2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Arkansas

$15 an Hour in Arkansas — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $15/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $31,200. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Arkansas state income tax, your take-home pay is $12.56/hr. In Arkansas's low cost-of-living environment, this is enough to get by in Arkansas, though budget carefully.

Gross Annual
$31,200
Net Annual
$26,123
Net Monthly
$2,177
Net Hourly
$12.56

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $15.00 $2.44 $12.56
Daily (8 hrs) $120.00 $19.53 $100.47
Weekly (40 hrs) $600.00 $97.64 $502.36
Biweekly $1,200.00 $195.29 $1,004.71
Monthly $2,600.00 $423.12 $2,176.88
Annual $31,200 $5,077 $26,123

Full Tax Breakdown — Arkansas, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $15/hr × 2,080 hrs $31,200
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $15,100
Federal Income Tax 5.0% −$1,564.00
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$1,934.40
Medicare (1.45%) −$452.40
Arkansas Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$2,340
Arkansas State Income Tax 3.6% −$1,126.66
Total Tax 16.3% effective −$5,077.46
Net Take-Home $26,123

How Does Arkansas Compare?

See how $15/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $422.38 $2,236/mo $26,827 Florida None $2,271/mo $27,249 New York $958.25 $2,191/mo $26,291 Texas None $2,271/mo $27,249 Washington None $2,271/mo $27,249
Open Full Calculator for Arkansas — $15/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$15/hr = $31,200/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$31,200 salary in Arkansas — full breakdown $31,200 after tax in Arkansas $31,200 salary to hourly Arkansas paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Arkansas

$12/hr in Arkansas$13/hr in Arkansas$14/hr in Arkansas$16/hr in Arkansas$17/hr in Arkansas$18/hr in Arkansas

Same Rate, Other States

$15/hr in Alabama$15/hr in Alaska$15/hr in Arizona$15/hr in California$15/hr in Colorado$15/hr in Connecticut

Cost of Living in Arkansas

⚠ Tight — $15/hr is borderline in Arkansas
  • Avg 1BR rent in Little Rock: $800/mo — over the 30% rule (31% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Arkansas: $30,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $26,123 ($3,877 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$21/hr

Working at $15/hr in Arkansas

Arkansas has one of the lowest costs of living in the US — a $900/month 1BR in Little Rock is typical. At this wage level, the low COL provides real breathing room that the raw numbers don't fully capture compared to higher-cost states.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 64 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Little Rock (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.4x Arkansas's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Arkansas is 16.3% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.0%, FICA 7.7%, and Arkansas state tax 3.6%.

Walmart's corporate headquarters in Bentonville anchors a large retail and logistics sector. Healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing round out the economy. The Bentonville area has attracted significant tech and creative talent.

Arkansas has reduced its top income tax rate to 4.4% and continues phasing down rates. The state offers a low-income tax credit for earners below certain thresholds.

Arkansas minimum wage is $11.00/hr (2026).

Monthly Budget on $15/hr in Arkansas

Based on $2,177/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Arkansas's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $800 $9,600 36.7%
Food (groceries + dining) $261 $3,132 12.0%
Transportation $218 $2,616 10.0%
Utilities $131 $1,572 6.0%
Healthcare $109 $1,308 5.0%
Entertainment $109 $1,308 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $218 $2,616 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $331 $3,972 15.2%

Overtime Pay — $15/hr in Arkansas

At time-and-a-half ($22.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Arkansas. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~17.8%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $113 $92 $4,600
10 hrs/week $225 $185 $9,250
20 hrs/week $450 $370 $18,500

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $15/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $12.56 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3.4 hrs 4 hrs
Week of groceries $120 8 hrs 9.6 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 53.3 hrs 63.7 hrs
1 month rent (Little Rock) $800 53.4 hrs 63.7 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 666.7 hrs 796.3 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3200 hrs 3822 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

15 an hour -- is it a good wage in Arkansas?

15/hr in Arkansas gives you $26,123/year after taxes -- enough to get by in Arkansas, though budget carefully. Avg 1BR rent in Little Rock: $800/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 15 an hour after taxes in Arkansas?

15/hr in Arkansas = $26,123/year or $2,177/month net. Effective rate: 16.3%.

How does 15/hr go further -- Arkansas or Texas?

15/hr in Arkansas has similar purchasing power to ~21/hr in Texas.

What does 15/hr look like as a monthly budget in Arkansas?

On $2,177/month in Arkansas: rent $800, food $261, transport $218, savings $218, surplus ~$331.

How much does overtime add at 15/hr in Arkansas?

At 1.5x (22.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,600/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,250/year.