Cooks, Fast Food
Median $15.49 an hour in New Jersey · 3,440 jobs
New Jersey · 2026 take-home pay
$15 an hour after taxes in New Jersey
At $15 an hour in New Jersey you keep about $12.75 of every hour — $510 a week, $2,211 a month or $26,527 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, New Jersey income tax and state payroll programs. New Jersey has a graduated income tax plus TDI, FLI, UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share and WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share, and its minimum wage is $15.92 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 |
| New Jersey income tax | −$459 | −$9 | −$0.22 |
| TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance) | −$59 | −$1 | −$0.03 |
| FLI (Family Leave Insurance) | −$72 | −$1 | −$0.03 |
| UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share | −$119 | −$2 | −$0.06 |
| WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share | −$13 | −$0 | −$0.01 |
| Take-home pay | $26,527 | $510 | $12.75 |
Effective tax rate 15% · federal bracket 12% · New Jersey bracket 1.75%.
TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance): 0.19% of wages · FLI (Family Leave Insurance): 0.23% of wages · UI (Unemployment Insurance) employee share: 0.38% of wages · WF/SWF (Workforce Development / Supplemental Workforce Fund) employee share: 0.04% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $600.00 | $510.14 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,200.00 | $1,020.27 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,300.00 | $1,105.29 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,600.00 | $2,210.59 |
$15 an hour at different hours
Take-home in New Jersey 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 | $14,070 |
| 30 hours a week | $450 | $392 | $20,360 |
| 40 hours a week | $600 | $510 | $26,527 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $713 | $597 | $31,057 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $825 | $682 | $35,465 |
*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 New Jersey?
- Minimum wage: $15 an hour is below New Jersey's minimum wage of $15.92 an hour, so most employers there can't pay it. $15.23 for employers with fewer than 6 employees and for seasonal work.
- Among New Jersey workers: It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in New Jersey (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median is $28.16 an hour.
- Local prices: New Jersey's price level is 108.8% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $26,527 a year buys about what $24,380 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 $1,105 a month for needs, $663 for wants and $442 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in New Jersey that pay about $15 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in New Jersey is within 4% of $15 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
How New Jersey compares on $15 an hour
New Jersey ranks 29th 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 New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $12.75 | $26,527 | $15.92 | — |
| Delaware | $12.53 | $26,070 | $15.00 | −$457 a year |
| New York | $12.50 | $25,995 | $16.00 | −$532 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $12.63 | $26,270 | $7.25 | −$257 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 New Jersey income tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $31,200 of New Jersey wages minus $1,000 in exemptions = $30,200.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4% | $20,000 | $280 |
| 1.75% | $10,200 | $179 |
| Total | $30,200 | $459 |
Common questions
How much is $15 an hour after taxes in New Jersey?
About $12.75 for every hour you work, or $26,527 a year at 40 hours a week ($31,200 gross). Taxes take about 15% 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 New Jersey?
About $510 a week at 40 hours, from $600 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,020.
How much is $15 an hour a month after taxes in New Jersey?
About $2,211 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,600 gross.
Is $15 an hour good pay in New Jersey?
$15 an hour is below New Jersey's minimum wage of $15.92 an hour, so most employers there can't pay it. It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in New Jersey (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in New Jersey is $28.16. After taxes and local prices, $26,527 a year buys about what $24,380 would at national-average prices.
Is New Jersey a high-tax state for $15 an hour?
It ranks 29th 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 New Jersey
- $12 an hour in New Jersey
- $13 an hour in New Jersey
- $14 an hour in New Jersey
- $16 an hour in New Jersey
- $17 an hour in New Jersey
- $18 an hour in New Jersey
- $19 an hour in New Jersey
$15 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in New Jersey · $35,000 a year in New Jersey · New Jersey paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, New Jersey's income tax rules and New Jersey'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.