Retail Salespersons
Median $16.46 an hour in Virginia · 100,290 jobs
Virginia · 2026 take-home pay
$17 an hour after taxes in Virginia
At $17 an hour in Virginia you keep about $14.12 of every hour — $565 a week, $2,448 a month or $29,373 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 $17 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $35,360 | $680 | $17.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,063 | −$40 | −$0.99 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,192 | −$42 | −$1.05 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$513 | −$10 | −$0.25 |
| Virginia income tax | −$1,219 | −$23 | −$0.59 |
| Take-home pay | $29,373 | $565 | $14.12 |
Effective tax rate 16.9% · federal bracket 12% · Virginia bracket 5.75%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $680.00 | $564.86 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,360.00 | $1,129.72 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,473.33 | $1,223.86 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,946.67 | $2,447.72 |
$17 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Virginia for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $17 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* | $340 | $306 | $15,899 |
| 30 hours a week | $510 | $437 | $22,737 |
| 40 hours a week | $680 | $565 | $29,373 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $808 | $660 | $34,319 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $935 | $755 | $39,265 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $17 an hour good pay in Virginia?
- Minimum wage: $17 an hour is 1.3 times Virginia's minimum wage of $12.77 an hour.
- Among Virginia workers: It's about the 20th percentile of hourly pay in Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 20 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 $29,373 a year buys about what $29,052 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $884 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,224 a month for needs, $734 for wants and $490 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Virginia that pay about $17 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Virginia is within 4% of $17 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Stockers and Order Fillers
Median $17.49 an hour in Virginia · 69,660 jobs
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $16.91 an hour in Virginia · 65,970 jobs
Cooks, Restaurant
Median $17.67 an hour in Virginia · 40,310 jobs
Food Preparation Workers
Median $16.78 an hour in Virginia · 16,340 jobs
Childcare Workers
Median $16.51 an hour in Virginia · 13,930 jobs
How Virginia compares on $17 an hour
Virginia ranks 42nd of 51 for take-home pay on $17 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 | $14.12 | $29,373 | $12.77 | — |
| Washington, D.C. | $14.25 | $29,636 | $18.40 | +$263 a year |
| Kentucky | $14.17 | $29,472 | $7.25 | +$99 a year |
| Maryland | $14.08 | $29,278 | $15.00 | −$95 a year |
| North Carolina | $14.27 | $29,690 | $7.25 | +$317 a year |
| Tennessee | $14.71 | $30,592 | $7.25 | +$1,219 a year |
| West Virginia | $14.28 | $29,695 | $8.75 | +$322 a year |
How the federal tax on $35,360 ($17 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $35,360 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $19,260. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $6,860 | $823 |
| Total | $19,260 | $2,063 |
How the Virginia income tax on $35,360 ($17 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $35,360 of Virginia wages minus $8,750 standard deduction minus $930 in exemptions = $25,680.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $3,000 | $60 |
| 3% | $2,000 | $60 |
| 5% | $12,000 | $600 |
| 5.75% | $8,680 | $499 |
| Total | $25,680 | $1,219 |
Common questions
How much is $17 an hour after taxes in Virginia?
About $14.12 for every hour you work, or $29,373 a year at 40 hours a week ($35,360 gross). Taxes take about 16.9% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $17 an hour a week after taxes in Virginia?
About $565 a week at 40 hours, from $680 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,130.
How much is $17 an hour a month after taxes in Virginia?
About $2,448 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,947 gross.
Is $17 an hour good pay in Virginia?
$17 an hour is 1.3 times Virginia's minimum wage of $12.77 an hour. It's about the 20th percentile of hourly pay in Virginia (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 20 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Virginia is $26.78. After taxes and local prices, $29,373 a year buys about what $29,052 would at national-average prices.
Is Virginia a high-tax state for $17 an hour?
It ranks 42nd of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $17 an hour. The most you'd keep is $30,592 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $28,267 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Virginia
- $13 an hour in Virginia
- $14 an hour in Virginia
- $15 an hour in Virginia
- $16 an hour in Virginia
- $18 an hour in Virginia
- $19 an hour in Virginia
- $20 an hour in Virginia
- $21 an hour in Virginia
$17 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in Virginia · $40,000 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.