$15 an hour is $31,200 a year if you work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. That works out to $600 a week, $1,200 every two weeks and $2,600 a month before taxes. After 2026 federal taxes, Social Security and Medicare, a single filer keeps about $27,249 a year in a state with no income tax.
So when you ask "$15 an hour is how much a year," the honest answer depends on your hours, whether time off is paid, and where you live. This guide walks through each. For your exact schedule, plug your hours into the hourly paycheck calculator.
$15 an hour is how much a year: the basic formula
To turn an hourly wage into a yearly figure, multiply three numbers:
Hourly rate x hours per week x weeks per year = annual gross pay
At full time: $15 x 40 x 52 = $31,200. The 52 weeks assume you're paid for every week of the year, including holidays and vacation. If you take two unpaid weeks off, you'd be paid for 50 weeks, or $30,000. Our guide to calculating annual salary from an hourly wage covers more variations.
$15 an hour by pay period
| Period | Gross pay (40 hrs/week) |
|---|---|
| Per day (8 hours) | $120 |
| Per week | $600 |
| Every two weeks | $1,200 |
| Twice a month | $1,300 |
| Per month | $2,600 |
| Per year | $31,200 |
A common mistake is multiplying weekly pay by 4 to get a monthly figure. That gives $2,400, but most months are a little longer than four weeks. Dividing the annual amount by 12 gives the true monthly average of $2,600.
Part-time hours at $15 an hour
Many $15-an-hour jobs are part time or have hours that change week to week. Here's how annual pay and estimated take-home look at different weekly hours for a single filer in Nevada, which has no state income tax:
| Hours per week | Gross per year | Taxes per year | Take-home per year | Take-home per week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | $15,600 | $1,193 | $14,407 | $277.05 |
| 25 | $19,500 | $1,832 | $17,668 | $339.77 |
| 30 | $23,400 | $2,520 | $20,880 | $401.53 |
| 35 | $27,300 | $3,208 | $24,092 | $463.30 |
| 40 | $31,200 | $3,951 | $27,249 | $524.02 |
At 20 hours a week, annual pay of $15,600 is below the $16,100 standard deduction for single filers, so no federal income tax is withheld. You still pay Social Security and Medicare (7.65% combined) on every dollar. As hours rise, a growing slice of pay becomes taxable at 10% and then 12%. See how part-time paychecks are calculated for more.
$15 an hour after taxes in different states
Here's a full-time single worker paid every two weeks in six states. Federal taxes are the same in each: $60.15 of federal income tax and $91.80 of Social Security and Medicare per paycheck.
| State | State tax per paycheck | Net per paycheck | Take-home per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $0.00 | $1,048.05 | $27,249 |
| North Dakota | $0.00 | $1,048.05 | $27,249 |
| New Mexico | $14.99 | $1,033.06 | $26,860 |
| Mississippi | $19.85 | $1,028.20 | $26,733 |
| Virginia | $37.69 | $1,010.36 | $26,269 |
| Maine | $39.15 | $1,008.90 | $26,231 |
North Dakota does tax wages, but it taxes nothing until taxable income passes $48,475 for single filers, so a $31,200 income owes no North Dakota tax. Mississippi exempts the first $10,000 of taxable income and gives a $6,000 personal exemption, which keeps its bill low. Virginia and Maine tax lower incomes more heavily: Virginia's 5.75% top rate starts at $17,000 of taxable income, and Maine's lowest rate is 5.8%. Maine employees also contribute to the state's Paid Family and Medical Leave program, which isn't included above. Browse every state in our state calculator directory.
Worked example: two different $15-an-hour workers
A part-time student in Maine
Take a single filer in Maine working 20 hours a week, paid biweekly. Gross pay is $600 per paycheck. No federal income tax is withheld because yearly pay ($15,600) is under the standard deduction. Social Security and Medicare take $45.90, Maine takes $4.35, and take-home is $549.75 per paycheck, about $14,294 a year.
A full-time parent in Mississippi
Now a head of household filer working 40 hours a week in Mississippi. The larger $24,150 standard deduction means only $7,050 of the $31,200 is federally taxable, all at 10%. Federal withholding is $27.12 per paycheck instead of $60.15 for a single filer, and take-home rises to $1,061.23 every two weeks, about $27,592 a year. Tax credits for children are claimed on the tax return and can change the final picture; the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator can help you adjust your W-4 if you expect them.
Overtime and raises at $15 an hour
If you're non-exempt, hours over 40 in a workweek must be paid at least 1.5 times your regular rate under federal law. At $15, that's $22.50 per overtime hour. Five overtime hours a week would add $112.50 of gross pay to that week.
Every $1 raise on a full-time schedule adds $2,080 a year before taxes. To see how a pay bump changes your actual paycheck, read how much of a raise you'll actually keep.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is $15 an hour a month after taxes?
For a full-time single filer in a no-tax state, about $2,271 a month ($27,249 divided by 12). In the taxing states above, it's roughly $2,186 to $2,240.
Is $15 an hour $30,000 a year?
Close. Full time with paid time off, it's $31,200. It comes to $30,000 only if you work 2,000 paid hours, such as 50 weeks at 40 hours.
Do I pay federal income tax on $15 an hour?
At full time, yes, a small amount: about $1,564 a year for a single filer. At about 20 hours a week or fewer, annual pay can fall under the standard deduction and no federal income tax is withheld.
Is $15 an hour the minimum wage?
Minimum wages are set by federal, state and sometimes local law and vary widely. Check your state labor department for the rate that applies to you.
Sources
- IRS: Tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026
- IRS Tax Withholding Estimator
- U.S. Department of Labor: Fair Labor Standards Act
- Tax Foundation: State Individual Income Tax Rates for 2026
Run the numbers for your state
Written and checked against IRS, Social Security Administration and state tax agency publications for the 2026 tax year. General information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Read our editorial policy, calculation methodology and sources.