Iowa Paycheck Calculator (2026)

How the Iowa Paycheck Calculator: Take-Home Pay Works

This Iowa paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay in Iowa using the 2026 federal brackets, Social Security, Medicare and Iowa's state income tax (a flat 3.8%). Iowa moved to a flat 3.8% income tax that uses the federal standard deduction, and it has been phasing out taxes on retirement income. Enter your salary, pay frequency, filing status and any pre-tax deduction to see net pay per paycheck and per year.

How Iowa taxes wages

Iowa taxes individual income at a flat rate of 3.8% beginning in 2026, replacing the graduated brackets that topped out at 5.7% only a few years ago. Iowa now starts from federal taxable income and uses the same standard deduction as the federal return, $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for joint filers, and personal exemption credits of $40 and $80 apply. The change simplified Iowa taxes and cut the effective rate for most workers.

On a $65,000 salary with a traditional 401(k), Iowa tax is roughly $1,700, or about 2.6% of gross pay. Iowa conforms to federal treatment of pre-tax retirement contributions, so those deferrals lower state wages.

How this calculator estimates your Iowa paycheck

The calculator starts with your gross pay, subtracts the pre-tax deduction you enter, and applies the 2026 federal standard deduction of $16,100 for single filers or $32,200 for married couples filing jointly. Federal income tax comes from the seven 2026 brackets, Social Security is 6.2% up to $184,500 and Medicare is 1.45% with a 0.9% surcharge above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (joint). For Iowa it then applies a flat 3.8% income tax after a state standard deduction of $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for joint filers and a personal exemption credit of $40 for single filers and $80 for joint filers. Pre-tax deferrals reduce state taxable income in the estimate, as they do on most state returns. Results are estimates; your employer's payroll system and your tax return are final. See the US paycheck guide for the full method.

Typical pay in Iowa

Employers in Iowa reported roughly 1,559,240 jobs in May 2025. The median annual wage across all of them was $48,540 ($23.34 an hour), 5% below the national median of $50,980. The average wage was higher, at $59,830, because a smaller number of high earners pull the average up; the median is the better guide to a typical paycheck.

After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and the Iowa taxes in this calculator, a single worker on that $48,540 median takes home about $39,989 a year, or $3,332 a month and $1,538.04 every two weeks.

Wage figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Iowa. Take-home pay: this page's 2026 calculator, single filer, no pre-tax deductions, default settings.

What Iowa's largest occupations take home

Here are the jobs that employ the most people in Iowa. Each row shows the median salary and what a single filer keeps after 2026 taxes in Iowa.

The most common jobs are not the best paid ones: 11 of these 15 pay less than the $48,540 median for all workers, which is why the overall median is lower than many people expect.

Worked example: $65,000 salary in Iowa, paid every two weeks

A single Iowa employee earning $65,000, paid every two weeks and contributing $100 per paycheck to a traditional 401(k), has gross pay of $2,500.00 per paycheck. After the $2,600 deferral and the $16,100 federal standard deduction, taxable income is $46,300 and federal income tax is about $5,308. Social Security is $4,030 and Medicare is $943. Iowa state income tax is about $1,719, an effective state rate of 2.65% of gross pay.

Net pay is about $50,400 a year, or $1,938.47 per paycheck, which is 77.5% of gross pay. Change any input in the calculator above to test your own situation.

Married couple example: $110,000 combined pay

A married couple filing jointly in Iowa with $110,000 of combined wages and 6% ($6,600) going to traditional retirement plans has federal taxable income of $71,200 and pays about $8,048 in federal income tax and $8,415 in FICA. Iowa income tax comes to roughly $2,626. Estimated take-home pay is about $84,311 a year, or $3,242.75 per biweekly paycheck.

Best-paying common jobs in Iowa

Among occupations with at least 2,300 workers in Iowa, these have the highest median pay. Federal tax takes a larger share at these salaries, so compare the take-home column rather than the salary when weighing offers.

What makes the Iowa job market different

A location quotient compares how common a job is locally with its share nationwide: 2.0 means twice as concentrated as the U.S. overall. These occupations stand out in Iowa and say a lot about which industries hire there.

How Iowa wages compare for well-known jobs

Median annual wages for well-known jobs in Iowa and the United States. Pay usually tracks living costs, so a higher wage does not always mean more money left over.

Entry-level and hourly pay in Iowa

The lowest-paid 10% of workers in Iowa earn under $13.91 an hour. Common hourly jobs pay the median rates below; a 40-hour week at that rate takes home the amount shown after 2026 taxes. Check the current Iowa minimum wage on the U.S. Department of Labor state minimum wage page, since several states raise it each year.

Iowa wages by type of work

BLS groups every job into broad career fields. Here is how many people work in each across Iowa, the field's median salary and what that salary takes home in Iowa. Management pays the most at a median of $102,900; food preparation and serving related pays the least at $29,620.

Starting vs. experienced pay in Iowa

The median hides a wide range. The lowest-paid 10% in a job are often new to it, while the top 10% are usually experienced, specialized or in management. The ranges below for common Iowa jobs show how much room there is to grow, with take-home pay at each level.

Iowa take-home pay at three salaries

These estimates assume a single filer, no pre-tax deductions and the 2026 federal standard deduction.

