Retail Salespersons
Median $17.00 an hour in Delaware · 13,400 jobs
Delaware · 2026 take-home pay
$17 an hour after taxes in Delaware
At $17 an hour in Delaware you keep about $14.02 of every hour — $561 a week, $2,430 a month or $29,165 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 $17 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $35,360 | $680 | $17.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,063 | −$40 | −$0.99 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,192 | −$42 | −$1.05 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$513 | −$10 | −$0.25 |
| Delaware income tax | −$1,286 | −$25 | −$0.62 |
| Delaware Paid Leave (employee share) | −$141 | −$3 | −$0.07 |
| Take-home pay | $29,165 | $561 | $14.02 |
Effective tax rate 17.5% · 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) | $680.00 | $560.86 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,360.00 | $1,121.72 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,473.33 | $1,215.20 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,946.67 | $2,430.39 |
$17 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Delaware for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $17 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* | $340 | $303 | $15,735 |
| 30 hours a week | $510 | $434 | $22,542 |
| 40 hours a week | $680 | $561 | $29,165 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $808 | $656 | $34,097 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $935 | $751 | $39,030 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $17 an hour good pay in Delaware?
- Minimum wage: $17 an hour is 1.1 times Delaware's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.
- Among Delaware workers: It's about the 20th percentile of hourly pay in Delaware (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 20 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 $29,165 a year buys about what $29,221 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $884 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,215 a month for needs, $729 for wants and $486 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Delaware that pay about $17 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Delaware is within 4% of $17 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median $16.50 an hour in Delaware · 11,820 jobs
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $16.98 an hour in Delaware · 9,220 jobs
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
Median $17.07 an hour in Delaware · 5,430 jobs
Security Guards
Median $17.48 an hour in Delaware · 3,430 jobs
Receptionists and Information Clerks
Median $17.46 an hour in Delaware · 2,880 jobs
How Delaware compares on $17 an hour
Delaware ranks 47th of 51 for take-home pay on $17 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 | $14.02 | $29,165 | $15.00 | — |
| Maryland | $14.08 | $29,278 | $15.00 | +$113 a year |
| New Jersey | $14.31 | $29,762 | $15.92 | +$597 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $14.17 | $29,481 | $7.25 | +$316 a year |
How the federal tax on $35,360 ($17 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $35,360 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $19,260. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $6,860 | $823 |
| Total | $19,260 | $2,063 |
How the Delaware income tax on $35,360 ($17 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $35,360 of Delaware wages minus $3,250 standard deduction = $32,110.
| 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% | $7,110 | $395 |
| Personal credits | — | −$110 |
| Total | $32,110 | $1,286 |
Common questions
How much is $17 an hour after taxes in Delaware?
About $14.02 for every hour you work, or $29,165 a year at 40 hours a week ($35,360 gross). Taxes take about 17.5% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $17 an hour a week after taxes in Delaware?
About $561 a week at 40 hours, from $680 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,122.
How much is $17 an hour a month after taxes in Delaware?
About $2,430 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,947 gross.
Is $17 an hour good pay in Delaware?
$17 an hour is 1.1 times Delaware's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 20th percentile of hourly pay in Delaware (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 20 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Delaware is $25.09. After taxes and local prices, $29,165 a year buys about what $29,221 would at national-average prices.
Is Delaware a high-tax state for $17 an hour?
It ranks 47th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $17 an hour. The most you'd keep is $30,592 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $28,267 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Delaware
- $13 an hour in Delaware
- $14 an hour in Delaware
- $15 an hour in Delaware
- $16 an hour in Delaware
- $18 an hour in Delaware
- $19 an hour in Delaware
- $20 an hour in Delaware
- $21 an hour in Delaware
$17 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in Delaware · $40,000 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.