Waiters and Waitresses
Median $17.73 an hour in Delaware · 7,580 jobs
Delaware · 2026 take-home pay
$18 an hour after taxes in Delaware
At $18 an hour in Delaware you keep about $14.77 of every hour — $591 a week, $2,559 a month or $30,712 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 $18 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $37,440 | $720 | $18.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,313 | −$44 | −$1.11 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,321 | −$45 | −$1.12 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$543 | −$10 | −$0.26 |
| Delaware income tax | −$1,401 | −$27 | −$0.67 |
| Delaware Paid Leave (employee share) | −$150 | −$3 | −$0.07 |
| Take-home pay | $30,712 | $591 | $14.77 |
Effective tax rate 18% · 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) | $720.00 | $590.62 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,440.00 | $1,181.24 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,560.00 | $1,279.68 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,120.00 | $2,559.35 |
$18 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Delaware for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $18 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* | $360 | $318 | $16,537 |
| 30 hours a week | $540 | $457 | $23,739 |
| 40 hours a week | $720 | $591 | $30,712 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $855 | $691 | $35,935 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $990 | $791 | $41,158 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $18 an hour good pay in Delaware?
- Minimum wage: $18 an hour is 1.2 times Delaware's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.
- Among Delaware workers: It's about the 25th percentile of hourly pay in Delaware (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 25 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 $30,712 a year buys about what $30,771 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $936 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,280 a month for needs, $768 for wants and $512 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Delaware that pay about $18 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Delaware is within 4% of $18 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Stockers and Order Fillers
Median $17.99 an hour in Delaware · 7,080 jobs
Cooks, Restaurant
Median $18.19 an hour in Delaware · 5,280 jobs
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Median $17.94 an hour in Delaware · 5,220 jobs
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
Median $17.96 an hour in Delaware · 4,130 jobs
Security Guards
Median $17.48 an hour in Delaware · 3,430 jobs
How Delaware compares on $18 an hour
Delaware ranks 47th of 51 for take-home pay on $18 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 | $14.77 | $30,712 | $15.00 | — |
| Maryland | $14.83 | $30,851 | $15.00 | +$139 a year |
| New Jersey | $15.07 | $31,354 | $15.92 | +$642 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $14.95 | $31,087 | $7.25 | +$375 a year |
How the federal tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $37,440 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $21,340. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $8,940 | $1,073 |
| Total | $21,340 | $2,313 |
How the Delaware income tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $37,440 of Delaware wages minus $3,250 standard deduction = $34,190.
| 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% | $9,190 | $510 |
| Personal credits | — | −$110 |
| Total | $34,190 | $1,401 |
Common questions
How much is $18 an hour after taxes in Delaware?
About $14.77 for every hour you work, or $30,712 a year at 40 hours a week ($37,440 gross). Taxes take about 18% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $18 an hour a week after taxes in Delaware?
About $591 a week at 40 hours, from $720 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,181.
How much is $18 an hour a month after taxes in Delaware?
About $2,559 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,120 gross.
Is $18 an hour good pay in Delaware?
$18 an hour is 1.2 times Delaware's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 25th percentile of hourly pay in Delaware (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 25 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Delaware is $25.09. After taxes and local prices, $30,712 a year buys about what $30,771 would at national-average prices.
Is Delaware a high-tax state for $18 an hour?
It ranks 47th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $18 an hour. The most you'd keep is $32,263 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $29,764 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Delaware
- $14 an hour in Delaware
- $15 an hour in Delaware
- $16 an hour in Delaware
- $17 an hour in Delaware
- $19 an hour in Delaware
- $20 an hour in Delaware
- $21 an hour in Delaware
- $22 an hour in Delaware
$18 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.