$15 an hour is $31,200 a year before taxes, at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks (2,080 hours). That is $2,600 a month, $1,200 every two weeks, $600 a week and $120 for an 8-hour day. After 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, a single filer in a state with no income tax takes home about $27,249 a year ($2,271 a month).
- Yearly at 40 hours a week: $31,200; with two unpaid weeks off (2,000 hours): $30,000.
- Take-home after federal tax and FICA: $27,249 a year, an all-in tax rate of 12.7%.
- Your top federal bracket is 12%; the next dollar you earn keeps 80.4% after tax.
- Each $1 an hour of raise is worth $2,080 a year before tax.
- $15 is 2.1× the federal minimum wage of $7.25.
Full-time work at $15 an hour pays $31,200 a year. That is $2,600 a month and $1,200 every two weeks before tax. Federal income tax of $1,564 plus payroll taxes bring you to $27,249 a year, or $13.10 an hour. Fifteen dollars is a familiar benchmark in pay debates.
How to convert $15 an hour to a yearly salary
Multiply the hourly rate by the hours you are paid in a year. A full-time year is 40 hours × 52 weeks = 2,080 hours, so $15 × 2,080 = $31,200. A quick mental shortcut: double the hourly rate and add three zeros ($15 → about $30,000); it is 4% low because it assumes 2,000 hours.
$15 an hour by pay period
The table shows gross pay and the estimated take-home for each pay period at 40 hours a week.
| Period | Gross pay | Take-home (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Hour | $15.00 | $13.10 |
| Day (8 hours) | $120 | $104.80 |
| Week (40 hours) | $600 | $524.02 |
| Two weeks (80 hours) | $1,200 | $1,048 |
| Half month (twice a month) | $1,300 | $1,135 |
| Month | $2,600 | $2,271 |
| Year | $31,200 | $27,249 |
$15 an hour at different hours per week
Full time is not always 40 hours. Here is the yearly pay at $15 an hour for common schedules; above 40 hours, the last column applies time-and-a-half overtime, which the Fair Labor Standards Act requires for non-exempt employees.
| Hours a week | Weekly pay | Yearly pay | Yearly with overtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 hours | $150 | $7,800 | — |
| 15 hours | $225 | $11,700 | — |
| 20 hours | $300 | $15,600 | — |
| 25 hours | $375 | $19,500 | — |
| 30 hours | $450 | $23,400 | — |
| 32 hours | $480 | $24,960 | — |
| 35 hours | $525 | $27,300 | — |
| 37.5 hours | $562.50 | $29,250 | — |
| 40 hours | $600 | $31,200 | — |
| 45 hours | $675 | $35,100 | $37,050 |
| 50 hours | $750 | $39,000 | $42,900 |
| 60 hours | $900 | $46,800 | $54,600 |
Paid weeks: what time off does to the total
If you are paid only for the weeks you work, unpaid holidays and vacation lower the total. Salaried and many hourly jobs pay for holidays, so check your offer letter.
| Paid weeks a year | Yearly pay | Monthly average |
|---|---|---|
| 52 weeks (2,080 hours) | $31,200 | $2,600 |
| 50 weeks (2,000 hours) | $30,000 | $2,500 |
| 48 weeks (1,920 hours) | $28,800 | $2,400 |
| 46 weeks (1,840 hours) | $27,600 | $2,300 |
| 40 weeks (1,600 hours) | $24,000 | $2,000 |
$15 an hour after taxes
On $31,200 a year, a single filer subtracts the $16,100 standard deduction, leaving $15,100 of taxable income. Federal income tax on that is $1,564, Social Security takes $1,934 and Medicare $452.40, so you keep $27,249 — 87.3% of gross. Your top federal bracket is 12%, but your average federal income tax rate is only 5.0%.
- Take-home $27,249 87.3%
- Federal income tax $1,564 5.0%
- Social Security $1,934 6.2%
- Medicare $452.40 1.5%
Employee (W-2) vs self-employed (1099)
A contractor paid $15 an hour pays both halves of Social Security and Medicare as self-employment tax, so the same rate is worth less. To match an employee's take-home, a contractor usually needs a rate 20–30% higher.
| Employee (W-2) | Self-employed (1099) | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $31,200 | $31,200 |
| Federal income tax | $1,564 | $1,299 |
| Social Security + Medicare (FICA) | $2,387 | — |
| Self-employment tax | — | $4,408 |
| Take-home a year | $27,249 | $25,492 |
| Take-home a month | $2,271 | $2,124 |
Single vs married filing jointly
Filing status changes the standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly) and how wide each bracket is, so the same pay keeps more when it is a married couple's only income.
| Filing status | Federal income tax | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $1,564 | $27,249 | $2,271 |
| Married filing jointly (only income) | $0 | $28,813 | $2,401 |
2026 payroll tax rates (quick reference)
| Tax | Rate | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security (employee) | 6.2% | Up to $184,500 of wages |
| Medicare (employee) | 1.45% | All wages |
| Additional Medicare | 0.9% | Wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly) |
| Self-employment tax | 15.3% | On 92.35% of net earnings (12.4% Social Security up to the wage base + 2.9% Medicare) |
| Federal income tax | 10%–37% | 2026 brackets, after the standard deduction |
State income tax
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming do not tax wages. In other states the rate ranges from a few percent to over 10% at high incomes. Rough take-home at a flat state rate (state tax estimated on 93% of gross):
| State tax | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| No state income tax | $27,249 | $2,271 |
| Flat state tax of 3% | $26,379 | $2,198 |
| Flat state tax of 5% | $25,798 | $2,150 |
| Flat state tax of 7% | $25,218 | $2,102 |
Is $15 an hour good pay?
