West Virginia · 2026 take-home pay

$15 an hour after taxes in West Virginia

At $15 an hour in West Virginia you keep about $12.73 of every hour — $509 a week, $2,207 a month or $26,484 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and West Virginia income tax. West Virginia has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $8.75 an hour.

By Work & Money Editorial Team · Last reviewed October 14, 2026

Where $15 an hour goes

$15 an hour full time in West Virginia, single filer, 2026
A yearA weekAn 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
West Virginia income tax−$765−$15−$0.37
Take-home pay$26,484$509$12.73

Effective tax rate 15.1% · federal bracket 12% · West Virginia bracket 3.16%.

Take-home per paycheck

40 hours a week, different pay schedules
PaidGrossTake-home
Weekly (52 paychecks)$600.00$509.31
Every two weeks (26)$1,200.00$1,018.61
Twice a month (24)$1,300.00$1,103.50
Monthly (12)$2,600.00$2,207.00

Change hours, overtime and deductions

$15 an hour at different hours

Take-home in West Virginia 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.

$15 an hour in West Virginia: weekly hours and take-home, 2026
ScheduleGross a weekTake-home a weekTake-home a year
20 hours a week*$300$271$14,094
30 hours a week$450$391$20,349
40 hours a week$600$509$26,484
40 hours + 5 overtime$713$596$31,000
40 hours + 10 overtime$825$683$35,506

*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 West Virginia?

  • Minimum wage: $15 an hour is 1.7 times West Virginia's minimum wage of $8.75 an hour. Employers with 6 or more employees at one location.
  • Among West Virginia workers: It's about the 24th percentile of hourly pay in West Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 24 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $21.78 an hour.
  • Local prices: West Virginia's price level is 89.5% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $26,484 a year buys about what $29,592 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 $1,103 a month for needs, $662 for wants and $441 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.

Jobs in West Virginia that pay about $15 an hour

Occupations whose median wage in West Virginia is within 4% of $15 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

How West Virginia compares on $15 an hour

West Virginia ranks 32nd of 51 for take-home pay on $15 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.

Take-home on $15 an hour, 40 hours a week, single filer, 2026
StateAfter tax, per hourA yearMinimum wagevs West Virginia
West Virginia$12.73$26,484$8.75—
Kentucky$12.63$26,275$7.25−$209 a year
Maryland$12.56$26,133$15.00−$351 a year
Ohio$12.90$26,842$11.00+$358 a year
Pennsylvania$12.63$26,270$7.25−$214 a year
Virginia$12.63$26,269$12.77−$215 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:

2026 federal income tax by bracket, single filer
RateIncome in this bracketTax
10%$12,400$1,240
12%$2,700$324
Total$15,100$1,564

How the West Virginia income tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out

Taxable income is $31,200 of West Virginia wages minus $2,000 in exemptions = $29,200.

West Virginia income tax by bracket, single filer, 2026 rules
RateIncome in this bracketTax
2.11%$10,000$211
2.81%$15,000$422
3.16%$4,200$133
Total$29,200$765

Common questions

How much is $15 an hour after taxes in West Virginia?

About $12.73 for every hour you work, or $26,484 a year at 40 hours a week ($31,200 gross). Taxes take about 15.1% 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 West Virginia?

About $509 a week at 40 hours, from $600 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,019.

How much is $15 an hour a month after taxes in West Virginia?

About $2,207 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,600 gross.

Is $15 an hour good pay in West Virginia?

$15 an hour is 1.7 times West Virginia's minimum wage of $8.75 an hour. It's about the 24th percentile of hourly pay in West Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 24 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in West Virginia is $21.78. After taxes and local prices, $26,484 a year buys about what $29,592 would at national-average prices.

Is West Virginia a high-tax state for $15 an hour?

It ranks 32nd 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.

Sources and method

Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, West Virginia'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.

  1. Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  3. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  4. Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.