Delaware · 2026 take-home pay

$16 an hour after taxes in Delaware

At $16 an hour in Delaware you keep about $13.28 of every hour — $531 a week, $2,301 a month or $27,617 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 $16 an hour goes

$16 an hour full time in Delaware, single filer, 2026
A yearA weekAn hour
Gross pay$33,280$640$16.00
Federal income tax−$1,814−$35−$0.87
Social Security (6.2%)−$2,063−$40−$0.99
Medicare (1.45%+)−$483−$9−$0.23
Delaware income tax−$1,170−$23−$0.56
Delaware Paid Leave (employee share)−$133−$3−$0.06
Take-home pay$27,617$531$13.28

Effective tax rate 17% · federal bracket 12% · Delaware bracket 5.55%.

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)$640.00$531.10
Every two weeks (26)$1,280.00$1,062.20
Twice a month (24)$1,386.67$1,150.72
Monthly (12)$2,773.33$2,301.43

Change hours, overtime and deductions

$16 an hour at different hours

Take-home in Delaware for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $16 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.

$16 an hour in Delaware: weekly hours and take-home, 2026
ScheduleGross a weekTake-home a weekTake-home a year
20 hours a week*$320$287$14,933
30 hours a week$480$410$21,345
40 hours a week$640$531$27,617
40 hours + 5 overtime$760$620$32,260
40 hours + 10 overtime$880$710$36,902

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

Is $16 an hour good pay in Delaware?

  • Minimum wage: $16 an hour is 1.1 times Delaware's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.
  • Among Delaware workers: It's about the 14th percentile of hourly pay in Delaware (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 14 in 100 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 $27,617 a year buys about what $27,670 would at national-average prices.
  • Rent: the 30% rule points to about $832 a month. Check it with your debts.
  • A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,151 a month for needs, $690 for wants and $460 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.

Jobs in Delaware that pay about $16 an hour

Occupations whose median wage in Delaware is within 4% of $16 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Cashiers

Median $16.10 an hour in Delaware · 11,450 jobs

How Delaware compares on $16 an hour

Delaware ranks 46th of 51 for take-home pay on $16 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.

Take-home on $16 an hour, 40 hours a week, single filer, 2026
StateAfter tax, per hourA yearMinimum wagevs Delaware
Delaware$13.28$27,617$15.00—
Maryland$13.32$27,706$15.00+$89 a year
New Jersey$13.53$28,144$15.92+$527 a year
Pennsylvania$13.40$27,875$7.25+$258 a year

How the federal tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out

Taxable income is $33,280 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $17,180. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:

2026 federal income tax by bracket, single filer
RateIncome in this bracketTax
10%$12,400$1,240
12%$4,780$574
Total$17,180$1,814

How the Delaware income tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out

Taxable income is $33,280 of Delaware wages minus $3,250 standard deduction = $30,030.

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%$5,000$260
5.55%$5,030$279
Personal credits—−$110
Total$30,030$1,170

Common questions

How much is $16 an hour after taxes in Delaware?

About $13.28 for every hour you work, or $27,617 a year at 40 hours a week ($33,280 gross). Taxes take about 17% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.

How much is $16 an hour a week after taxes in Delaware?

About $531 a week at 40 hours, from $640 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,062.

How much is $16 an hour a month after taxes in Delaware?

About $2,301 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,773 gross.

Is $16 an hour good pay in Delaware?

$16 an hour is 1.1 times Delaware's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 14th percentile of hourly pay in Delaware (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 14 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Delaware is $25.09. After taxes and local prices, $27,617 a year buys about what $27,670 would at national-average prices.

Is Delaware a high-tax state for $16 an hour?

It ranks 46th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $16 an hour. The most you'd keep is $28,920 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $26,771 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.