2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Maryland

$15 an Hour in Maryland — 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 Maryland state income tax, your take-home pay is $12.47/hr. In Maryland's high cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Maryland.

Gross Annual
$31,200
Net Annual
$25,934
Net Monthly
$2,161
Net Hourly
$12.47

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $15.00 $2.53 $12.47
Daily (8 hrs) $120.00 $20.26 $99.75
Weekly (40 hrs) $600.00 $101.28 $498.73
Biweekly $1,200.00 $202.55 $997.45
Monthly $2,600.00 $438.86 $2,161.14
Annual $31,200 $5,266 $25,934

Full Tax Breakdown — Maryland, 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
Maryland Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$2,400
Maryland State Income Tax 4.2% −$1,315.50
Total Tax 16.9% effective −$5,266.30
Net Take-Home $25,934

How Does Maryland 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 Maryland — $15/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

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

Adjacent Rates in Maryland

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

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 Maryland

✗ Difficult — $15/hr falls short in Maryland
  • Avg 1BR rent in Baltimore: $1,700/mo — over the 30% rule (65% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Maryland: $54,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $25,934 ($28,066 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$11.7/hr

Working at $15/hr in Maryland

Maryland's local income tax (on top of state tax) makes the effective rate notably higher than neighboring Virginia. At lower wages, the combined burden is 4–6%. Baltimore offers more affordable rents than DC suburbs — 1BR averages $1,700/month in Baltimore vs $2,200+ in Bethesda.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 137 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Baltimore (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.0x Maryland's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Maryland is 16.9% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.0%, FICA 7.7%, and Maryland state tax 4.2%.

Maryland's economy benefits enormously from federal government proximity — the DC suburbs (Montgomery and Prince George's counties) have massive federal agency employment (NIH, FDA, NSA, NASA Goddard). Cybersecurity, biotech, and healthcare are major private-sector employers.

Maryland has a progressive income tax (2%–5.75%) plus a local income tax (varying by county, typically 2.25–3.2%). The combined state + local rate is among the highest in the Mid-Atlantic. Montgomery County residents pay some of the highest combined income taxes in the country.

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

Monthly Budget on $15/hr in Maryland

Based on $2,161/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Maryland's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,700 $20,400 78.7%
Food (groceries + dining) $259 $3,108 12.0%
Transportation $216 $2,592 10.0%
Utilities $130 $1,560 6.0%
Healthcare $108 $1,296 5.0%
Entertainment $108 $1,296 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $216 $2,592 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-576 $-6,912 -26.7%

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

Overtime Pay — $15/hr in Maryland

At time-and-a-half ($22.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Maryland. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~18.2%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $113 $92 $4,600
10 hrs/week $225 $184 $9,200
20 hrs/week $450 $368 $18,400

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 $12.47 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3.4 hrs 4.1 hrs
Week of groceries $120 8 hrs 9.7 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 53.3 hrs 64.1 hrs
1 month rent (Baltimore) $1,700 113.4 hrs 136.4 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 666.7 hrs 802.1 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3200 hrs 3849.9 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

15/hr in Maryland gives you $25,934/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Maryland. Avg 1BR rent in Baltimore: $1,700/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 15 an hour after taxes in Maryland?

15/hr in Maryland = $25,934/year or $2,161/month net. Effective rate: 16.9%.

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

15/hr in Maryland has similar purchasing power to ~11.7/hr in Texas.

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

On $2,161/month in Maryland: rent $1,700, food $259, transport $216, savings $216, surplus ~$0.

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

At 1.5x (22.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,600/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,200/year.