2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Virginia

$17 an Hour in Virginia — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $17/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $35,360. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Virginia state income tax, your take-home pay is $14.08/hr. In Virginia's high cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Virginia.

Gross Annual
$35,360
Net Annual
$29,276
Net Monthly
$2,440
Net Hourly
$14.08

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $17.00 $2.92 $14.08
Daily (8 hrs) $136.00 $23.40 $112.60
Weekly (40 hrs) $680.00 $117.00 $563.00
Biweekly $1,360.00 $234.00 $1,126.00
Monthly $2,946.67 $506.99 $2,439.67
Annual $35,360 $6,084 $29,276

Full Tax Breakdown — Virginia, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $17/hr × 2,080 hrs $35,360
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $19,260
Federal Income Tax 5.8% −$2,063.20
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,192.32
Medicare (1.45%) −$512.72
Virginia Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$8,000
Virginia State Income Tax 3.7% −$1,315.70
Total Tax 17.2% effective −$6,083.94
Net Take-Home $29,276

How Does Virginia Compare?

See how $17/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $588.78 $2,500/mo $30,003 Florida None $2,549/mo $30,592 New York $1,173.65 $2,452/mo $29,418 Texas None $2,549/mo $30,592 Washington None $2,549/mo $30,592
Open Full Calculator for Virginia — $17/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$17/hr = $35,360/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$35,360 salary in Virginia — full breakdown $35,360 after tax in Virginia $35,360 salary to hourly Virginia paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Virginia

$14/hr in Virginia$15/hr in Virginia$16/hr in Virginia$18/hr in Virginia$19/hr in Virginia$20/hr in Virginia

Same Rate, Other States

$17/hr in Alabama$17/hr in Alaska$17/hr in Arizona$17/hr in Arkansas$17/hr in California$17/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Virginia

✗ Difficult — $17/hr falls short in Virginia
  • Avg 1BR rent in Richmond: $1,500/mo — over the 30% rule (51% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Virginia: $50,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $29,276 ($20,724 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$14.3/hr

Working at $17/hr in Virginia

This is a solid income in Virginia, especially outside Northern Virginia. The progressive tax tops out at 5.75% — moderate compared to neighboring Maryland's state + county burden. Richmond's growing financial sector and Hampton Roads' military economy create stable mid-wage employment.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 107 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Richmond (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.3x Virginia's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Virginia is 17.2% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.8%, FICA 7.6%, and Virginia state tax 3.7%.

Virginia's economy is heavily influenced by the federal government — Northern Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria) hosts the Pentagon, CIA, NSA, and thousands of defense contractors. Amazon HQ2 in Arlington has accelerated tech growth. Outside NoVA, Richmond has a growing finance and healthcare sector; Hampton Roads has a major military and defense presence.

Virginia has a progressive income tax with rates from 2% to 5.75%. The standard deduction is $8,000 for single filers. NoVA workers benefit from Virginia's rates while working near DC's salaries — a significant advantage over Maryland residents who also pay county income taxes.

Virginia's minimum wage is $13.50/hr (2026).

Monthly Budget on $17/hr in Virginia

Based on $2,440/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Virginia's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,500 $18,000 61.5%
Food (groceries + dining) $293 $3,516 12.0%
Transportation $244 $2,928 10.0%
Utilities $146 $1,752 6.0%
Healthcare $122 $1,464 5.0%
Entertainment $122 $1,464 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $244 $2,928 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-231 $-2,772 -9.5%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Virginia at $17/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $17/hr in Virginia

At time-and-a-half ($25.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Virginia. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~19.2%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $128 $103 $5,150
10 hrs/week $255 $206 $10,300
20 hrs/week $510 $412 $20,600

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $17/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $14.08 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3 hrs 3.6 hrs
Week of groceries $120 7.1 hrs 8.6 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 47 hrs 56.8 hrs
1 month rent (Richmond) $1,500 88.3 hrs 106.6 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 588.3 hrs 710.5 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 2823.6 hrs 3410.3 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

17 an hour -- is it a good wage in Virginia?

17/hr in Virginia gives you $29,276/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Virginia. Avg 1BR rent in Richmond: $1,500/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 17 an hour after taxes in Virginia?

17/hr in Virginia = $29,276/year or $2,440/month net. Effective rate: 17.2%.

How does 17/hr go further -- Virginia or Texas?

17/hr in Virginia has similar purchasing power to ~14.3/hr in Texas.

What does 17/hr look like as a monthly budget in Virginia?

On $2,440/month in Virginia: rent $1,500, food $293, transport $244, savings $244, surplus ~$0.

How much does overtime add at 17/hr in Virginia?

At 1.5x (25.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$5,150/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$10,300/year.