2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Delaware

$16 an Hour in Delaware — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $16/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $33,280. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Delaware state income tax, your take-home pay is $13.29/hr. In Delaware's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Delaware.

Gross Annual
$33,280
Net Annual
$27,640
Net Monthly
$2,303
Net Hourly
$13.29

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $16.00 $2.71 $13.29
Daily (8 hrs) $128.00 $21.69 $106.31
Weekly (40 hrs) $640.00 $108.46 $531.54
Biweekly $1,280.00 $216.91 $1,063.09
Monthly $2,773.33 $469.97 $2,303.36
Annual $33,280 $5,640 $27,640

Full Tax Breakdown — Delaware, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $16/hr × 2,080 hrs $33,280
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $17,180
Federal Income Tax 5.4% −$1,813.60
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,063.36
Medicare (1.45%) −$482.56
Delaware Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$3,250
Delaware State Income Tax 3.8% −$1,280.17
Total Tax 16.9% effective −$5,639.69
Net Take-Home $27,640

How Does Delaware Compare?

See how $16/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $505.58 $2,368/mo $28,415 Florida None $2,410/mo $28,920 New York $1,064.45 $2,321/mo $27,856 Texas None $2,410/mo $28,920 Washington None $2,410/mo $28,920
Open Full Calculator for Delaware — $16/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$16/hr = $33,280/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$33,280 salary in Delaware — full breakdown $33,280 after tax in Delaware $33,280 salary to hourly Delaware paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Delaware

$13/hr in Delaware$14/hr in Delaware$15/hr in Delaware$17/hr in Delaware$18/hr in Delaware$19/hr in Delaware

Same Rate, Other States

$16/hr in Alabama$16/hr in Alaska$16/hr in Arizona$16/hr in Arkansas$16/hr in California$16/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Delaware

✗ Difficult — $16/hr falls short in Delaware
  • Avg 1BR rent in Wilmington: $1,250/mo — over the 30% rule (45% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Delaware: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $27,640 ($14,360 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$16/hr

Working at $16/hr in Delaware

Delaware's combination of no sales tax, moderate income tax (2.2–6.6%), and proximity to Philadelphia and DC job markets makes this a competitive wage. Wilmington's cost of living is meaningfully lower than the major Northeast metros.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 95 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Wilmington (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.1x Delaware's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Delaware is 16.9% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.4%, FICA 7.6%, and Delaware state tax 3.8%.

Delaware punches above its weight economically due to its business-friendly incorporation laws — most Fortune 500 companies are incorporated here. Finance, legal services, and pharmaceuticals (AstraZeneca HQ) are the main employers.

Delaware has no sales tax, which is a meaningful benefit for consumer spending. State income tax runs 2.2%–6.6%. No local income taxes.

Delaware's minimum wage is $15.00/hr (2026).

Monthly Budget on $16/hr in Delaware

Based on $2,303/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Delaware's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,250 $15,000 54.3%
Food (groceries + dining) $276 $3,312 12.0%
Transportation $230 $2,760 10.0%
Utilities $138 $1,656 6.0%
Healthcare $115 $1,380 5.0%
Entertainment $115 $1,380 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $230 $2,760 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-51 $-612 -2.2%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Delaware at $16/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $16/hr in Delaware

At time-and-a-half ($24.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Delaware. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~19.0%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $120 $97 $4,850
10 hrs/week $240 $194 $9,700
20 hrs/week $480 $389 $19,450

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $16/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $13.29 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3.2 hrs 3.8 hrs
Week of groceries $120 7.5 hrs 9.1 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 50 hrs 60.2 hrs
1 month rent (Wilmington) $1,250 78.2 hrs 94.1 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 625 hrs 752.6 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3000 hrs 3612.2 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

16 an hour -- is it a good wage in Delaware?

16/hr in Delaware gives you $27,640/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Delaware. Avg 1BR rent in Wilmington: $1,250/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 16 an hour after taxes in Delaware?

16/hr in Delaware = $27,640/year or $2,303/month net. Effective rate: 16.9%.

How does 16/hr go further -- Delaware or Texas?

16/hr in Delaware has similar purchasing power to ~16/hr in Texas.

What does 16/hr look like as a monthly budget in Delaware?

On $2,303/month in Delaware: rent $1,250, food $276, transport $230, savings $230, surplus ~$0.

How much does overtime add at 16/hr in Delaware?

At 1.5x (24.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,850/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,700/year.