$15 an Hour Is How Much a Year?
At 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, $15 an hour is $31,200 a year before tax and roughly $27,249 after federal income tax and FICA in a state with no income tax. That is $2,271 a month.
Tax year 2026 · Updated 2026-08-29 · Based on 2,080 paid hours a year
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$15 an hour in every time frame
| Period | Gross | Take-home (no state tax) | Take-home (California) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per hour | $15.00 | $13.10 | $12.79 |
| Per day (8 hours) | $120.00 | $104.80 | $102.36 |
| Per week (40 hours) | $600.00 | $524.02 | $511.78 |
| Bi-weekly (80 hours) | $1,200.00 | $1,048.05 | $1,023.57 |
| Per month | $2,600.00 | $2,270.77 | $2,217.73 |
| Per year | $31,200 | $27,249 | $26,613 |
What changes the annual figure
The 2,080-hour convention assumes you are paid for every one of 52 weeks. Very few hourly jobs work like that. Unpaid time off, seasonal shutdowns, a school-year contract or a part-time schedule all reduce it, while regular overtime raises it.
| Schedule | Paid hours | Gross a year | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full time, 40 h × 52 weeks | 2080 h | $31,200 | $27,249 |
| Full time with 2 weeks unpaid | 2000 h | $30,000 | $26,285 |
| 35 hours a week | 1820 h | $27,300 | $24,092 |
| 30 hours a week | 1560 h | $23,400 | $20,880 |
| 20 hours a week | 1040 h | $15,600 | $14,407 |
| Full time plus 5 h overtime a week | 2340 h | $35,100 | $30,383 |
That last row is worth noting: five overtime hours a week at time and a half adds $5,850 of gross pay a year, and $1,950 of it counts as qualified overtime premium for the federal deduction created for 2025 through 2028. The tips and overtime calculator works out what that is worth.
Is $15 an hour a living wage?
At $31,200 a year gross this is below the US median individual income, and after tax it leaves roughly $2,271 a month. In most metropolitan areas that is tight against typical rent, which is why the gap between the federal minimum of $7.25 and the state minimums — several now above $16 — matters so much. The minimum wage calculator shows the rate where you work.
Comparing it with a salary offer
An hourly rate and a salary at the same nominal figure are not equivalent. The salaried worker is usually paid for holidays and sick days; the hourly worker is not. The salaried worker rarely gets overtime; the hourly worker does. The hourly to salary calculator converts between the two, and the salary paycheck calculator shows the after-tax figure for the salary side.
Frequently asked questions
How much is $15 an hour a year?
$31,200 a year gross at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, or about $27,249 after federal tax and FICA in a state with no income tax.
How much is $15 an hour a month?
$2,600.00 of gross pay a month, or roughly $2,271 after tax.
How much is $15 an hour bi-weekly?
$1,200.00 of gross pay for 80 hours, or about $1,048.05 after tax.
How much is $15 an hour after taxes?
About $13.10 an hour after federal tax and FICA in a state with no income tax, and around $12.79 an hour in California.