Retail Salespersons
Median $16.46 an hour in Virginia · 100,290 jobs
Virginia · 2026 take-home pay
$16 an hour after taxes in Virginia
At $16 an hour in Virginia you keep about $13.38 of every hour — $535 a week, $2,318 a month or $27,821 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Virginia income tax. Virginia has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $12.77 an hour.
Where $16 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $33,280 | $640 | $16.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,814 | −$35 | −$0.87 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,063 | −$40 | −$0.99 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$483 | −$9 | −$0.23 |
| Virginia income tax | −$1,100 | −$21 | −$0.53 |
| Take-home pay | $27,821 | $535 | $13.38 |
Effective tax rate 16.4% · federal bracket 12% · Virginia bracket 5.75%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $640.00 | $535.02 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,280.00 | $1,070.04 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,386.67 | $1,159.21 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,773.33 | $2,318.42 |
$16 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Virginia for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $16 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* | $320 | $290 | $15,095 |
| 30 hours a week | $480 | $414 | $21,531 |
| 40 hours a week | $640 | $535 | $27,821 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $760 | $625 | $32,476 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $880 | $714 | $37,131 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $16 an hour good pay in Virginia?
- Minimum wage: $16 an hour is 1.3 times Virginia's minimum wage of $12.77 an hour.
- Among Virginia workers: It's about the 16th percentile of hourly pay in Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 16 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $26.78 an hour.
- Local prices: Virginia's price level is 101.1% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $27,821 a year buys about what $27,517 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $832 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,159 a month for needs, $696 for wants and $464 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Virginia that pay about $16 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Virginia is within 4% of $16 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $16.26 an hour in Virginia · 23,120 jobs
Childcare Workers
Median $16.51 an hour in Virginia · 13,930 jobs
Dishwashers
Median $15.93 an hour in Virginia · 12,520 jobs
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Median $15.58 an hour in Virginia · 11,910 jobs
Animal Caretakers
Median $16.53 an hour in Virginia · 10,070 jobs
How Virginia compares on $16 an hour
Virginia ranks 42nd of 51 for take-home pay on $16 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $13.38 | $27,821 | $12.77 | — |
| Washington, D.C. | $13.50 | $28,090 | $18.40 | +$269 a year |
| Kentucky | $13.40 | $27,873 | $7.25 | +$52 a year |
| Maryland | $13.32 | $27,706 | $15.00 | −$115 a year |
| North Carolina | $13.51 | $28,101 | $7.25 | +$280 a year |
| Tennessee | $13.90 | $28,920 | $7.25 | +$1,099 a year |
| West Virginia | $13.50 | $28,090 | $8.75 | +$269 a year |
How the federal tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $33,280 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $17,180. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $4,780 | $574 |
| Total | $17,180 | $1,814 |
How the Virginia income tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $33,280 of Virginia wages minus $8,750 standard deduction minus $930 in exemptions = $23,600.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $3,000 | $60 |
| 3% | $2,000 | $60 |
| 5% | $12,000 | $600 |
| 5.75% | $6,600 | $380 |
| Total | $23,600 | $1,100 |
Common questions
How much is $16 an hour after taxes in Virginia?
About $13.38 for every hour you work, or $27,821 a year at 40 hours a week ($33,280 gross). Taxes take about 16.4% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $16 an hour a week after taxes in Virginia?
About $535 a week at 40 hours, from $640 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,070.
How much is $16 an hour a month after taxes in Virginia?
About $2,318 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,773 gross.
Is $16 an hour good pay in Virginia?
$16 an hour is 1.3 times Virginia's minimum wage of $12.77 an hour. It's about the 16th percentile of hourly pay in Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 16 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Virginia is $26.78. After taxes and local prices, $27,821 a year buys about what $27,517 would at national-average prices.
Is Virginia a high-tax state for $16 an hour?
It ranks 42nd of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $16 an hour. The most you'd keep is $28,920 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $26,771 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Virginia
- $12 an hour in Virginia
- $13 an hour in Virginia
- $14 an hour in Virginia
- $15 an hour in Virginia
- $17 an hour in Virginia
- $18 an hour in Virginia
- $19 an hour in Virginia
- $20 an hour in Virginia
$16 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in Virginia · $35,000 a year in Virginia · Virginia paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, 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.
- 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.