2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Tennessee

$15 an Hour in Tennessee — 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 (Tennessee has no state income tax), your take-home pay is $13.10/hr. In Tennessee's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Tennessee.

Gross Annual
$31,200
Net Annual
$27,249
Net Monthly
$2,271
Net Hourly
$13.10

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $15.00 $1.90 $13.10
Daily (8 hrs) $120.00 $15.20 $104.80
Weekly (40 hrs) $600.00 $75.98 $524.02
Biweekly $1,200.00 $151.95 $1,048.05
Monthly $2,600.00 $329.23 $2,270.77
Annual $31,200 $3,951 $27,249

Full Tax Breakdown — Tennessee, 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
Tennessee State Income Tax No state income tax $0.00
Total Tax 12.7% effective −$3,950.80
Net Take-Home $27,249

How Does Tennessee 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 Tennessee — $15/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

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

Adjacent Rates in Tennessee

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

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 Tennessee

✗ Difficult — $15/hr falls short in Tennessee
  • Avg 1BR rent in Nashville: $1,200/mo — over the 30% rule (46% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Tennessee: $40,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $27,249 ($12,751 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$15.8/hr

Working at $15/hr in Tennessee

No wage income tax is a real advantage at this level. However, Tennessee's 9.55% average sales tax is the highest in the nation and disproportionately affects lower-income workers who spend a larger share of income. Nashville 1BR rents have surged — averaging $1,700–$2,000/month — reducing the financial advantage for lower-wage workers.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 92 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Nashville (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 2.1x Tennessee's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Tennessee is 12.7% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.0%, FICA 7.7% (no Tennessee state income tax).

Tennessee's economy has transformed dramatically. Nashville is now a major healthcare (HCA Healthcare HQ), music, and tech hub. Memphis is a logistics powerhouse (FedEx world HQ). Volkswagen, GM, and Ford all have major manufacturing facilities in the state. The state has attracted significant corporate relocations.

Tennessee has no income tax on wages — wages have never been taxed at the state level. The Hall Tax on investment income was fully eliminated in 2021. Tennessee has no estate tax. The state relies on sales tax, which averages 9.55% — among the highest in the US.

Tennessee follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr.

Monthly Budget on $15/hr in Tennessee

Based on $2,271/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Tennessee's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,200 $14,400 52.8%
Food (groceries + dining) $272 $3,264 12.0%
Transportation $227 $2,724 10.0%
Utilities $136 $1,632 6.0%
Healthcare $114 $1,368 5.0%
Entertainment $114 $1,368 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $227 $2,724 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-19 $-228 -0.8%

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

Overtime Pay — $15/hr in Tennessee

At time-and-a-half ($22.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Tennessee. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~13.5%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $113 $97 $4,850
10 hrs/week $225 $195 $9,750
20 hrs/week $450 $389 $19,450

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 $13.10 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 9.2 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 53.3 hrs 61 hrs
1 month rent (Nashville) $1,200 80 hrs 91.6 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 666.7 hrs 763.4 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3200 hrs 3664 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

15/hr in Tennessee gives you $27,249/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Tennessee. Avg 1BR rent in Nashville: $1,200/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 15 an hour after taxes in Tennessee?

15/hr in Tennessee = $27,249/year or $2,271/month net. Effective rate: 12.7%.

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

15/hr in Tennessee has similar purchasing power to ~15.8/hr in Texas.

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

On $2,271/month in Tennessee: rent $1,200, food $272, transport $227, savings $227, surplus ~$0.

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

At 1.5x (22.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,850/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,750/year.