2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Delaware

$21 an Hour in Delaware — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $21/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $43,680. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Delaware state income tax, your take-home pay is $17.03/hr. In Delaware's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Delaware.

Gross Annual
$43,680
Net Annual
$35,420
Net Monthly
$2,952
Net Hourly
$17.03

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $21.00 $3.97 $17.03
Daily (8 hrs) $168.00 $31.77 $136.23
Weekly (40 hrs) $840.00 $158.86 $681.14
Biweekly $1,680.00 $317.71 $1,362.29
Monthly $3,640.00 $688.37 $2,951.63
Annual $43,680 $8,260 $35,420

Full Tax Breakdown — Delaware, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $21/hr × 2,080 hrs $43,680
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $27,580
Federal Income Tax 7.0% −$3,061.60
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,708.16
Medicare (1.45%) −$633.36
Delaware Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$3,250
Delaware State Income Tax 4.3% −$1,857.37
Total Tax 18.9% effective −$8,260.49
Net Take-Home $35,420

How Does Delaware Compare?

See how $21/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $921.58 $3,030/mo $36,355 Florida None $3,106/mo $37,277 New York $1,657.13 $2,968/mo $35,620 Texas None $3,106/mo $37,277 Washington None $3,106/mo $37,277
Open Full Calculator for Delaware — $21/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$21/hr = $43,680/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$43,680 salary in Delaware — full breakdown $43,680 after tax in Delaware $43,680 salary to hourly Delaware paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Delaware

$18/hr in Delaware$19/hr in Delaware$20/hr in Delaware$22/hr in Delaware$23/hr in Delaware$24/hr in Delaware

Same Rate, Other States

$21/hr in Alabama$21/hr in Alaska$21/hr in Arizona$21/hr in Arkansas$21/hr in California$21/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Delaware

✗ Difficult — $21/hr falls short in Delaware
  • Avg 1BR rent in Wilmington: $1,250/mo — over the 30% rule (34% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Delaware: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $35,420 ($6,580 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$21/hr

Working at $21/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 ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 74 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Wilmington (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.4x Delaware's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Delaware is 18.9% -- federal income tax accounts for 7.0%, FICA 7.6%, and Delaware state tax 4.3%.

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 $21/hr in Delaware

Based on $2,952/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 42.3%
Food (groceries + dining) $354 $4,248 12.0%
Transportation $295 $3,540 10.0%
Utilities $177 $2,124 6.0%
Healthcare $148 $1,776 5.0%
Entertainment $148 $1,776 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $295 $3,540 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $285 $3,420 9.7%

Overtime Pay — $21/hr in Delaware

At time-and-a-half ($31.50/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 $158 $128 $6,400
10 hrs/week $315 $255 $12,750
20 hrs/week $630 $510 $25,500

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $21/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $17.03 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 2.4 hrs 3 hrs
Week of groceries $120 5.8 hrs 7.1 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 38.1 hrs 47 hrs
1 month rent (Wilmington) $1,250 59.6 hrs 73.5 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 476.2 hrs 587.3 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 2285.8 hrs 2818.8 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

21/hr in Delaware gives you $35,420/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 21 an hour after taxes in Delaware?

21/hr in Delaware = $35,420/year or $2,952/month net. Effective rate: 18.9%.

How does 21/hr go further -- Delaware or Texas?

21/hr in Delaware has similar purchasing power to ~21/hr in Texas.

What does 21/hr look like as a monthly budget in Delaware?

On $2,952/month in Delaware: rent $1,250, food $354, transport $295, savings $295, surplus ~$285.

How much does overtime add at 21/hr in Delaware?

At 1.5x (31.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$6,400/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$12,750/year.