What it costs to live and work in Hawaii: the minimum wage, state income tax, sales tax and median rent, from official sources, and what they mean for your monthly budget.
| Hawaii | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | $16.00 an hour | Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations: Minimum Wage and Tip Credit |
| State income tax | 1.4 % to 11 % | Tax Foundation: State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026 (rates as of January 1, 2026) |
| State sales tax | 4 % | Tax Foundation: State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 |
| Median gross rent | $1,942 a month (2024) | US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent) |
The minimum wage is $16.00 an hour since January 1, 2026, and rises to $18.00 on January 1, 2028.
Hawaii taxes income at 1.4 % to 11 %; the top rate applies above $325,000 for single filers.
Hawaii's general excise tax is 4 %; counties add 0.5 % on average, for a combined 4.5 %.
What income does rent in Hawaii take?
A common rule of thumb is to keep rent at or below 30 % of gross income. At the median rent of $1,942 a month, that means a household income of about $77,700 a year before tax.
Good to know
- Hawaii's general excise tax also applies to many services, not only goods.
- Median rent is among the highest of any state.
Sources
- US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: State Minimum Wage Laws (2026-07-01)
- Tax Foundation: State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026 (rates as of January 1, 2026) (2026-02-19)
- Tax Foundation: State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 (2026-07-06)
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent) (2025-09)
- Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations: Minimum Wage and Tip Credit (2026)