2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Vermont

$16 an Hour in Vermont — 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 Vermont state income tax, your take-home pay is $13.47/hr. In Vermont's high cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Vermont.

Gross Annual
$33,280
Net Annual
$28,023
Net Monthly
$2,335
Net Hourly
$13.47

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $16.00 $2.53 $13.47
Daily (8 hrs) $128.00 $20.22 $107.78
Weekly (40 hrs) $640.00 $101.09 $538.91
Biweekly $1,280.00 $202.18 $1,077.82
Monthly $2,773.33 $438.05 $2,335.28
Annual $33,280 $5,257 $28,023

Full Tax Breakdown — Vermont, 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
Vermont Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$6,500
Vermont State Income Tax 2.7% −$897.13
Total Tax 15.8% effective −$5,256.65
Net Take-Home $28,023

How Does Vermont 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 Vermont — $16/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

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

Adjacent Rates in Vermont

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

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 Vermont

✗ Difficult — $16/hr falls short in Vermont
  • Avg 1BR rent in Burlington: $1,400/mo — over the 30% rule (50% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Vermont: $48,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $28,023 ($19,977 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$14/hr

Working at $16/hr in Vermont

This is a workable income in Vermont, though Burlington's competitive rental market is a pressure point. The 6.6% bracket starting around $41k is a notable feature. Vermont's outdoor recreation, low crime, and quality public services add non-monetary value.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 104 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Burlington (${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 15.8% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.4%, FICA 7.6%, 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 $16/hr in Vermont

Based on $2,335/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 60.0%
Food (groceries + dining) $280 $3,360 12.0%
Transportation $234 $2,808 10.0%
Utilities $140 $1,680 6.0%
Healthcare $117 $1,404 5.0%
Entertainment $117 $1,404 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $234 $2,808 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-187 $-2,244 -8.0%

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

Overtime Pay — $16/hr in Vermont

At time-and-a-half ($24.00/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 $120 $100 $5,000
10 hrs/week $240 $200 $10,000
20 hrs/week $480 $399 $19,950

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 $13.47 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 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 50 hrs 59.4 hrs
1 month rent (Burlington) $1,400 87.5 hrs 104 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 625 hrs 742.3 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3000 hrs 3562.8 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

16/hr in Vermont gives you $28,023/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 16 an hour after taxes in Vermont?

16/hr in Vermont = $28,023/year or $2,335/month net. Effective rate: 15.8%.

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

16/hr in Vermont has similar purchasing power to ~14/hr in Texas.

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

On $2,335/month in Vermont: rent $1,400, food $280, transport $234, savings $234, surplus ~$0.

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

At 1.5x (24.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$5,000/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$10,000/year.