$15 an Hour Is How Much a Year?

How $15 an hour compares

$15 an hour is 39% below the median hourly wage for all US workers, $24.51 in May 2025: less than what the typical worker earns. Source

Roughly 10% of US workers earn less than $15 an hour (BLS national wage percentiles: 10% earn under $15.00, 25% under $18.07, half under $24.51, 75% under $38.71 and 90% under $61.81). Source

It is 2.1 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Source

Below the minimum wage in 12 places. $15 an hour is less than the statewide minimum in District of Columbia ($18.40), Washington ($17.13), Connecticut ($16.94), California ($16.90), Hawaii ($16.00), New York ($16.00), Rhode Island ($16.00), New Jersey ($15.92), Oregon ($15.55), Colorado ($15.16), Arizona ($15.15), Maine ($15.10). An employer there must pay at least the state rate.

Scheduled increases will also pass it: Nebraska ($15.26 from Jan 1, 2027).

Some cities and counties set higher local minimums, for example Maryland: higher in Howard and Montgomery counties; Minnesota: higher in Minneapolis and St. Paul; New Mexico: higher in some cities and counties.

Jobs that pay about $15 an hour

These are the most common US jobs whose typical (median) pay is within $1.00 of $15 an hour, from Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates covering about 155.5 million US jobs (May 2025). Half the people in each job earn more than its median and half earn less, and pay varies a lot by state and experience. Source

Take-home pay at $15 an hour in all 50 states (2026)

Pick your state at the top of the page and its row is highlighted below.

Take-home pay on $31,200 a year ($1,200 every two weeks) after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and each state's income tax and payroll programs. Single filer, 2026 Form W-4 with no adjustments, no 401(k) or health deductions, rules in force on Oct 26, 2026. Local taxes (such as New York City or Ohio cities) are not included; District of Columbia income tax is not modeled yet.

Taxes at $15 an hour

Tax bracket. As a single filer, $31,200 minus the $16,100 standard deduction leaves $15,100 of taxable income, so your top federal rate is 12%. Each extra dollar of pay, such as overtime or a raise, is taxed at about 19.65%: 12% income tax plus 7.65% Social Security and Medicare, before any state tax. Source

401(k). Putting 5% of your pay ($1,560 a year) into a traditional 401(k) lowers your federal income tax by about $187, so it costs only about $1,373 of take-home pay. At this pay, every 401(k) dollar costs about 88 cents (more saved in states with an income tax).

No tax on overtime. At $15 an hour, overtime pays $22.50; the extra half ($7.50 an hour) can be deducted on your 2026 return, up to $12,500 a year for a single filer. That covers about 1,667 overtime hours, roughly 32 a week all year. Estimate yours. Source

Earned Income Tax Credit. On $31,200 of earned income, the 2026 credit could be about:

An estimate from the IRS 2026 credit amounts and phaseouts; the IRS uses its own tables and rules (investment income under $12,200, valid Social Security numbers, children who meet the tests). It is paid when you file, even if no tax was withheld. Source

Rent on $15 an hour

HUD counts a household as cost-burdened when rent or a mortgage plus utilities takes more than 30% of monthly income, and severely burdened above 50%. Source On $2,600 a month before taxes, 30% is $780 a month for rent and utilities; 50% is $1,300. Two earners at $15 an hour ($62,400 together) stay under 30% up to $1,560 a month.

What to know at $15 an hour

At $15 an hour you are paid near the bottom of the US wage range, so small things add up. Check your state's minimum wage in the table above, and make sure every hour over 40 in a week is paid at time and a half ($22.50). Hourly workers are owed that overtime under federal law unless the job is exempt, which jobs at this pay rarely are.

Tax credits matter more than tax brackets here. If you have children, the Earned Income Tax Credit and the $2,200-per-child tax credit can add thousands at tax time; you can get part of the child credit in each paycheck by claiming it in Step 3 of your Form W-4. Pre-tax health insurance through work lowers Social Security and Medicare too, not just income tax.

$15 an hour questions

Other hourly wages

All hourly wages · $16 an hour

Want a different number of hours or weeks? Use the Salary to Hourly Calculator. For a full paycheck with your W-4 and deductions, use the Hourly Paycheck Calculator. Figures checked Oct 26, 2026.