$15 an hour is a common target for entry-level pay, and it is still 39% below the U.S. median of $24.51 an hour for all jobs. It is 2.1x the federal minimum wage. A rent budget of 30% of gross works out to $780 a month.
At this rate you are likely a cashier, line cook, stock associate, call-center agent or aide. If your spouse has no income, married filing jointly would leave you $28,813 a year, or $2,401 a month. Compared with lower wages, $15 gives you more room to save, though a high-cost city can still make it tight.
A monthly budget on $15 an hour
The take-home of $2,271 a month goes into the 50/30/20 table: $1,135 for needs, $681.23 for wants and $454.15 for savings. If your rent plus utilities fit within the needs line, the table is realistic for you. Where they do not, shift a portion of wants until they do, and review the plan every time your rate changes.
| Category | Share | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Needs (rent, food, transport, insurance) | 50% | $1,135 |
| Wants (eating out, travel, hobbies) | 30% | $681.23 |
| Savings and debt payoff | 20% | $454.15 |
How to compare a $15 an hour offer
When two employers both offer $15, look past the number. The better offer is the one with steadier hours, usable time off and a fair share of insurance cost. Use the list below to line them up.
- Ask for the usual weekly hours and the minimum you can expect in a slow month.
- Ask how many paid days you earn and whether sick days are separate from vacation.
- Ask if the role is exempt or non-exempt, since only non-exempt staff earn 1.5 times pay for overtime.
- Ask what a single-person health plan costs each pay period.
- Ask about retirement plan access and any employer match on what you save.
- Make sure the job is employee work; contractor pay at $15 an hour leaves $25,492 a year.
Jobs that pay about $15 an hour
These occupations have a national median wage closest to $15 an hour in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). Half of the workers in each job earn more than the median and half earn less.
| Occupation | Median hourly | Yearly at 2,080 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Cooks, fast food | $14.85 | $30,888 |
| Cashiers | $15.83 | $32,926 |
| Waiters and waitresses | $16.94 | $35,235 |
| Retail salespersons | $17.03 | $35,422 |
| Home health and personal care aides | $17.21 | $35,797 |
In the data, jobs near $15 an hour include Cooks, fast food ($14.85/h) and Cashiers ($15.83/h), which sit right around it. Others, such as Waiters and waitresses ($16.94/h) and Retail salespersons ($17.03/h), pay a little more.
What a raise from $15 an hour is worth
Every extra $1 an hour is $2,080 a year at $15, and a 5% raise is $1,560. A raise changes your base for the rest of your time at the company, because later increases usually apply to the current rate. If you take the first offer, you quietly give that up. Ask what the range is, point to relevant skills, and propose a specific number. When the rate is fixed, ask about a quicker review, shift premiums or paid time off.
Common mistakes when converting $15 an hour
- Treating $2,600 a month as spendable Your gross is $2,600 a month, but only $2,271 reaches you. Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare take the rest, so pick a lease with the lower figure in mind.
- Dividing the yearly pay by 2,000 If you divide $31,200 by 2,000 hours you will get more than $15. The correct full-time count is 2,080 hours, which matches $15 exactly.
- Forgetting Medicare and Social Security Social Security is $1,934 and Medicare is $452.40 across the year. They apply to every dollar you earn, so they belong in any take-home estimate.
- Budgeting with weekly pay times four Four weeks at $600 is $2,400, short of your real monthly gross of $2,600. Months average 4.33 weeks, which is why the yearly total divided by 12 is the safer guide.
- Not planning for unpaid leave Two weeks unpaid brings the year down to $30,000, and four weeks to $28,800 in gross pay. Without paid leave, build that cushion into your savings.
Frequently asked questions
$15 an hour is $13.10 an hour after taxes, or $27,249 a year, based on 40 hours a week and no state income tax. Federal income tax takes $1,564, Social Security $1,934 and Medicare $452.40, leaving a total rate of 12.7%.
$15 an hour comes to $2,600 a month before tax and $2,271 a month after tax on a full-time schedule. State income tax, if there is one where you live, would lower the second figure.
A biweekly check at $15 an hour is $1,200 gross and $1,048 net for 80 hours. Per week it is $600 gross and $524.02 net. Health premiums or other deductions would reduce the deposit.
A full week at $15 an hour pays $600 before tax and $524.02 after tax. Working 20 hours a week pays $300 gross, which is $15,600 across a year.
At 30 hours a week, $15 an hour pays $23,400 a year. At 50 hours, with overtime at 1.5 times after 40, it pays $42,900, and at 45 hours it pays $37,050. Overtime pay is for non-exempt workers.
In many places, one person with modest rent can live on $15 an hour. You take home $2,271 a month, and 30% of gross for rent is $780. A family or an expensive city usually needs more.
The 30% of gross guide sets rent at $780 a month for $15 an hour. That is about a third of your $2,271 take-home, so remember to add utilities and a transport budget.
How we calculated this
Gross pay uses 40 hours a week for 52 weeks (2,080 hours), the standard payroll year. Take-home pay applies the federal income tax brackets and standard deduction for a single filer, Social Security (6.2% up to the wage base) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% above $200,000). It leaves out state and local income tax, pre-tax retirement contributions and health premiums, each of which lowers take-home pay; use the calculator to add a state rate. The self-employed figures add the 15.3% self-employment tax on 92.35% of net earnings and its half deduction, and leave out business expenses and the qualified business income deduction, both of which lower the tax bill.
- Federal income tax brackets and standard deduction for 2026: IRS — source.
- Social Security wage base $184,500 and FICA rates: SSA — source.
- Wages by occupation: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — source.
These are estimates for planning, not tax advice.
