2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Delaware

$15 an Hour in Delaware — 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 Delaware state income tax, your take-home pay is $12.54/hr. In Delaware's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Delaware.

Gross Annual
$31,200
Net Annual
$26,084
Net Monthly
$2,174
Net Hourly
$12.54

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $15.00 $2.46 $12.54
Daily (8 hrs) $120.00 $19.68 $100.32
Weekly (40 hrs) $600.00 $98.38 $501.62
Biweekly $1,200.00 $196.75 $1,003.25
Monthly $2,600.00 $426.29 $2,173.71
Annual $31,200 $5,116 $26,084

Full Tax Breakdown — Delaware, 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
Delaware Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$3,250
Delaware State Income Tax 3.7% −$1,164.73
Total Tax 16.4% effective −$5,115.53
Net Take-Home $26,084

How Does Delaware 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 Delaware — $15/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

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

Adjacent Rates in Delaware

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

Same Rate, Other States

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

Cost of Living in Delaware

✗ Difficult — $15/hr falls short in Delaware
  • Avg 1BR rent in Wilmington: $1,250/mo — over the 30% rule (48% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Delaware: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $26,084 ($15,916 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$15/hr

Working at $15/hr in Delaware

Delaware's no-sales-tax advantage provides real daily savings. At this wage level in Wilmington, housing is more affordable than neighboring Philadelphia or DC metro. The absence of sales tax makes everyday spending go further.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 100 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Wilmington (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.0x Delaware's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Delaware is 16.4% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.0%, FICA 7.7%, and Delaware state tax 3.7%.

Delaware punches above its weight economically due to its business-friendly incorporation laws — most Fortune 500 companies are incorporated here. Finance, legal services, and pharmaceuticals (AstraZeneca HQ) are the main employers.

Delaware has no sales tax, which is a meaningful benefit for consumer spending. State income tax runs 2.2%–6.6%. No local income taxes.

Delaware's minimum wage is $15.00/hr (2026).

Monthly Budget on $15/hr in Delaware

Based on $2,174/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Delaware's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,250 $15,000 57.5%
Food (groceries + dining) $261 $3,132 12.0%
Transportation $217 $2,604 10.0%
Utilities $130 $1,560 6.0%
Healthcare $109 $1,308 5.0%
Entertainment $109 $1,308 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $217 $2,604 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-119 $-1,428 -5.5%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Delaware at $15/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $15/hr in Delaware

At time-and-a-half ($22.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Delaware. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~19.0%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $113 $91 $4,550
10 hrs/week $225 $182 $9,100
20 hrs/week $450 $365 $18,250

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 $12.54 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 63.8 hrs
1 month rent (Wilmington) $1,250 83.4 hrs 99.7 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 666.7 hrs 797.5 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3200 hrs 3827.6 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

15/hr in Delaware gives you $26,084/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Delaware. Avg 1BR rent in Wilmington: $1,250/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 15 an hour after taxes in Delaware?

15/hr in Delaware = $26,084/year or $2,174/month net. Effective rate: 16.4%.

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

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

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

On $2,174/month in Delaware: rent $1,250, food $261, transport $217, savings $217, surplus ~$0.

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

At 1.5x (22.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,550/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,100/year.