Kansas City Paycheck Calculator (2026)
Net pay in Kansas City after federal tax, FICA, state and local taxes.
How the Kansas City Paycheck Calculator: Take-Home Pay Works
This Kansas City paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay in Kansas City, Missouri, using the 2026 federal brackets, Social Security, Medicare, Missouri income tax and kansas city earnings tax. Kansas City workers pay Missouri's income tax and a 1% city earnings tax, and many commute across the state line to Kansas. Enter your salary, pay frequency, filing status and any pre-tax deduction to see net pay per paycheck and per year.
How Kansas City paychecks are taxed
A Kansas City, Missouri paycheck is taxed federally, by Missouri and by the city. Missouri taxes most wages at 4.7% after the federal standard deduction, and the city adds a 1% earnings tax on wages of residents and of people who work in the city. On $65,000, Missouri tax is about $2,000 and the earnings tax is about $650.
Workers who live in Kansas and work in Kansas City, Missouri pay Missouri tax on wages earned in Missouri and claim a credit in Kansas.
Local taxes and payroll deductions in Kansas City
Kansas City's earnings tax is 1% and voters periodically vote to continue it. Employers withhold it, and a separate city return is required for some workers. Kansas has no earnings tax, but Kansas taxes wages at 5.2% to 5.58%, so the total for a Kansas resident who works in Missouri depends on the credit for taxes paid to another state. Missouri has no state disability or paid family leave deduction.
Typical pay in the Kansas City area
Employers in the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area reported roughly 1,096,110 jobs in May 2025. The median annual wage across all of them was $50,820 ($24.44 an hour), 6% above the Missouri median of $47,800 and about the same as the national median of $50,980. The average wage was higher, at $66,550, 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 Missouri and local taxes in this calculator, a single worker on that $50,820 median takes home about $41,054 a year, or $3,421 a month and $1,579.02 every two weeks.
| Where pay falls | Annual wage | Take-home a year | Per biweekly paycheck |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% earn less than | $30,510 | $25,893 | $995.89 |
| 25% earn less than | $37,600 | $31,186 | $1,199.45 |
| Median (half earn more) | $50,820 | $41,054 | $1,579.02 |
| 25% earn more than | $78,900 | $60,776 | $2,337.55 |
| 10% earn more than | $117,800 | $85,925 | $3,304.81 |
Wage figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Kansas City, MO-KS metropolitan area. Take-home pay: this page's 2026 calculator, single filer, no pre-tax deductions, default settings.
What Kansas City's largest occupations take home
Here are the jobs that employ the most people in the Kansas City area. Each row shows the median salary and what a single filer keeps after 2026 taxes in Kansas City.
| Job | Workers | Median salary | Take-home a year | Per biweekly paycheck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 31,080 | $90,490 | $68,269 | $2,625.74 |
| Registered Nurses | 29,650 | $83,040 | $63,453 | $2,440.49 |
| Retail Salespersons | 26,110 | $34,320 | $28,737 | $1,105.28 |
| Cashiers | 24,160 | $30,700 | $26,035 | $1,001.34 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 23,580 | $36,850 | $30,626 | $1,177.92 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 22,240 | $44,350 | $36,225 | $1,393.25 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 20,120 | $29,560 | $25,184 | $968.61 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 19,070 | $41,700 | $34,246 | $1,317.17 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 18,230 | $60,170 | $48,034 | $1,847.47 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 16,540 | $36,080 | $30,051 | $1,155.81 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 15,930 | $46,810 | $38,061 | $1,463.88 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 13,850 | $30,170 | $25,639 | $986.12 |
| Nursing Assistants | 13,370 | $39,710 | $32,761 | $1,260.03 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 12,950 | $36,350 | $30,253 | $1,163.56 |
| Software Developers | 12,160 | $124,990 | $90,510 | $3,481.14 |
The most common jobs are not the best paid ones: 11 of these 15 pay less than the $50,820 median for all workers, which is why the overall median is lower than many people expect.
Worked example: $65,000 salary in Kansas City
A single Kansas City worker 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. Federal income tax after the $2,600 deferral and the $16,100 standard deduction is about $5,308. Social Security is $4,030 and Medicare is $943. Missouri state income tax is about $1,995, and kansas city earnings tax at 1% adds about $650.
Net pay is about $49,474 a year, or $1,902.85 per paycheck, which is 76.1% of gross pay. Without the local tax the same worker would keep about $650 more a year. Change any input in the calculator above to test your own situation.
