Quick answer: $15 an hour comes out to $31,200 per year if you work 40 hours a week for 52 weeks. With two weeks of unpaid time off, it drops to $30,000. Subtract taxes and the real take-home is closer to $25,000–$27,000 depending on your state. Here's the full breakdown.
| Hours worked | Weekly gross | Monthly gross | Annual gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 hrs/week, 52 weeks | $600 | $2,600 | $31,200 |
| 40 hrs/week, 50 weeks (2 wk PTO) | $600 | $2,500 | $30,000 |
| 35 hrs/week, 50 weeks | $525 | $2,188 | $26,250 |
| 30 hrs/week, 50 weeks (part-time) | $450 | $1,875 | $22,500 |
| 20 hrs/week, 50 weeks (half-time) | $300 | $1,250 | $15,000 |
Federal income tax on $31,200/year is roughly $2,200 after the standard deduction. FICA (Social Security + Medicare) takes another $2,387 (7.65%). State income tax varies — anywhere from $0 (no-tax states) to about $1,500 in higher-tax states.
| State | State tax (approx) | Estimated take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Texas / Florida / Washington (no income tax) | $0 | ~$26,600 |
| Nevada / Tennessee / Wyoming | $0 | ~$26,600 |
| Pennsylvania (flat 3.07%) | ~$960 | ~$25,650 |
| Illinois (flat 4.95%) | ~$1,540 | ~$25,070 |
| California (progressive, low for this income) | ~$400 | ~$26,200 |
| New York | ~$1,200 | ~$25,400 |
Approximate single filer, standard deduction, no other withholdings. For exact figures, use a paycheck calculator that handles your specific state, filing status, and benefits.
Depends on where you live. In Texas, Mississippi, or rural areas with rent under $900/month, $15/hour is workable for a single person. In coastal California, Manhattan, or Seattle where studio apartments start at $2,000/month, it's not viable without roommates, subsidies, or a second income.
The MIT Living Wage Calculator currently estimates a single adult with no kids needs $17.50–$23/hour in most US metros. So $15/hour is below "living wage" almost everywhere but still above the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour, unchanged since 2009).
Total: $1,650–$2,400/month — which is roughly the take-home from $15/hour after taxes.
If you regularly work overtime at $15/hour, each OT hour pays $22.50 (1.5× rate). Working 50 hours per week year-round:
Use the Hours Calculator to model your specific weekly pattern with overtime, or the Salary Calculator to compare $15/hour to higher rates.
As of 2026, $15/hour is at or near minimum wage in several states and many cities — California (statewide $16+), Washington ($16.28), Connecticut ($15.69), New York ($16+ in NYC), and Massachusetts ($15.00). In these jurisdictions, $15/hour is essentially the floor, not a target rate.
The federal minimum has been $7.25/hour since July 2009 — over 16 years without change. Adjusted for inflation, $7.25 in 2009 dollars is roughly $10.50 in 2026 dollars, meaning the real value of the federal minimum has dropped by about 30% over that period.
| If your salary is... | Hourly equivalent (40 hr/wk) | vs. $15/hr |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000/year | $14.42/hr | Slightly less |
| $31,200/year | $15.00/hr | Exact match |
| $35,000/year | $16.83/hr | 12% more |
| $40,000/year | $19.23/hr | 28% more |
| $50,000/year | $24.04/hr | 60% more |
$15/hour is $31,200/year before taxes and roughly $26,000 after taxes for a full-time worker. It's above federal minimum but below "living wage" in most US metros. With overtime, it can reach into the low $40Ks gross. To plan around it, run scenarios in our Salary Calculator and model overtime in the Hours Calculator.
Published May 2026. Spot an error? Email contactus@calculatehours.net.