2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Minnesota

$15 an Hour in Minnesota — 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 Minnesota state income tax, your take-home pay is $12.71/hr. In Minnesota's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Minnesota.

Gross Annual
$31,200
Net Annual
$26,441
Net Monthly
$2,203
Net Hourly
$12.71

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $15.00 $2.29 $12.71
Daily (8 hrs) $120.00 $18.30 $101.70
Weekly (40 hrs) $600.00 $91.51 $508.49
Biweekly $1,200.00 $183.03 $1,016.97
Monthly $2,600.00 $396.55 $2,203.45
Annual $31,200 $4,759 $26,441

Full Tax Breakdown — Minnesota, 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
Minnesota Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Minnesota State Income Tax 2.6% −$807.85
Total Tax 15.3% effective −$4,758.65
Net Take-Home $26,441

How Does Minnesota 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 Minnesota — $15/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

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

Adjacent Rates in Minnesota

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

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 Minnesota

✗ Difficult — $15/hr falls short in Minnesota
  • Avg 1BR rent in Minneapolis: $1,250/mo — over the 30% rule (48% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Minnesota: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $26,441 ($15,559 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$15/hr

Working at $15/hr in Minnesota

Minnesota's progressive income tax starts hitting meaningfully around $20k. At lower wages, the effective state rate is 4–5%. Minneapolis 1BR rents average $1,250/month. The city's strong labor movement and corporate presence create upward mobility.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 99 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Minneapolis (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.3x Minnesota's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Minnesota is 15.3% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.0%, FICA 7.7%, and Minnesota state tax 2.6%.

Minnesota has a highly educated workforce and strong corporate base — Target, UnitedHealth Group, 3M, General Mills, and Best Buy are all headquartered here. The Twin Cities metro has a diverse, resilient economy. Healthcare, finance, retail, and manufacturing are major sectors.

Minnesota has a progressive income tax with a top rate of 9.85% — one of the highest in the Midwest. The brackets are steep: the 6.8% rate applies above ~$29k for single filers. This creates a noticeably higher state tax burden at mid and upper incomes relative to neighboring Wisconsin or Iowa.

Minnesota's minimum wage is $11.13/hr for large employers (2026).

Monthly Budget on $15/hr in Minnesota

Based on $2,203/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Minnesota's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,250 $15,000 56.7%
Food (groceries + dining) $264 $3,168 12.0%
Transportation $220 $2,640 10.0%
Utilities $132 $1,584 6.0%
Healthcare $110 $1,320 5.0%
Entertainment $110 $1,320 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $220 $2,640 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-103 $-1,236 -4.7%

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

Overtime Pay — $15/hr in Minnesota

At time-and-a-half ($22.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Minnesota. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~18.8%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $113 $91 $4,550
10 hrs/week $225 $183 $9,150
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 $12.71 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 9.5 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 53.3 hrs 62.9 hrs
1 month rent (Minneapolis) $1,250 83.4 hrs 98.4 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 666.7 hrs 786.7 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3200 hrs 3776 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

15/hr in Minnesota gives you $26,441/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Minnesota. Avg 1BR rent in Minneapolis: $1,250/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 15 an hour after taxes in Minnesota?

15/hr in Minnesota = $26,441/year or $2,203/month net. Effective rate: 15.3%.

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

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

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

On $2,203/month in Minnesota: rent $1,250, food $264, transport $220, savings $220, surplus ~$0.

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

At 1.5x (22.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,550/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,150/year.