2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Delaware

$18 an Hour in Delaware — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $18/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $37,440. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Delaware state income tax, your take-home pay is $14.78/hr. In Delaware's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Delaware.

Gross Annual
$37,440
Net Annual
$30,752
Net Monthly
$2,563
Net Hourly
$14.78

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $18.00 $3.22 $14.78
Daily (8 hrs) $144.00 $25.72 $118.28
Weekly (40 hrs) $720.00 $128.62 $591.38
Biweekly $1,440.00 $257.23 $1,182.77
Monthly $3,120.00 $557.33 $2,562.67
Annual $37,440 $6,688 $30,752

Full Tax Breakdown — Delaware, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $18/hr × 2,080 hrs $37,440
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $21,340
Federal Income Tax 6.2% −$2,312.80
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,321.28
Medicare (1.45%) −$542.88
Delaware Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$3,250
Delaware State Income Tax 4.0% −$1,511.05
Total Tax 17.9% effective −$6,688.01
Net Take-Home $30,752

How Does Delaware Compare?

See how $18/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $671.98 $2,633/mo $31,591 Florida None $2,689/mo $32,263 New York $1,292.09 $2,581/mo $30,971 Texas None $2,689/mo $32,263 Washington None $2,689/mo $32,263
Open Full Calculator for Delaware — $18/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$18/hr = $37,440/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$37,440 salary in Delaware — full breakdown $37,440 after tax in Delaware $37,440 salary to hourly Delaware paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Delaware

$15/hr in Delaware$16/hr in Delaware$17/hr in Delaware$19/hr in Delaware$20/hr in Delaware$21/hr in Delaware

Same Rate, Other States

$18/hr in Alabama$18/hr in Alaska$18/hr in Arizona$18/hr in Arkansas$18/hr in California$18/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Delaware

✗ Difficult — $18/hr falls short in Delaware
  • Avg 1BR rent in Wilmington: $1,250/mo — over the 30% rule (40% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Delaware: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $30,752 ($11,248 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$18/hr

Working at $18/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 ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 85 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Wilmington (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.2x Delaware's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Delaware is 17.9% -- federal income tax accounts for 6.2%, FICA 7.7%, and Delaware state tax 4.0%.

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 $18/hr in Delaware

Based on $2,563/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 48.8%
Food (groceries + dining) $308 $3,696 12.0%
Transportation $256 $3,072 10.0%
Utilities $154 $1,848 6.0%
Healthcare $128 $1,536 5.0%
Entertainment $128 $1,536 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $256 $3,072 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $83 $996 3.2%

Overtime Pay — $18/hr in Delaware

At time-and-a-half ($27.00/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 $135 $109 $5,450
10 hrs/week $270 $219 $10,950
20 hrs/week $540 $437 $21,850

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $18/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $14.78 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 2.8 hrs 3.4 hrs
Week of groceries $120 6.7 hrs 8.2 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 44.4 hrs 54.1 hrs
1 month rent (Wilmington) $1,250 69.5 hrs 84.6 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 555.6 hrs 676.4 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 2666.7 hrs 3246.7 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

18/hr in Delaware gives you $30,752/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 18 an hour after taxes in Delaware?

18/hr in Delaware = $30,752/year or $2,563/month net. Effective rate: 17.9%.

How does 18/hr go further -- Delaware or Texas?

18/hr in Delaware has similar purchasing power to ~18/hr in Texas.

What does 18/hr look like as a monthly budget in Delaware?

On $2,563/month in Delaware: rent $1,250, food $308, transport $256, savings $256, surplus ~$83.

How much does overtime add at 18/hr in Delaware?

At 1.5x (27.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$5,450/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$10,950/year.