Cooks, Restaurant
Median $14.51 an hour in Arkansas · 11,270 jobs
Arkansas · 2026 take-home pay
$15 an hour after taxes in Arkansas
At $15 an hour in Arkansas you keep about $12.78 of every hour — $511 a week, $2,215 a month or $26,582 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Arkansas income tax. Arkansas has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $11.00 an hour.
Where $15 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $31,200 | $600 | $15.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,564 | −$30 | −$0.75 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$1,934 | −$37 | −$0.93 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$452 | −$9 | −$0.22 |
| Arkansas income tax | −$667 | −$13 | −$0.32 |
| Take-home pay | $26,582 | $511 | $12.78 |
Effective tax rate 14.8% · federal bracket 12% · Arkansas bracket 3.7%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $600.00 | $511.20 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,200.00 | $1,022.40 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,300.00 | $1,107.60 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,600.00 | $2,215.20 |
$15 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Arkansas for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $15 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* | $300 | $274 | $14,266 |
| 30 hours a week | $450 | $394 | $20,485 |
| 40 hours a week | $600 | $511 | $26,582 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $713 | $597 | $31,066 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $825 | $684 | $35,550 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $15 an hour good pay in Arkansas?
- Minimum wage: $15 an hour is 1.4 times Arkansas's minimum wage of $11.00 an hour. Employers with 4 or more employees.
- Among Arkansas workers: It's about the 23rd percentile of hourly pay in Arkansas (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 23 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $20.98 an hour.
- Local prices: Arkansas's price level is 86.9% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $26,582 a year buys about what $30,577 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $780 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,108 a month for needs, $665 for wants and $443 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Arkansas that pay about $15 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Arkansas is within 4% of $15 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Median $14.54 an hour in Arkansas · 6,530 jobs
Bakers
Median $14.61 an hour in Arkansas · 2,400 jobs
Animal Caretakers
Median $14.54 an hour in Arkansas · 2,040 jobs
Self-Enrichment Teachers
Median $14.81 an hour in Arkansas · 900 jobs
Tutors
Median $14.82 an hour in Arkansas · 720 jobs
How Arkansas compares on $15 an hour
Arkansas ranks 26th of 51 for take-home pay on $15 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | $12.78 | $26,582 | $11.00 | — |
| Louisiana | $12.84 | $26,699 | $7.25 | +$117 a year |
| Missouri | $12.85 | $26,720 | $15.00 | +$138 a year |
| Mississippi | $12.85 | $26,733 | $7.25 | +$151 a year |
| Oklahoma | $12.69 | $26,391 | $7.25 | −$191 a year |
| Tennessee | $13.10 | $27,249 | $7.25 | +$667 a year |
| Texas | $13.10 | $27,249 | $7.25 | +$667 a year |
How the federal tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $31,200 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $15,100. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $2,700 | $324 |
| Total | $15,100 | $1,564 |
How the Arkansas income tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $31,200 of Arkansas wages minus $2,470 standard deduction = $28,730.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $5,600 | $0 |
| 2% | $5,600 | $112 |
| 3% | $4,800 | $144 |
| 3.4% | $10,400 | $354 |
| 3.7% | $2,330 | $86 |
| Personal credits | — | −$29 |
| Total | $28,730 | $667 |
Common questions
How much is $15 an hour after taxes in Arkansas?
About $12.78 for every hour you work, or $26,582 a year at 40 hours a week ($31,200 gross). Taxes take about 14.8% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $15 an hour a week after taxes in Arkansas?
About $511 a week at 40 hours, from $600 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,022.
How much is $15 an hour a month after taxes in Arkansas?
About $2,215 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,600 gross.
Is $15 an hour good pay in Arkansas?
$15 an hour is 1.4 times Arkansas's minimum wage of $11.00 an hour. It's about the 23rd percentile of hourly pay in Arkansas (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 23 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Arkansas is $20.98. After taxes and local prices, $26,582 a year buys about what $30,577 would at national-average prices.
Is Arkansas a high-tax state for $15 an hour?
It ranks 26th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $15 an hour. The most you'd keep is $27,249 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $25,274 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Arkansas
- $12 an hour in Arkansas
- $13 an hour in Arkansas
- $14 an hour in Arkansas
- $16 an hour in Arkansas
- $17 an hour in Arkansas
- $18 an hour in Arkansas
- $19 an hour in Arkansas
$15 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in Arkansas · $35,000 a year in Arkansas · Arkansas paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Arkansas's income tax rules (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.