Delaware’s withholding starts with a tax-free slice of income before its graduated rates begin, then takes a flat credit off the tax for each personal exemption claimed on Form DE-W4. The combination keeps the state line low for modest earners and lets it rise steadily through the middle brackets. Married couples filing jointly get a larger standard deduction in the payroll calculation; heads of household are treated like single filers. If you never hand in a DE-W4, your employer withholds as single with no exemptions.
Paid leave is the newer item on a Delaware stub. Delaware Paid Leave collects contributions for medical, family caregiving and parental leave, and employers may pass up to the employee’s share of the cost through payroll or choose to pay more themselves. How much an employer can deduct depends on its size: employers with the most staff are covered for all three kinds of leave, mid-sized ones for parental leave only, and the smallest are outside the program unless they opt in. The calculator shows the maximum deduction for a large employer, so a smaller workplace may take less. Employees who do not expect to qualify for benefits can sign a waiver. Pay above the Social Security wage base is not subject.
Local wage taxes exist in Delaware but are not yet in our tables. If a city tax appears on your pay stub, choose “Other / not listed” in the calculator and enter the rate it shows.
Many people cross the state line every day, in both directions, between Delaware and Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. Delaware has no reciprocal agreements with any of them. A nonresident working here has Delaware tax withheld; Delaware’s own rules let nonresidents prorate their tax by the Delaware share of their income using Form W-4NR, which the calculator does not model. A Delaware resident working in a neighboring state has that state’s tax counted against Delaware withholding, so the two are not stacked in full.
Enter your pay below to see federal, Delaware and paid leave deductions per paycheck.
How Delaware taxes your paycheck
State income tax withholding
On the tax return, Delaware taxes income in brackets, and the rate on the highest bracket is 6.6%. Employers' withholding tables use the same rates, so the highest slice of pay is withheld at 6.6% too. The withholding figures here follow Delaware's own instructions for employers.
For a single filer paid every two weeks, Delaware withholds 3.7% of a $30,000 salary and 5.8% of $150,000:
| Salary | Delaware tax withheld | Share of pay |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $1,098 | 3.7% |
| $50,000 | $2,208 | 4.4% |
| $75,000 | $3,719 | 5.0% |
| $100,000 | $5,369 | 5.4% |
| $150,000 | $8,669 | 5.8% |
Payroll levies
Besides income tax, one payroll levy comes out of each Delaware paycheck: $209 a year at the median wage.
- DE Paid Leave (employee): 0.4% of wages up to $184,500 a year. On the median wage that is $208.78 a year. Employers with fewer than 25 employees may be outside it.
City and county taxes
Some Delaware cities, counties or school districts charge a tax on wages, but none is in our 2026 tables yet. Choose "Other / not listed" in the calculator and enter the rate shown on your pay stub.
Living in one state and working in another
Delaware has no reciprocal agreements, so it withholds from everyone who works there, wherever they live. If you live elsewhere, your home state may withhold too, usually less a credit for the Delaware tax.
Enter both states in the calculator to see the credit at work; the guide to reciprocity agreements lists every pair of states that has one.
Delaware take-home pay by salary
Net pay per paycheck at each salary, single with no 401(k), benefits or extra withholding, living and working in Delaware. It runs from $964.10 every two weeks on $30,000 to $4,020.08 on $150,000. For a 401(k), health premiums or a different filing status, use the calculator above.