Best-paying common jobs in Kansas City
Among occupations with at least 1,600 workers in the Kansas City area, 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.
| Job | Median salary | Top 10% earn over | Take-home a year | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $168,050 | $234,030 | $117,487 | 70% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $162,680 | $225,460 | $114,122 | 70% |
| Financial Managers | $162,490 | $296,870 | $114,003 | 70% |
| Pharmacists | $139,460 | $172,430 | $99,575 | 71% |
| Marketing Managers | $139,240 | $227,820 | $99,437 | 71% |
| Managers (other) | $136,530 | $211,950 | $97,739 | 72% |
| Lawyers | $134,640 | $287,200 | $96,555 | 72% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $130,850 | $205,470 | $94,181 | 72% |
What makes the Kansas City 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 the Kansas City area and say a lot about which industries hire there.
| Job | Workers | Times the U.S. share | Median salary | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents | 1,980 | 5.0x | $50,250 | $40,629 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 980 | 2.7x | $218,080 | $150,733 |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | 8,890 | 2.3x | $44,460 | $36,307 |
| Information and Record Clerks (other) | 2,130 | 2.2x | $43,700 | $35,739 |
| Medical Equipment Repairers | 1,030 | 2.2x | $52,980 | $42,667 |
| Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | 1,640 | 2.2x | $55,350 | $44,436 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 4,330 | 2.1x | $99,630 | $74,178 |
| Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan | 2,130 | 2.0x | $45,020 | $36,725 |
How Kansas City wages compare for well-known jobs
Median annual wages for well-known jobs in the Kansas City area, the whole state of Missouri and the United States. Pay usually tracks living costs, so a higher wage does not always mean more money left over.
| Job | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. | Kansas City vs. U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $81,780 | $97,550 | 15% below |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $50,910 | $63,970 | 5% below |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,170 | $54,550 | $58,640 | 3% above |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $126,120 | $135,980 | 8% below |
| Electricians | $76,860 | $65,410 | $63,190 | 22% above |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $76,590 | $83,680 | 4% below |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $62,960 | $59,460 | $76,210 | 17% below |
| Nursing Assistants | $39,710 | $37,680 | $42,260 | 6% below |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,320 | $33,460 | $35,410 | 3% below |
| Customer Service Representatives | $44,350 | $44,190 | $44,770 | 1% below |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,560 | $30,390 | $31,200 | 5% below |
| Medical Assistants | $45,300 | $40,440 | $45,690 | 1% below |
Entry-level and hourly pay in Kansas City
The lowest-paid 10% of workers in the Kansas City area earn under $14.67 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 Missouri minimum wage on the U.S. Department of Labor state minimum wage page, since several states raise it each year.
| Job | Median hourly wage | Gross per 40-hour week | Take-home per week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $14.21 | $568.40 | $484.26 |
| Cashiers | $14.76 | $590.40 | $500.68 |
| Retail Salespersons | $16.50 | $660.00 | $552.64 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $20.05 | $802.00 | $658.64 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $17.48 | $699.20 | $581.90 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $17.97 | $718.80 | $596.53 |
Kansas City wages by type of work
BLS groups every job into broad career fields. Here is how many people work in each across the Kansas City area, the field's median salary and what that salary takes home in Kansas City. Management pays the most at a median of $117,420; food preparation and serving related pays the least at $32,000.
| Career field | Workers | Median salary | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | 78,100 | $117,420 | $85,679 | $7,140 |
| Computer and Mathematical | 39,540 | $100,770 | $74,915 | $6,243 |
| Legal | 8,980 | $98,030 | $73,144 | $6,095 |
| Architecture and Engineering | 21,440 | $92,660 | $69,672 | $5,806 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | 77,640 | $81,020 | $62,147 | $5,179 |
| Business and Financial Operations | 81,990 | $80,180 | $61,604 | $5,134 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | 8,740 | $78,090 | $60,253 | $5,021 |
| Construction and Extraction | 44,150 | $63,230 | $50,319 | $4,193 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 42,940 | $59,790 | $47,751 | $3,979 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | 13,470 | $55,680 | $44,682 | $3,724 |
| Community and Social Service | 15,470 | $53,620 | $43,145 | $3,595 |
| Protective Service | 24,120 | $53,280 | $42,891 | $3,574 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | 55,000 | $51,540 | $41,592 | $3,466 |
| Production | 60,960 | $49,510 | $40,077 | $3,340 |
| Office and Administrative Support | 123,320 | $46,980 | $38,188 | $3,182 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | 104,360 | $44,570 | $36,389 | $3,032 |
| Healthcare Support | 47,250 | $38,270 | $31,686 | $2,640 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | 27,710 | $37,700 | $31,260 | $2,605 |
| Sales and Related | 95,930 | $37,340 | $30,992 | $2,583 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 1,570 | $37,100 | $30,812 | $2,568 |
| Personal Care and Service | 27,110 | $33,510 | $28,133 | $2,344 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 96,330 | $32,000 | $27,005 | $2,250 |
Starting vs. experienced pay in Kansas City
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 Kansas City jobs show how much room there is to grow, with take-home pay at each level.
