$15 an hour by hours worked
Your yearly pay depends as much on your hours as on your rate. Compare schedules from 20 to 50 hours a week.
| Hours per week | Per week | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 h | $300.00 | $1,300.00 | $15,600 |
| 25 h | $375.00 | $1,625.00 | $19,500 |
| 30 h | $450.00 | $1,950.00 | $23,400 |
| 35 h | $525.00 | $2,275.00 | $27,300 |
| 37.5 h | $562.50 | $2,437.50 | $29,250 |
| 40 h | $600.00 | $2,600.00 | $31,200 |
| 45 h | $675.00 | $2,925.00 | $35,100 |
| 50 h | $750.00 | $3,250.00 | $39,000 |
What $15 an hour is worth
- $15.00 an hour is 2.1 times the federal minimum wage and above the minimum wage in 32 of 51 states.
- Overtime at time-and-a-half is worth $22.50 per hour. Just two extra hours a week would add $2,340 over a year.
- Each additional dollar per hour is worth $2,080 a year for a full-time schedule.
- At this wage, refundable credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit can boost your income at tax time, especially if you have children.
$15 an hour after tax by pay period (Texas)
Most US employers pay bi-weekly (26 paychecks a year) or semi-monthly (24 paychecks). This table shows every common schedule.
| Pay period | Gross pay | Taxes | Take-home pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly | $31,200 | $3,951 | $27,249 |
| Monthly | $2,600.00 | $329.23 | $2,270.77 |
| Semi-monthly | $1,300.00 | $164.62 | $1,135.38 |
| Bi-weekly | $1,200.00 | $151.95 | $1,048.05 |
| Weekly | $600.00 | $75.98 | $524.02 |
| Daily | $120.00 | $15.20 | $104.80 |
| Hourly | $15.00 | $1.90 | $13.10 |
$15 an hour after taxes in the largest states
Where you live changes what $15 an hour is really worth. Yearly take-home pay in the 12 most populous states:
Where your taxes go
- Take-home pay$27,24987.3%
- Federal income tax$1,5645.0%
- Social Security$1,9346.2%
- Medicare$4521.5%
- Federal income tax ($1,564). Charged on $15,100 of taxable income after the standard deduction, with a top rate of 12% on your last dollar.
- Social Security ($1,934). 6.2% of wages up to $184,500. It funds retirement and disability benefits.
- Medicare ($452). 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% on wages above $200,000 for single filers.
- State income tax ($0). Texas does not tax wages.
What if you take unpaid time off?
Hourly workers are only paid for the hours they work. Unpaid weeks off reduce your yearly income:
| Schedule | Yearly pay before tax |
|---|---|
| No paid time off (52 weeks) | $31,200 |
| 2 weeks unpaid | $30,000 |
| 4 weeks unpaid | $28,800 |
Frequently asked questions
$15 an hour is how much a year?
$15 an hour is $31,200 a year before taxes, based on 40 hours a week and 52 weeks (2,080 hours).
$15 an hour is how much a month?
About $2,600.00 per month before taxes.
$15 an hour is how much every two weeks?
$1,200.00 per bi-weekly paycheck before taxes.
How much is $15 an hour after taxes?
It depends on your state. A single filer keeps about $27,249 a year in Texas (no state income tax) and $26,598 in California.
Is $15 an hour a good wage?
$15 is 2.1 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25 and higher than the minimum wage in 32 of 51 states. Full time, it adds up to $31,200 a year.
Figures use 2026 IRS federal brackets, the standard deduction, Social Security and Medicare rates, and each state's income tax rules for a W-2 employee. Read our methodology. Last updated September 25, 2026. Estimates for information only, not tax advice.