2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · West Virginia

$15 an Hour in West Virginia — 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 West Virginia state income tax, your take-home pay is $12.53/hr. In West Virginia's low cost-of-living environment, this is enough to get by in West Virginia, though budget carefully.

Gross Annual
$31,200
Net Annual
$26,070
Net Monthly
$2,173
Net Hourly
$12.53

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $15.00 $2.47 $12.53
Daily (8 hrs) $120.00 $19.73 $100.27
Weekly (40 hrs) $600.00 $98.65 $501.35
Biweekly $1,200.00 $197.30 $1,002.70
Monthly $2,600.00 $427.48 $2,172.52
Annual $31,200 $5,130 $26,070

Full Tax Breakdown — West Virginia, 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
West Virginia Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$0
West Virginia State Income Tax 3.8% −$1,179.00
Total Tax 16.4% effective −$5,129.80
Net Take-Home $26,070

How Does West Virginia 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 West Virginia — $15/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

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

Adjacent Rates in West Virginia

$12/hr in West Virginia$13/hr in West Virginia$14/hr in West Virginia$16/hr in West Virginia$17/hr in West Virginia$18/hr in West Virginia

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 West Virginia

⚠ Tight — $15/hr is borderline in West Virginia
  • Avg 1BR rent in Charleston: $750/mo — within budget (29% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in West Virginia: $28,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $26,070 ($1,930 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$22.5/hr

Working at $15/hr in West Virginia

West Virginia has the lowest cost of living of any state in the Appalachian region. Charleston 1BR rents average $700–$900/month. The declining income tax rates and very low COL mean this wage provides real financial stability in West Virginia.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 60 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Charleston (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's within the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.7x West Virginia's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in West Virginia is 16.4% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.0%, FICA 7.7%, and West Virginia state tax 3.8%.

West Virginia's economy has been challenged by the decline of coal. Healthcare, state government, and natural gas are the primary current industries. The state is actively pursuing economic development, including a growing remote worker incentive program ('Ascend WV').

West Virginia has a graduated income tax with rates from 2.36% to 5.12% (2026, recently simplified and reduced). The state has been on an aggressive tax reduction path.

West Virginia's minimum wage is $8.75/hr (2026).

Monthly Budget on $15/hr in West Virginia

Based on $2,173/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for West Virginia's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $750 $9,000 34.5%
Food (groceries + dining) $261 $3,132 12.0%
Transportation $217 $2,604 10.0%
Utilities $130 $1,560 6.0%
Healthcare $109 $1,308 5.0%
Entertainment $109 $1,308 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $217 $2,604 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $380 $4,560 17.5%

Overtime Pay — $15/hr in West Virginia

At time-and-a-half ($22.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in West Virginia. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~17.9%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $113 $92 $4,600
10 hrs/week $225 $185 $9,250
20 hrs/week $450 $369 $18,450

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 $12.53 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 9.6 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 53.3 hrs 63.8 hrs
1 month rent (Charleston) $750 50 hrs 59.9 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 666.7 hrs 797.9 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3200 hrs 3829.7 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

15 an hour -- is it a good wage in West Virginia?

15/hr in West Virginia gives you $26,070/year after taxes -- enough to get by in West Virginia, though budget carefully. Avg 1BR rent in Charleston: $750/month (within the 30% rule).

What is 15 an hour after taxes in West Virginia?

15/hr in West Virginia = $26,070/year or $2,173/month net. Effective rate: 16.4%.

How does 15/hr go further -- West Virginia or Texas?

15/hr in West Virginia has similar purchasing power to ~22.5/hr in Texas.

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

On $2,173/month in West Virginia: rent $750, food $261, transport $217, savings $217, surplus ~$380.

How much does overtime add at 15/hr in West Virginia?

At 1.5x (22.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,600/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,250/year.