| Job | Bottom 10% earn under | Take-home | Median | Top 10% earn over | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $47,080 | $38,263 | $90,490 | $219,230 | $151,423 |
| Registered Nurses | $66,970 | $53,063 | $83,040 | $103,540 | $76,706 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $31,420 | $26,572 | $44,350 | $62,510 | $49,781 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $31,350 | $26,520 | $41,700 | $51,600 | $41,637 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $44,070 | $36,016 | $60,170 | $80,900 | $62,069 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $33,680 | $28,259 | $46,810 | $61,720 | $49,191 |
| Software Developers | $76,340 | $59,121 | $124,990 | $169,440 | $118,357 |
Cost of living in Kansas City: rent, sales tax and housing
Kansas City is affordable, with one-bedroom rents around $1,100 to $1,500 a month. The combined sales tax rate is about 9% in Missouri and similar in Kansas. Employment includes health care, logistics, finance, engineering and technology, and the metro spans two states, which creates cross-border commuting and tax questions.
Hourly wages in Kansas City: what different pay rates take home
Many Kansas City workers are paid by the hour, so here is the estimated take-home pay at common wage rates for a single filer working 2,080 hours a year, using 2026 federal rules and the Kansas City and state taxes in this calculator. The figures assume no pre-tax deductions, so your own paycheck will differ once benefits are included.
| Hourly wage | Annual gross (2,080 hrs) | Annual take-home | Biweekly take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15 | $31,200 | $26,408 | $1,016 |
| $20 | $41,600 | $34,172 | $1,314 |
| $25 | $52,000 | $41,935 | $1,613 |
| $35 | $72,800 | $56,833 | $2,186 |
| $50 | $104,000 | $77,003 | $2,962 |
Overtime is taxed as ordinary wages, so an extra hour is worth less than the wage rate after tax. Use the hourly paycheck calculator to include overtime hours and different pay frequencies.
How a 401(k) contribution changes a Kansas City paycheck
On a $65,000 salary with no retirement savings, estimated take-home pay in Kansas City is $51,640 a year. Contributing 6% to a traditional 401(k), which is $3,900, reduces take-home pay by only $3,249 because the contribution lowers federal income tax and, in most cases, state income tax. A 10% contribution of $6,500 lowers take-home pay by $5,415.
In other words, each dollar you save costs roughly 83 cents of take-home pay at this income. If your employer matches contributions, the true cost is even lower, so contributing at least enough to receive the full match is one of the most reliable ways to raise your total pay. Roth contributions cost the full dollar of take-home pay but grow tax-free.
Single or married: a $120,000 household in Kansas City
Filing status changes the outcome even when income is the same. A single filer earning $120,000 in Kansas City takes home about $87,347 a year, while a married couple filing jointly with one earner at $120,000 takes home about $95,634, a difference of $8,287 a year, because the joint standard deduction is $32,200 and the joint brackets are twice as wide.
If both spouses work, each employer withholds as if the job were the only income, which can leave you under-withheld, so use the multiple jobs paycheck calculator and update Form W-4. Head-of-household filers with a qualifying dependent can use the head of household calculator.
Budgeting on the median Kansas City wage
On the $50,820 median, the common guideline of spending no more than 30% of gross pay on housing allows rent of about $1,271 a month. Using the 50/30/20 rule on the $3,421 monthly take-home pay, that is about $1,711 for needs such as rent, food and transport, $1,026 for wants and $684 for savings and debt payments.
If rents run above $1,271 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.
Common Questions
What is the average salary in Kansas City?
The median wage in the Kansas City, MO-KS area was $50,820 a year ($24.44 an hour) in May 2025, and the average was $66,550. A single filer on the median takes home about $41,054 a year after 2026 taxes.
What is a good salary in Kansas City?
Earning more than $78,900 puts you in the top quarter of Kansas City-area workers and above $117,800 in the top 10%, based on BLS data for May 2025.
What is the most common job in Kansas City?
General and Operations Managers, with about 31,080 workers in the area and a median salary of $90,490.
Does Kansas City have a city income tax?
Yes. Kansas City, Missouri charges a 1% earnings tax on people who live or work in the city.
Which withholding form applies in Kansas City?
Employees use the federal Form W-4 and Form MO W-4 for Missouri state withholding.
Is this Kansas City paycheck calculator accurate?
It is an estimate using 2026 federal rules and simplified Missouri and local rules. Compare with your pay stub.
How to check this calculator
This calculator shows the tax year, assumptions, inputs, and worked examples used to explain the estimate. Where result tables are provided, you can enter the example values in the calculator and compare the output with the displayed example to reproduce the calculation.
Tax and payroll rules can change, and a calculator estimate is not the same as an employer payroll statement or filed tax return. For an important decision, compare the result with your pay stub and the relevant official IRS, Social Security Administration, Department of Labor, or state guidance. See our methodology and editorial approach for source and review information.
Results are estimates for education only and are not financial, tax or legal advice.