TaxWren2026 tax year · updated
$15 an hour is how much a year?
$15 an hour is $31,200 a year before taxes at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks: $2,600 a month, $1,200 every two weeks and $600 a week. After 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, a single filer keeps about $27,249 a year ($2,271 a month) in a state without income tax.
$15 an hour by pay period
| Before tax | After federal tax | |
|---|---|---|
| Year | $31,200 | $27,249 |
| Month | $2,600 | $2,271 |
| Every two weeks | $1,200 | $1,048 |
| Week | $600 | $524 |
| Day (5-day week) | $120 | $105 |
| Hour | $15 | $13.10 |
After tax: single filer, 2026 federal income tax after the $16,100 standard deduction, Social Security 6.2% and Medicare 1.45%, no state income tax. Total $3,951 (12.7%).
If you work fewer hours
| Hours a week | Yearly pay | Monthly pay |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $15,600 | $1,300 |
| 25 | $19,500 | $1,625 |
| 30 | $23,400 | $1,950 |
| 32 | $24,960 | $2,080 |
| 35 | $27,300 | $2,275 |
| 37.5 | $29,250 | $2,438 |
| 40 | $31,200 | $2,600 |
Unpaid time off lowers the total: 50 paid weeks give $30,000, 48 paid weeks give $28,800.
$15 an hour and the minimum wage
$15 an hour is below the minimum wage in 12 states: District of Columbia ($18.40), Washington ($17.13), Connecticut ($16.94), California ($16.90), Hawaii ($16), New York ($16), Rhode Island ($16), New Jersey ($15.92), Oregon ($15.55), Colorado ($15.16), Arizona ($15.15), Maine ($15.10). Employers there must pay at least the state rate.
It is 2.1 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which is still the minimum in 20 states. A full-time job at the federal minimum pays $15,080 a year before tax, against $31,200 here.
Minimum wages from the US Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws (updated July 1, 2026); some states have different rates for small employers or certain cities.
How $15 an hour compares with US pay
$15 an hour is between the 10th and 25th percentile of US hourly wages. It is 39% below the median of $24.51 (OEWS May 2025, all occupations).
| Percentile | Hourly wage | Full-time yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $15 | $31,200 |
| 25th | $18.07 | $37,586 |
| Median | $24.51 | $50,981 |
| 75th | $38.71 | $80,517 |
| 90th | $61.81 | $128,565 |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates (all occupations). Percentiles cover wage and salary workers in all occupations; they exclude the self-employed.
$15 an hour after taxes in every state
Take-home pay on $31,200 a year for a single filer in 2026, after federal, state and state payroll taxes. The gap between Alaska and Oregon is $1,764 a year. Local income taxes are not included.
| State | State taxes | Take-home a year | A month | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $0 | $27,249 | $2,271 | $13.10 |
| Florida | $0 | $27,249 | $2,271 | $13.10 |
| Nevada | $0 | $27,249 | $2,271 | $13.10 |
| New Hampshire | $0 | $27,249 | $2,271 | $13.10 |
| North Dakota | $0 | $27,249 | $2,271 | $13.10 |
| South Dakota | $0 | $27,249 | $2,271 | $13.10 |
| Tennessee | $0 | $27,249 | $2,271 | $13.10 |
| Texas | $0 | $27,249 | $2,271 | $13.10 |
| Wyoming | $0 | $27,249 | $2,271 | $13.10 |
| Washington | $181 | $27,068 | $2,256 | $13.01 |
| South Carolina | $322 | $26,927 | $2,244 | $12.95 |
| Arizona | $378 | $26,872 | $2,239 | $12.92 |