| Salary | Weekly | Every two weeks | Twice a month | Monthly | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $482.04 | $964.10 | $1,044.44 | $2,088.91 | $25,067 |
| $40,000 | $625.14 | $1,250.27 | $1,354.45 | $2,708.91 | $32,507 |
| $50,000 | $768.21 | $1,536.43 | $1,664.44 | $3,328.91 | $39,947 |
| $60,000 | $911.28 | $1,822.57 | $1,974.45 | $3,948.91 | $47,387 |
| $75,000 | $1,107.19 | $2,214.36 | $2,398.90 | $4,797.78 | $57,573 |
| $90,000 | $1,289.92 | $2,579.84 | $2,794.83 | $5,589.66 | $67,076 |
| $100,000 | $1,411.76 | $2,823.50 | $3,058.79 | $6,117.58 | $73,411 |
| $125,000 | $1,715.08 | $3,430.17 | $3,716.02 | $7,432.04 | $89,184 |
| $150,000 | $2,010.04 | $4,020.08 | $4,355.08 | $8,710.16 | $104,522 |
Hourly pay after tax in Delaware
At 40 hours a week, $25.00 an hour comes to $796.82 in a weekly paycheck and $41,435 over the year, which is $19.92 for each hour worked. Overtime, tips and a different schedule change these figures: switch the calculator to its Hourly tab to enter them.
| Hourly wage | Weekly paycheck | Year | Per hour after tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $499.22 | $25,960 | $12.48 |
| $20.00 | $648.02 | $33,697 | $16.20 |
| $25.00 | $796.82 | $41,435 | $19.92 |
| $30.00 | $945.62 | $49,173 | $23.64 |
| $40.00 | $1,207.08 | $62,768 | $30.18 |
| $50.00 | $1,460.48 | $75,945 | $36.51 |
Worked example: the median wage in Delaware
The median annual wage in Delaware is $52,190: half of all jobs pay more and half pay less, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey for May 2025 (all occupations; survey date May 31, 2025). Paid every two weeks as a single filer, with no 401(k) or benefits, that salary works out like this.
| Line | Each paycheck | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,007.31 | $52,190.00 |
| Federal income tax | $157.03 | $4,082.77 |
| Social Security | $124.45 | $3,235.70 |
| Medicare | $29.11 | $756.86 |
| Delaware income tax | $89.60 | $2,329.60 |
| DE Paid Leave (employee) | $8.03 | $208.78 |
| Take-home pay | $1,599.09 | $41,576.29 |
You keep 79.7% of gross pay. Of the $10,614 withheld, federal income tax is the largest part at $4,083, followed by Social Security at $3,236.
Delaware paycheck questions
How much is $52,190 a year after taxes in Delaware?
Paid every two weeks as a single filer with no pre-tax deductions, $52,190 a year in Delaware leaves $41,576 after tax, or $1,599.09 a paycheck. Federal income tax takes $4,083 and Social Security and Medicare $3,993; Delaware income tax takes $2,330; state payroll levies take $209. $52,190 is the median annual wage for all jobs in Delaware in the Bureau of Labor Statistics survey for May 2025.
What is the top income tax rate in Delaware on a paycheck?
On the tax return, Delaware taxes income in brackets, and the rate on the highest bracket is 6.6%. Employers' withholding tables use the same rates, so the highest slice of pay is withheld at 6.6% too. At the median wage, Delaware withholds 4.5% of gross pay.
What does Delaware deduct from a paycheck besides income tax?
DE Paid Leave (employee): 0.4% of wages up to $184,500 a year. At the median wage these come to $209 for the year.
Do cities or counties in Delaware tax wages?
Some do, but none is in our 2026 tables yet. Pick "Other / not listed" in the calculator and enter the rate from your pay stub.
I live in another state and work in Delaware. Which state withholds?
Delaware has no reciprocal agreements, so it withholds from everyone who works there. Your home state may withhold too, usually less a credit for the Delaware tax.
What is $75,000 a year biweekly in Delaware?
$2,214.36 a paycheck, single, with no 401(k) or other deductions. Paid twice a month it is $2,398.90, and monthly $4,797.78. Over the year that is $57,573.
Sources
- IRS Publication 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- Social Security Administration, contribution and benefit base
- Delaware employer withholding instructions
- Delaware income tax rates on the return
- DE Paid Leave (employee)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Rules checked . How we calculate.