How Much Rent Can I Afford on an Hourly Wage?
Enter your hourly pay and weekly hours. The calculator turns that into yearly and monthly income, then shows rent at 25%, 30%, and 35% of gross pay.
Gross income
$3,813 / month
$45,760 a year before taxes
Conservative 25%
$953
Balanced 30%
$1,144
Stretch 35%
$1,335
How the calculator works
Your hourly wage times your weekly hours times 52 weeks gives yearly gross income. Divide by 12 for monthly gross pay. The three rent targets are 25%, 30%, and 35% of that monthly figure.
Rent at 30% = hourly wage × hours per week × 52 ÷ 12 × 0.30
The 30% line comes from HUD, which counts a household as cost-burdened when housing takes more than 30% of income. It is a measure, not a law, and it uses gross pay. Read where the 30% rent rule comes from for the history.
How much rent can I afford making $12 to $40 an hour?
| Hourly wage | Monthly gross | 25% | 30% | 35% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12 / hour | $2,080 | $520 | $624 | $728 |
| $13 / hour | $2,253 | $563 | $676 | $789 |
| $14 / hour | $2,427 | $607 | $728 | $849 |
| $15 / hour | $2,600 | $650 | $780 | $910 |
| $16 / hour | $2,773 | $693 | $832 | $971 |
| $17 / hour | $2,947 | $737 | $884 | $1,031 |
| $18 / hour | $3,120 | $780 | $936 | $1,092 |
| $19 / hour | $3,293 | $823 | $988 | $1,153 |
| $20 / hour | $3,467 | $867 | $1,040 | $1,213 |
| $21 / hour | $3,640 | $910 | $1,092 | $1,274 |
| $22 / hour | $3,813 | $953 | $1,144 | $1,335 |
| $23 / hour | $3,987 | $997 | $1,196 | $1,395 |
| $24 / hour | $4,160 | $1,040 | $1,248 | $1,456 |
| $25 / hour | $4,333 | $1,083 | $1,300 | $1,517 |
| $26 / hour | $4,507 | $1,127 | $1,352 | $1,577 |
| $27 / hour | $4,680 | $1,170 | $1,404 | $1,638 |
| $28 / hour | $4,853 | $1,213 | $1,456 | $1,699 |
| $29 / hour | $5,027 | $1,257 | $1,508 | $1,759 |
| $30 / hour | $5,200 | $1,300 | $1,560 | $1,820 |
| $32 / hour | $5,547 | $1,387 | $1,664 | $1,941 |
| $35 / hour | $6,067 | $1,517 | $1,820 | $2,123 |
| $40 / hour | $6,933 | $1,733 | $2,080 | $2,427 |
All rows assume 40 hours a week for 52 weeks (2,080 hours) and show gross pay before taxes. Rounded to the nearest dollar.
A worked example: $22 an hour
Full time at $22 an hour is $45,760 a year, or about $3,813 a month before taxes. Thirty percent of that is $1,144.
Your rent comes out of take-home pay, though. For a single filer using the 2026 standard deduction, take-home on $45,760 is roughly $3,050 to $3,250 a month with 0% to 5% state income tax. A $1,144 rent is about 35% to 37% of that. If you also have a car payment or student loans, the 25% figure ($953) leaves more breathing room. Get your own number with the paycheck calculator.
What changes the answer
- Part-time hours. $20 an hour at 30 hours a week is $2,600 a month, so 30% is $780, not the $1,040 you would get full time.
- Overtime. Five overtime hours a week at time-and-a-half lift $18 an hour from $936 to about $1,112 of rent at 30%. Only count overtime you get every week, all year.
- Unpaid time off. The calculator assumes 52 paid weeks. If you take two unpaid weeks, multiply by 50 instead and the rent target drops by about 4%.
- Costs beyond rent. Utilities, renters insurance, and parking can add a few hundred dollars a month. See what to include in a rent budget.
Common questions
How much rent can I afford making $20 an hour?
At 40 hours a week, $20 an hour is $41,600 a year, or about $3,467 a month before taxes. The 30% guideline puts rent at about $1,040 a month. A more cautious 25% target is about $867.
How much rent can I afford making $25 an hour?
Full time, $25 an hour is $52,000 a year, or about $4,333 a month before taxes. That supports about $1,300 in rent at 30%, or about $1,083 at 25%.
Should I count overtime when budgeting for rent?
Budget on the hours you can count on every week. Overtime and tips can disappear when schedules change, and rent is due either way. Treat extra hours as money for savings or debt payoff.
What is the 40 times rent rule?
Many landlords want your yearly gross income to be at least 40 times the monthly rent. That is the same math as the 30% guideline: one fortieth of a year of pay is 2.5%, and 2.5% times 12 months is 30%. At $22 an hour full time ($45,760 a year), the maximum rent under that rule is $1,144.
Results are educational estimates, not financial advice. Landlords set their own income requirements.
Use monthly income instead