$15 an Hour Is How Much a Year?
$15 an hour is $31,200 a year before taxes, assuming 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. That's $600 a week, or $1,200 every two weeks. After federal taxes it works out to roughly $27,249 a year in your pocket, about $2,271 a month to actually live on.
Wage lookup · 40 hrs/week · 52 weeks/year
$15 an hour =
$31,200 / year
before taxes, working full time.
40 hrs/week × 52 weeks/year · gross pay
| Period | Gross pay |
|---|---|
| Hourly | $15 |
| Daily (8 hrs) | $120 |
| Weekly | $600 |
| Biweekly | $1,200 |
| Monthly | $2,600 |
| Yearly | $31,200 |
After taxes: about $27,249 a year
| Take-home (est.) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Yearly take-home | $27,249 |
| Monthly take-home | $2,271 |
| Biweekly take-home | $1,048 |
| less: Federal income tax (est.) | $1,564 |
| less: FICA: Social Security + Medicare (7.65%) | $2,387 |
Rough estimate for a single filer using 2026 federal figures. Federal taxes only. no state taxes, benefits, or retirement deductions. Not tax advice.
Try it with your numbers
What $15 an hour looks like as a monthly budget
At $2,271 a month of take-home, a solo apartment is out of reach in most cities, this is a roommate-and-transit-pass budget. Every line below is a choice, not a given.
| Line | Per month |
|---|---|
| Rent: your share of a shared apartment | $900 |
| Groceries: cook nearly everything | $320 |
| Transit pass | $110 |
| Phone + share of utilities | $120 |
| Household essentials | $120 |
| Savings: even $200 a month counts | $200 |
| Left for everything else | $501 |
This sketch assumes no car payment and no debt payments, add either and something above has to give. That's the honest math of $15 an hour in 2026. The fastest raise at this level is usually a skills jump, not overtime.
Nearby wages
A dollar or two an hour compounds fast. Here’s what the closest wages work out to per year:
| Wage | Yearly gross | Yearly take-home |
|---|---|---|
| $18 an hour | $37,440 | $32,263 |
| $20 an hour | $41,600 | $35,606 |
Questions about $15 an hour
Is $15 an hour good?
It's more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25, and it matches or beats the minimum wage in many states, but it's still below the U.S. median hourly wage. Whether it feels “good” depends almost entirely on rent: in a low-cost city with roommates it's workable; in a coastal metro on your own, it's brutal.
How much is $15 an hour after taxes?
About $27,249 a year, or $2,271 a month, our rough estimate for a single filer using 2026 federal figures (federal income tax plus 7.65% FICA, no state taxes). Your state can take another bite on top.
How much is $15 an hour biweekly?
$1,200 gross every two weeks, roughly $1,048 after federal taxes.
What jobs pay $15 an hour?
Retail associates, food service, warehouse and fulfillment roles, hotel housekeeping, and entry-level office or admin work commonly land in the $14–$17 range. It's also a typical starting rate for apprenticeships that pay meaningfully more once you're trained.