Office Clerks, General
Median $20.55 an hour in Delaware · 7,230 jobs
Delaware · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Delaware
At $21 an hour in Delaware you keep about $17.00 of every hour — $680 a week, $2,946 a month or $35,355 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 $21 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $43,680 | $840 | $21.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$3,062 | −$59 | −$1.47 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,708 | −$52 | −$1.30 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$633 | −$12 | −$0.30 |
| Delaware income tax | −$1,747 | −$34 | −$0.84 |
| Delaware Paid Leave (employee share) | −$175 | −$3 | −$0.08 |
| Take-home pay | $35,355 | $680 | $17.00 |
Effective tax rate 19.1% · 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) | $840.00 | $679.90 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,359.80 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,473.12 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $2,946.23 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Delaware for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $21 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* | $420 | $364 | $18,945 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $524 | $27,230 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $680 | $35,355 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $797 | $41,448 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $914 | $47,542 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Delaware?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 1.4 times Delaware's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.
- Among Delaware workers: It's about the 36th percentile of hourly pay in Delaware (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 36 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 $35,355 a year buys about what $35,423 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,092 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,473 a month for needs, $884 for wants and $589 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Delaware that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Delaware is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Nursing Assistants
Median $20.21 an hour in Delaware · 5,530 jobs
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Median $21.39 an hour in Delaware · 4,510 jobs
Light Truck Drivers
Median $21.15 an hour in Delaware · 4,200 jobs
Medical Assistants
Median $21.39 an hour in Delaware · 2,880 jobs
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Median $21.19 an hour in Delaware · 2,680 jobs
How Delaware compares on $21 an hour
Delaware ranks 47th of 51 for take-home pay on $21 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 | $17.00 | $35,355 | $15.00 | — |
| Maryland | $17.10 | $35,568 | $15.00 | +$213 a year |
| New Jersey | $17.33 | $36,042 | $15.92 | +$687 a year |
| Pennsylvania | $17.26 | $35,905 | $7.25 | +$550 a year |
How the federal tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $27,580. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $15,180 | $1,822 |
| Total | $27,580 | $3,062 |
How the Delaware income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of Delaware wages minus $3,250 standard deduction = $40,430.
| 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% | $15,430 | $856 |
| Personal credits | — | −$110 |
| Total | $40,430 | $1,747 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Delaware?
About $17.00 for every hour you work, or $35,355 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 19.1% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $21 an hour a week after taxes in Delaware?
About $680 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,360.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Delaware?
About $2,946 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Delaware?
$21 an hour is 1.4 times Delaware's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 36th percentile of hourly pay in Delaware (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 36 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Delaware is $25.09. After taxes and local prices, $35,355 a year buys about what $35,423 would at national-average prices.
Is Delaware a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 47th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $21 an hour. The most you'd keep is $37,277 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $34,254 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Delaware
- $17 an hour in Delaware
- $18 an hour in Delaware
- $19 an hour in Delaware
- $20 an hour in Delaware
- $22 an hour in Delaware
- $23 an hour in Delaware
- $24 an hour in Delaware
- $25 an hour in Delaware
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Delaware · $45,000 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.