Delaware · 2026 take-home pay

$12 an hour after taxes in Delaware

At $12 an hour in Delaware you keep about $10.26 of every hour — $410 a week, $1,779 a month or $21,345 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Delaware income tax and state payroll programs. Delaware has a graduated income tax plus Delaware Paid Leave, and its minimum wage is $15.00 an hour.

By Work & Money Editorial Team · Last reviewed October 14, 2026

Where $12 an hour goes

$12 an hour full time in Delaware, single filer, 2026
A yearA weekAn hour
Gross pay$24,960$480$12.00
Federal income tax−$886−$17−$0.43
Social Security (6.2%)−$1,548−$30−$0.74
Medicare (1.45%+)−$362−$7−$0.17
Delaware income tax−$720−$14−$0.35
Delaware Paid Leave (employee share)−$100−$2−$0.05
Take-home pay$21,345$410$10.26

Effective tax rate 14.5% · federal bracket 10% · Delaware bracket 5.2%.

Delaware Paid Leave (employee share): 0.4% of wages.

Take-home per paycheck

40 hours a week, different pay schedules
PaidGrossTake-home
Weekly (52 paychecks)$480.00$410.48
Every two weeks (26)$960.00$820.95
Twice a month (24)$1,040.00$889.37
Monthly (12)$2,080.00$1,778.73

Change hours, overtime and deductions

$12 an hour at different hours

Take-home in Delaware for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $12 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.

$12 an hour in Delaware: weekly hours and take-home, 2026
ScheduleGross a weekTake-home a weekTake-home a year
20 hours a week*$240$218$11,354
30 hours a week$360$318$16,537
40 hours a week$480$410$21,345
40 hours + 5 overtime$570$479$24,909
40 hours + 10 overtime$660$546$28,391

*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.

Is $12 an hour good pay in Delaware?

  • Minimum wage: $12 an hour is below Delaware's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour, so most employers there can't pay it.
  • Among Delaware workers: It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in Delaware (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median is $25.09 an hour.
  • Local prices: Delaware's price level is 99.8% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $21,345 a year buys about what $21,386 would at national-average prices.
  • Rent: the 30% rule points to about $624 a month. Check it with your debts.
  • A 50/30/20 budget: about $889 a month for needs, $534 for wants and $356 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.

How Delaware compares on $12 an hour

Delaware ranks 46th of 51 for take-home pay on $12 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.

Take-home on $12 an hour, 40 hours a week, single filer, 2026
StateAfter tax, per hourA yearMinimum wagevs Delaware
Delaware$10.26$21,345$15.00—
Maryland$10.26$21,345$15.00Same
New Jersey$10.39$21,604$15.92+$259 a year
Pennsylvania$10.28$21,381$7.25+$36 a year

How the federal tax on $24,960 ($12 an hour) is worked out

Taxable income is $24,960 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $8,860. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:

2026 federal income tax by bracket, single filer
RateIncome in this bracketTax
10%$8,860$886
Total$8,860$886

How the Delaware income tax on $24,960 ($12 an hour) is worked out

Taxable income is $24,960 of Delaware wages minus $3,250 standard deduction = $21,710.

Delaware income tax by bracket, single filer, 2026 rules
RateIncome in this bracketTax
0%$2,000$0
2.2%$3,000$66
3.9%$5,000$195
4.8%$10,000$480
5.2%$1,710$89
Personal credits—−$110
Total$21,710$720

Common questions

How much is $12 an hour after taxes in Delaware?

About $10.26 for every hour you work, or $21,345 a year at 40 hours a week ($24,960 gross). Taxes take about 14.5% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.

How much is $12 an hour a week after taxes in Delaware?

About $410 a week at 40 hours, from $480 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $821.

How much is $12 an hour a month after taxes in Delaware?

About $1,779 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,080 gross.

Is $12 an hour good pay in Delaware?

$12 an hour is below Delaware's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour, so most employers there can't pay it. It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in Delaware (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Delaware is $25.09. After taxes and local prices, $21,345 a year buys about what $21,386 would at national-average prices.

Is Delaware a high-tax state for $12 an hour?

It ranks 46th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $12 an hour. The most you'd keep is $22,165 a year, in 9 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $20,720 in Oregon.

Sources and method

Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Delaware's income tax rules and Delaware's employee payroll programs (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.

  1. Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  3. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  4. Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.