-dollar rounding per paycheck. It does not model NC-4 NRA adjustments, withholding exemptions, or separately paid bonuses.

For the detailed state schedules, certificate examples and local-tax guidance, see how the North Carolina state calculator works.

For a change in your hourly rate, the pay raise calculator shows the percentage and annualized increase. Compare the old and new rates above to include North Carolina's supported taxes and payroll deductions.

Frequently asked questions

How is hourly take-home pay calculated in North Carolina?

Gross pay is your hourly rate × hours, with overtime hours at 1.5× your rate. The calculator annualises that amount, works out federal withholding under IRS Publication 15-T, applies Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%), then calculates NC-30 state withholding using your NC-4 settings and whole-dollar rounding per paycheck, and shows the result for your pay period.

What is $20 an hour after taxes in North Carolina?

At 40 hours a week, $20 an hour is $800.00 gross per week. For a single filer with a standard W-4, single NC-4 status, zero allowances and no extra state withholding in 2026, take-home pay is about $661.72 a week, or $34,410 a year (an estimated tax share of gross pay of 17.3%).

How is overtime taxed in North Carolina?

The calculator includes overtime in regular gross wages and applies your entered W-4 and the state method described here. Higher gross pay can increase withholding. This is a repeated-week projection, not a calculation of your final tax or refund. It does not determine a qualified overtime deduction; use the current IRS W-4 instructions to account for an eligible deduction.

Does North Carolina have state income tax on hourly wages?

Yes. North Carolina's 2026 income-tax rate is 3.99%, while regular wage withholding uses 4.09% with your NC-4 settings and per-paycheck rounding. The method is the same for salary and hourly pay.

How many hours count as full time for this calculator?

There is no full-time eligibility test here. Enter regular paid hours excluding overtime, then enter time-and-a-half hours separately. The calculator does not classify your job, check daily overtime rules or determine the regular rate when bonuses, shift differentials or multiple pay rates apply.

Hourly paycheck calculators for other states

Sources and updates

Figures are for tax year 2026 and were checked against the sources below on September 5, 2026. Tax rules and rates can change. Each calculator identifies the method and limitations used.

This calculator gives estimates for information only and is not tax, legal or financial advice. Your employer's payroll system, local taxes, benefits and year-to-date wages can change the exact amounts on your pay stub. See how we calculate.