RESEARCH · MINIMUM WAGE
Delaware Minimum Wage 2026
Delaware currently uses $15.00 per hour. This page keeps the wage floor itself separate from paycheck withholding, then shows what full-time work at that hourly rate can look like after federal, FICA, and state withholding assumptions.
Current Delaware minimum wage in 2026
As of January 1, 2026, the current reference rate for Delaware is $15.00 per hour. ExactTakeHome treats the wage floor as source-backed reference content rather than a tax output. The number here comes from the current 2026 state wage guidance linked below, with the federal DOL table used as the cross-check for 50-state consistency.
The main comparison point is the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. In Delaware, the rate used on this page is +$7.75 above that federal floor.
Review the official labor-office page annually because minimum wage changes can happen on a calendar-year or mid-year schedule.
What full-time work at this wage looks like
Annualizing the wage at 40 hours per week for 52 weeks produces an estimated gross pay of $31,200 per year, or about $600 per week before taxes and deductions.
Using ExactTakeHome's 2026 withholding assumptions for a single filer with standard withholding and no pre-tax deductions, that annualized wage produces an estimated take-home pay of $26,084 per year, about $2,174 per month or $1,003 per biweekly paycheck. That implies an overall effective withholding rate of 16.4%.
This is not a promise of what every worker in Delaware will see on payroll. Hours fluctuate, overtime rules vary, and some states or localities apply different wage tiers by employer size or work location. The value here is comparison: it shows how the legal wage floor interacts with the same tax engine used on the rest of the site.
How Delaware compares with nearby states
Minimum wage is a labor-law floor, not a take-home-pay ranking. Still, workers often compare neighboring states when evaluating commuting, relocation, or remote-work options. The table below shows the current statewide comparison rate used on this site for Delaware and three nearby states from the same calculator network.
| State | Current wage reference | Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $15.00 per hour | Delaware calculator |
| New Jersey | $15.92 per hour for most employers; $15.23 for small and seasonal employers | New Jersey calculator |
| Maryland | $16.00 per hour for employers with 15 or more employees; $15.00 for smaller employers | Maryland calculator |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 per hour | Pennsylvania calculator |
If your choice is really between two states, run the same annualized wage through both state calculators. That isolates the withholding impact instead of relying only on the legal wage floor.
How to use this with the paycheck calculator
Minimum wage law answers one narrow question: what is the lowest legal base wage for covered work? A real pay stub still depends on hours, overtime, tips, filing status, W-4 inputs, and the tax rules for your work state. That is why the best workflow is to start with the legal wage floor here, then move into the state calculator or hourly routes for paycheck-level estimates.
- Open the Delaware paycheck calculator
- Browse hourly pages for Delaware
- Browse salary pages for Delaware
This article provides general information, not tax advice. Consult a qualified CPA or labor-law adviser for your specific situation.
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Frequently asked questions
Delaware currently uses $15.00 per hour. This page reflects the rate in effect on January 1, 2026 and links the relevant labor office for annual updates.
Yes. Delaware is +$7.75 above the federal $7.25 floor for the comparison rate used on this page.
Use the Delaware calculator or hourly pages for your filing status and pay frequency. The annualized example on this page assumes 40 hours per week, single filer, standard withholding, and no extra deductions.