Fast Food and Counter Workers
Median $14.48 an hour in Virginia · 104,460 jobs
Virginia · 2026 take-home pay
$15 an hour after taxes in Virginia
At $15 an hour in Virginia you keep about $12.63 of every hour — $505 a week, $2,189 a month or $26,269 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Virginia income tax. Virginia has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $12.77 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 |
| Virginia income tax | −$980 | −$19 | −$0.47 |
| Take-home pay | $26,269 | $505 | $12.63 |
Effective tax rate 15.8% · federal bracket 12% · Virginia bracket 5.75%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $600.00 | $505.18 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,200.00 | $1,010.36 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,300.00 | $1,094.55 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,600.00 | $2,189.11 |
$15 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Virginia 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 | $274 | $14,241 |
| 30 hours a week | $450 | $391 | $20,324 |
| 40 hours a week | $600 | $505 | $26,269 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $713 | $589 | $30,633 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $825 | $673 | $34,998 |
*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 Virginia?
- Minimum wage: $15 an hour is 1.2 times Virginia's minimum wage of $12.77 an hour.
- Among Virginia workers: It's about the 11th percentile of hourly pay in Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 11 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $26.78 an hour.
- Local prices: Virginia's price level is 101.1% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $26,269 a year buys about what $25,982 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 $1,095 a month for needs, $657 for wants and $438 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Virginia that pay about $15 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Virginia is within 4% of $15 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Cashiers
Median $14.70 an hour in Virginia · 83,890 jobs
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median $14.57 an hour in Virginia · 70,070 jobs
Cooks, Fast Food
Median $14.40 an hour in Virginia · 12,520 jobs
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Median $15.58 an hour in Virginia · 11,910 jobs
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Median $14.66 an hour in Virginia · 10,890 jobs
How Virginia compares on $15 an hour
Virginia ranks 42nd 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 Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $12.63 | $26,269 | $12.77 | — |
| Washington, D.C. | $12.76 | $26,543 | $18.40 | +$274 a year |
| Kentucky | $12.63 | $26,275 | $7.25 | +$6 a year |
| Maryland | $12.56 | $26,133 | $15.00 | −$136 a year |
| North Carolina | $12.75 | $26,513 | $7.25 | +$244 a year |
| Tennessee | $13.10 | $27,249 | $7.25 | +$980 a year |
| West Virginia | $12.73 | $26,484 | $8.75 | +$215 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 Virginia income tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $31,200 of Virginia wages minus $8,750 standard deduction minus $930 in exemptions = $21,520.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $3,000 | $60 |
| 3% | $2,000 | $60 |
| 5% | $12,000 | $600 |
| 5.75% | $4,520 | $260 |
| Total | $21,520 | $980 |
Common questions
How much is $15 an hour after taxes in Virginia?
About $12.63 for every hour you work, or $26,269 a year at 40 hours a week ($31,200 gross). Taxes take about 15.8% 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 Virginia?
About $505 a week at 40 hours, from $600 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,010.
How much is $15 an hour a month after taxes in Virginia?
About $2,189 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,600 gross.
Is $15 an hour good pay in Virginia?
$15 an hour is 1.2 times Virginia's minimum wage of $12.77 an hour. It's about the 11th percentile of hourly pay in Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 11 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Virginia is $26.78. After taxes and local prices, $26,269 a year buys about what $25,982 would at national-average prices.
Is Virginia a high-tax state for $15 an hour?
It ranks 42nd 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 Virginia
- $12 an hour in Virginia
- $13 an hour in Virginia
- $14 an hour in Virginia
- $16 an hour in Virginia
- $17 an hour in Virginia
- $18 an hour in Virginia
- $19 an hour in Virginia
$15 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in Virginia · $35,000 a year in Virginia · Virginia paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Virginia's income tax rules (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.