• $40,000: federal income tax about $2,620, FICA $3,060, Iowa income tax about $868, leaving roughly $33,452 a year ($1,286.61 per biweekly paycheck).
• $65,000: federal income tax about $5,620, FICA $4,973, Iowa income tax about $1,818, leaving roughly $52,589 a year ($2,022.67 per biweekly paycheck).
• $100,000: federal income tax about $13,170, FICA $7,650, Iowa income tax about $3,148, leaving roughly $76,032 a year ($2,924.30 per biweekly paycheck).

Use the calculator to add retirement deferrals, change your filing status or switch pay frequency. For comparisons, see the national paycheck calculator and the paycheck calculators by state hub.

Where the tax goes on a $65,000 Iowa paycheck

Of about $12,411 in total annual taxes for a single filer earning $65,000 with no pre-tax deductions, federal income tax is about 45%, Social Security and Medicare together are about 40%, Iowa income tax is about 15%. Federal taxes dominate almost everywhere, which is why federal planning tools such as the federal income tax calculator and a correctly completed W-4 matter as much as the state rate.

Iowa local taxes and payroll deductions

Iowa has no local income tax on wages, but many school districts levy a surtax on the state income tax liability, typically ranging from 0% to a few percent of the state tax, and some school districts have an income surtax that is calculated as a percentage of the Iowa tax rather than of income. The surtax is small for most workers, and it is not included in the calculator. Iowa has no state disability or paid family leave payroll deduction.

Employees use Form IA W-4 to claim allowances. Iowa has reciprocity with Illinois, so Illinois residents who work in Iowa can file an exemption certificate.

Retirement income, credits and special Iowa rules

Iowa does not tax Social Security benefits and fully exempts retirement income, including pensions and IRA distributions, for taxpayers 55 and older. The state offers an earned income credit equal to 15% of the federal credit, a child and dependent care credit and a tuition and textbook credit, and it has been phasing out its tax on retirement income and other items.

Bonuses and supplemental wages are taxed as wages, with withholding at a flat rate. Iowa has no estate tax and repealed its inheritance tax beginning in 2025.

Living and working in Iowa: how the tax burden compares

Iowa's state sales tax is 6%, and counties add a local option tax of up to 1%, bringing combined rates to about 7%. Groceries are taxed, but prescription drugs are exempt. Property taxes are moderate to high, with rollback limits on assessment growth. Des Moines has strong insurance and finance employment, and Iowa's housing is affordable relative to the national average.

Compare Iowa with Illinois, Minnesota and Missouri using the calculators. Iowa's flat 3.8% is lower than Illinois's 4.95% and much lower than Minnesota's top rates.

Iowa income tax at a glance

• State income tax: flat 3.8%
• State standard deduction: $16,100 single, $32,200 joint
• Personal exemption: $40 single, $80 joint (credit)
• State pre-tax retirement treatment: follows the federal exclusion
• Withholding form: Form IA W-4
• Agency: the Iowa Department of Revenue

These are the assumptions built into the calculator above. Rates, exemptions and payroll premiums change from year to year, so verify each item with the agency listed before making a large financial decision.

What a $100 pre-tax contribution really costs in Iowa

Contributing $100 per paycheck to a traditional 401(k) or HSA reduces your take-home pay by less than $100 because it lowers taxable income. In the $65,000 single-filer example for Iowa, the annual contribution of $2,600 cuts net pay by only about $2,189, or $84.20 per biweekly paycheck, so the true cost of each $100 contribution is roughly $84.20. The saving comes from both federal and Iowa income tax, though not from Social Security or Medicare. Use the 401(k) calculator to see how those contributions grow.

Iowa paycheck rules: pay frequency, minimum wage and final pay

Iowa follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. State law requires employers to pay wages at least monthly on regular paydays, and final wages are due by the next regular payday after separation. Overtime follows federal rules for covered workers. Iowa has limits on deductions from wages, and workers can file wage claims with Iowa Workforce Development.

Common mistakes with Iowa paychecks

• Using the old graduated rates. Iowa now taxes at a flat 3.8%.
• Forgetting school district surtax. Some districts add a small surtax.
• Budgeting from gross pay. Plan with net pay per paycheck, about $1,938.47 in the $65,000 example.
• Forgetting FICA. Social Security and Medicare add 7.65% for most employees. See what is FICA tax.
• Not updating withholding. Review your W-4 and Form IA W-4 after a move, marriage or new job, using the W-4 withholding calculator.

Key takeaways

• Iowa taxes wages with a flat 3.8%.
• Pre-tax retirement deferrals lower federal income tax but not FICA.
• A single worker earning $65,000 keeps about 78% of gross pay in the standard example.
• Compare states using total cost of living, not only income tax.
• Confirm current figures with the Iowa Department of Revenue and IRS.gov.

Budgeting on the median Iowa wage

On the $48,540 median, the common guideline of spending no more than 30% of gross pay on housing allows rent of about $1,214 a month. Using the 50/30/20 rule on the $3,332 monthly take-home pay, that is about $1,666 for needs such as rent, food and transport, $1,000 for wants and $666 for savings and debt payments.

If rents run above $1,214 for the home you want, the usual fixes are a roommate, a longer commute or a second income in the household; the rent affordability calculator tests your own numbers.