2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · North Dakota

$15 an Hour in North Dakota — 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 North Dakota state income tax, your take-home pay is $12.92/hr. In North Dakota's low cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in North Dakota.

Gross Annual
$31,200
Net Annual
$26,872
Net Monthly
$2,239
Net Hourly
$12.92

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $15.00 $2.08 $12.92
Daily (8 hrs) $120.00 $16.65 $103.35
Weekly (40 hrs) $600.00 $83.24 $516.76
Biweekly $1,200.00 $166.47 $1,033.53
Monthly $2,600.00 $360.69 $2,239.31
Annual $31,200 $4,328 $26,872

Full Tax Breakdown — North Dakota, 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
North Dakota Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
North Dakota State Income Tax 1.2% −$377.50
Total Tax 13.9% effective −$4,328.30
Net Take-Home $26,872

How Does North Dakota 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 North Dakota — $15/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

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

Adjacent Rates in North Dakota

$12/hr in North Dakota$13/hr in North Dakota$14/hr in North Dakota$16/hr in North Dakota$17/hr in North Dakota$18/hr in North Dakota

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 North Dakota

✗ Difficult — $15/hr falls short in North Dakota
  • Avg 1BR rent in Fargo: $950/mo — over the 30% rule (37% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in North Dakota: $34,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $26,872 ($7,128 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$18.5/hr

Working at $15/hr in North Dakota

North Dakota's 2.5% flat income tax is one of the lowest in the country. Fargo 1BR rents average $900/month. The low tax and low COL make this wage financially workable, especially outside the oil boom areas.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 74 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Fargo (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 2.1x North Dakota's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in North Dakota is 13.9% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.0%, FICA 7.7%, and North Dakota state tax 1.2%.

North Dakota's economy is driven by energy (Bakken oil formation), agriculture, and healthcare. Fargo has a growing tech and healthcare sector. The oil boom/bust cycle affects wages significantly in western North Dakota.

North Dakota has one of the lowest income tax structures in the US — a flat 2.5% rate for most earners (2026). The state mirrors the federal standard deduction.

North Dakota follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr.

Monthly Budget on $15/hr in North Dakota

Based on $2,239/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for North Dakota's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $950 $11,400 42.4%
Food (groceries + dining) $269 $3,228 12.0%
Transportation $224 $2,688 10.0%
Utilities $134 $1,608 6.0%
Healthcare $112 $1,344 5.0%
Entertainment $112 $1,344 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $224 $2,688 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $214 $2,568 9.6%

Overtime Pay — $15/hr in North Dakota

At time-and-a-half ($22.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in North Dakota. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~16.0%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $113 $95 $4,750
10 hrs/week $225 $189 $9,450
20 hrs/week $450 $378 $18,900

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 $12.92 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3.4 hrs 3.9 hrs
Week of groceries $120 8 hrs 9.3 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 53.3 hrs 61.9 hrs
1 month rent (Fargo) $950 63.4 hrs 73.6 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 666.7 hrs 774.1 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3200 hrs 3715.5 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

15 an hour -- is it a good wage in North Dakota?

15/hr in North Dakota gives you $26,872/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in North Dakota. Avg 1BR rent in Fargo: $950/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 15 an hour after taxes in North Dakota?

15/hr in North Dakota = $26,872/year or $2,239/month net. Effective rate: 13.9%.

How does 15/hr go further -- North Dakota or Texas?

15/hr in North Dakota has similar purchasing power to ~18.5/hr in Texas.

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

On $2,239/month in North Dakota: rent $950, food $269, transport $224, savings $224, surplus ~$214.

How much does overtime add at 15/hr in North Dakota?

At 1.5x (22.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,750/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,450/year.