| New Mexico | $390 | $26,860 | $2,238 | $12.91 |
| Ohio | $408 | $26,842 | $2,237 | $12.90 |
| New Jersey | $459 | $26,791 | $2,233 | $12.88 |
| Connecticut | $484 | $26,766 | $2,230 | $12.87 |
| Missouri | $511 | $26,739 | $2,228 | $12.86 |
| Mississippi | $516 | $26,733 | $2,228 | $12.85 |
| Iowa | $534 | $26,715 | $2,226 | $12.84 |
| Idaho | $545 | $26,704 | $2,225 | $12.84 |
| Louisiana | $550 | $26,699 | $2,225 | $12.84 |
| Rhode Island | $553 | $26,696 | $2,225 | $12.83 |
| Nebraska | $565 | $26,684 | $2,224 | $12.83 |
| Utah | $591 | $26,658 | $2,221 | $12.82 |
| Maine | $592 | $26,658 | $2,221 | $12.82 |
| Vermont | $611 | $26,638 | $2,220 | $12.81 |
| California | $652 | $26,598 | $2,216 | $12.79 |
| Colorado | $664 | $26,585 | $2,215 | $12.78 |
| Arkansas | $667 | $26,582 | $2,215 | $12.78 |
| Wisconsin | $671 | $26,578 | $2,215 | $12.78 |
| District of Columbia | $706 | $26,543 | $2,212 | $12.76 |
| Montana | $710 | $26,540 | $2,212 | $12.76 |
| Hawaii | $735 | $26,514 | $2,210 | $12.75 |
| North Carolina | $736 | $26,513 | $2,209 | $12.75 |
| West Virginia | $765 | $26,484 | $2,207 | $12.73 |
| Georgia | $808 | $26,441 | $2,203 | $12.71 |
| Minnesota | $851 | $26,399 | $2,200 | $12.69 |
| Oklahoma | $859 | $26,391 | $2,199 | $12.69 |
| Indiana | $891 | $26,358 | $2,197 | $12.67 |
| Pennsylvania | $958 | $26,291 | $2,191 | $12.64 |
| Kansas | $959 | $26,291 | $2,191 | $12.64 |
| Kentucky | $974 | $26,275 | $2,190 | $12.63 |
| Virginia | $980 | $26,269 | $2,189 | $12.63 |
| Delaware | $1,055 | $26,194 | $2,183 | $12.59 |
| Michigan | $1,075 | $26,174 | $2,181 | $12.58 |
| New York | $1,088 | $26,161 | $2,180 | $12.58 |
| Maryland | $1,118 | $26,131 | $2,178 | $12.56 |
| Alabama | $1,231 | $26,019 | $2,168 | $12.51 |
| Illinois | $1,400 | $25,850 | $2,154 | $12.43 |
| Massachusetts | $1,484 | $25,766 | $2,147 | $12.39 |
| Oregon | $1,764 | $25,486 | $2,124 | $12.25 |
By filing status (no state income tax)
| Status | Take-home | Month | Tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $27,249 | $2,271 | 12.7% |
| Married filing jointly | $28,813 | $2,401 | 7.7% |
| Head of household | $28,108 | $2,342 | 9.9% |
Married filing jointly assumes this is the household's only income.
How we calculate this
Yearly pay = hourly rate × 40 hours × 52 weeks; a month is a twelfth of the year. Taxes use the same engine as our take-home pay calculator: 2026 federal brackets, FICA and each state's income tax. Overtime pay and pre-tax deductions such as a 401(k) or health insurance are not included. Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. Methodology.
Paid overtime? The no tax on overtime calculator shows what the overtime deduction saves.
$15 an hour: FAQ
How much is $15 an hour a month?
$2,600 a month before taxes at 40 hours a week ($31,200 ÷ 12), and about $2,271 after federal taxes for a single filer in a state without income tax.
How much is $15 an hour every two weeks?
$1,200 gross for 80 hours. After federal income tax and FICA, a single filer's paycheck is about $1,048 before any state tax, 401(k) or insurance deductions.
How much is $15 an hour after taxes?
About $13.10 an hour ($27,249 a year) for a single filer with no state income tax. With state tax it ranges from $27,249 in Alaska to $25,486 in Oregon a year.
How much is $15 an hour part time?
At 20 hours a week, $15 an hour is $15,600 a year or $1,300 a month; at 30 hours it is $23,400 a year.