2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Vermont

$15 an Hour in Vermont — 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 Vermont state income tax, your take-home pay is $12.70/hr. In Vermont's high cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Vermont.

Gross Annual
$31,200
Net Annual
$26,422
Net Monthly
$2,202
Net Hourly
$12.70

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $15.00 $2.30 $12.70
Daily (8 hrs) $120.00 $18.38 $101.62
Weekly (40 hrs) $600.00 $91.89 $508.11
Biweekly $1,200.00 $183.78 $1,016.22
Monthly $2,600.00 $398.19 $2,201.81
Annual $31,200 $4,778 $26,422

Full Tax Breakdown — Vermont, 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
Vermont Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$6,500
Vermont State Income Tax 2.7% −$827.45
Total Tax 15.3% effective −$4,778.25
Net Take-Home $26,422

How Does Vermont 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 Vermont — $15/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

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

Adjacent Rates in Vermont

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

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 Vermont

✗ Difficult — $15/hr falls short in Vermont
  • Avg 1BR rent in Burlington: $1,400/mo — over the 30% rule (54% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Vermont: $48,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $26,422 ($21,578 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$13.1/hr

Working at $15/hr in Vermont

Vermont has a high minimum wage and tight labor market — workers at this level are in demand. Burlington 1BR rents average $1,500/month. The progressive income tax starts modestly at 3.35%, but escalates. Vermont's quality of life is exceptional but financially constraining at lower wages.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 111 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Burlington (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.1x Vermont's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Vermont is 15.3% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.0%, FICA 7.7%, and Vermont state tax 2.7%.

Vermont has a small, high-quality economy centered on healthcare, education, tourism (skiing, fall foliage), technology, and specialty food/agriculture (Ben & Jerry's). The labor market is very tight due to the small, aging population. Remote work has increased Vermont's attractiveness.

Vermont has a progressive income tax with rates from 3.35% to 8.75%. The top rate applies at $204k+, but the 6.6% bracket starts around $41k for single filers — creating a meaningful mid-income burden.

Vermont's minimum wage is $14.01/hr (2026), indexed to inflation.

Monthly Budget on $15/hr in Vermont

Based on $2,202/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Vermont's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,400 $16,800 63.6%
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 $-254 $-3,048 -11.5%

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

Overtime Pay — $15/hr in Vermont

At time-and-a-half ($22.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Vermont. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~16.8%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $113 $94 $4,700
10 hrs/week $225 $187 $9,350
20 hrs/week $450 $374 $18,700

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 $12.70 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 (Burlington) $1,400 93.4 hrs 110.3 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 666.7 hrs 787.3 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3200 hrs 3778.8 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

15/hr in Vermont gives you $26,422/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Vermont. Avg 1BR rent in Burlington: $1,400/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 15 an hour after taxes in Vermont?

15/hr in Vermont = $26,422/year or $2,202/month net. Effective rate: 15.3%.

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

15/hr in Vermont has similar purchasing power to ~13.1/hr in Texas.

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

On $2,202/month in Vermont: rent $1,400, food $264, transport $220, savings $220, surplus ~$0.

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

At 1.5x (22.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,700/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,350/year.