Fast Food and Counter Workers
Median $15.05 an hour in Delaware · 13,310 jobs
Delaware · 2026 take-home pay
$15 an hour after taxes in Delaware
At $15 an hour in Delaware you keep about $12.53 of every hour — $501 a week, $2,172 a month or $26,070 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.
Where $15 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $31,200 | $600 | $15.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,564 | −$30 | −$0.75 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$1,934 | −$37 | −$0.93 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$452 | −$9 | −$0.22 |
| Delaware income tax | −$1,055 | −$20 | −$0.51 |
| Delaware Paid Leave (employee share) | −$125 | −$2 | −$0.06 |
| Take-home pay | $26,070 | $501 | $12.53 |
Effective tax rate 16.4% · federal bracket 12% · Delaware bracket 5.55%.
Delaware Paid Leave (employee share): 0.4% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $600.00 | $501.34 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,200.00 | $1,002.68 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,300.00 | $1,086.24 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,600.00 | $2,172.47 |
$15 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Delaware for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $15 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $300 | $271 | $14,080 |
| 30 hours a week | $450 | $387 | $20,148 |
| 40 hours a week | $600 | $501 | $26,070 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $713 | $585 | $30,422 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $825 | $669 | $34,774 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $15 an hour good pay in Delaware?
- Minimum wage: $15 an hour is Delaware's minimum wage.
- 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 $26,070 a year buys about what $26,120 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $780 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,086 a month for needs, $652 for wants and $434 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Delaware that pay about $15 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Delaware is within 4% of $15 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Median $15.00 an hour in Delaware · 1,680 jobs
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Median $15.33 an hour in Delaware · 1,540 jobs
Amusement and Recreation Attendants
Median $15.00 an hour in Delaware · 1,360 jobs
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
Median $15.11 an hour in Delaware · 1,010 jobs
Cooks, Fast Food
Median $15.31 an hour in Delaware · 850 jobs
How Delaware compares on $15 an hour
Delaware ranks 46th of 51 for take-home pay on $15 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Delaware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $12.53 | $26,070 | $15.00 | — |
| Maryland | $12.56 | $26,133 | $15.00 | +$63 a year |
| New Jersey | $12.75 | $26,527 | $15.92 | +$457 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $12.63 | $26,270 | $7.25 | +$200 a year |
How the federal tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $31,200 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $15,100. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $2,700 | $324 |
| Total | $15,100 | $1,564 |
How the Delaware income tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $31,200 of Delaware wages minus $3,250 standard deduction = $27,950.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $2,000 | $0 |
| 2.2% | $3,000 | $66 |
| 3.9% | $5,000 | $195 |
| 4.8% | $10,000 | $480 |
| 5.2% | $5,000 | $260 |
| 5.55% | $2,950 | $164 |
| Personal credits | — | −$110 |
| Total | $27,950 | $1,055 |
Common questions
How much is $15 an hour after taxes in Delaware?
About $12.53 for every hour you work, or $26,070 a year at 40 hours a week ($31,200 gross). Taxes take about 16.4% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $15 an hour a week after taxes in Delaware?
About $501 a week at 40 hours, from $600 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,003.
How much is $15 an hour a month after taxes in Delaware?
About $2,172 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,600 gross.
Is $15 an hour good pay in Delaware?
$15 an hour is Delaware's minimum wage. 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, $26,070 a year buys about what $26,120 would at national-average prices.
Is Delaware a high-tax state for $15 an hour?
It ranks 46th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $15 an hour. The most you'd keep is $27,249 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $25,274 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Delaware
- $12 an hour in Delaware
- $13 an hour in Delaware
- $14 an hour in Delaware
- $16 an hour in Delaware
- $17 an hour in Delaware
- $18 an hour in Delaware
- $19 an hour in Delaware
$15 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in Delaware · $35,000 a year in Delaware · Delaware paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
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.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.