Missouri Paycheck Calculator (2026)

How the Missouri Paycheck Calculator: Take-Home Pay Works

This Missouri paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay in Missouri using the 2026 federal brackets, Social Security, Medicare and Missouri's state income tax (graduated rates from 0% to 4.7%). Missouri has a top income tax rate of 4.7% that is reached at a very low income, and St. Louis and Kansas City charge a separate 1% earnings tax on workers. Enter your salary, pay frequency, filing status and any pre-tax deduction to see net pay per paycheck and per year.

How Missouri taxes wages

Missouri taxes individual income with brackets that climb from 2% to 4.7%, but the steps are tiny: the 2% rate begins above $1,348 of taxable income and the top 4.7% rate applies above $9,436, so nearly all of a normal paycheck is taxed at 4.7%. Missouri starts from federal adjusted gross income and allows the same standard deduction as the federal return, $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for joint filers, so state taxable income is close to federal taxable income. State law schedules further rate reductions if revenue triggers are met, so check current figures.

On a $65,000 salary with a traditional 401(k), Missouri tax is roughly $2,000, or about 3% of gross pay. Missouri also lets taxpayers deduct federal income tax in some years, but the deduction has been phased down, and it is not modeled in the calculator.

How this calculator estimates your Missouri 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 Missouri it then applies graduated rates from 0% to 4.7% income tax after a state standard deduction of $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for joint filers. Pre-tax deferrals reduce state taxable income in the estimate, as they do on most state returns. The local field lets you add missouri city earnings tax. Results are estimates; your employer's payroll system and your tax return are final. See the US paycheck guide for the full method.

What jobs pay in Missouri

About 2,936,050 people worked in Missouri in May 2025. The median annual wage across all of them was $47,800 ($22.98 an hour), 6% below the national median of $50,980. The average wage was higher, at $62,160, 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 taxes in this calculator, a single worker on that $47,800 median takes home about $39,278 a year, or $3,273 a month and $1,510.69 every two weeks.

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

The biggest jobs in Missouri and what they take home

The largest occupations in Missouri by number of workers are below. Each row shows the median salary and what a single filer keeps after 2026 taxes in Missouri.

Most of the largest occupations sit near or below the middle of the pay range: 11 of these 15 pay less than the $47,800 median for all workers, which is why the overall median is lower than many people expect.

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

A single Missouri 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. Missouri state income tax is about $1,995, an effective state rate of 3.07% of gross pay.

Net pay is about $50,124 a year, or $1,927.85 per paycheck, which is 77.1% 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 Missouri 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. Missouri income tax comes to roughly $3,166. Estimated take-home pay is about $83,771 a year, or $3,221.97 per biweekly paycheck.

Well-paid occupations in Missouri

Among occupations with at least 4,400 workers in Missouri, 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.

Jobs that are unusually common in Missouri

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 Missouri and say a lot about which industries hire there.

Is pay higher in Missouri? Popular jobs compared

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

Starting wages in Missouri

The lowest-paid 10% of workers in Missouri earn under $14.32 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.

Which career fields pay most in Missouri

BLS groups every job into broad career fields. Here is how many people work in each across Missouri, the field's median salary and what that salary takes home in Missouri. Management pays the most at a median of $99,620; food preparation and serving related pays the least at $31,080.

Entry-level to top pay for Missouri jobs

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 Missouri jobs show how much room there is to grow, with take-home pay at each level.

Missouri 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, Missouri income tax about $943, leaving roughly $33,377 a year ($1,283.74 per biweekly paycheck).
• $65,000: federal income tax about $5,620, FICA $4,973, Missouri income tax about $2,118, leaving roughly $52,290 a year ($2,011.15 per biweekly paycheck).
• $100,000: federal income tax about $13,170, FICA $7,650, Missouri income tax about $3,763, leaving roughly $75,417 a year ($2,900.67 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 Missouri paycheck

Of about $12,710 in total annual taxes for a single filer earning $65,000 with no pre-tax deductions, federal income tax is about 44%, Social Security and Medicare together are about 39%, Missouri income tax is about 17%. 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.

Missouri local taxes and payroll deductions

Missouri's biggest local wrinkle is the earnings tax charged by St. Louis and Kansas City. Both cities charge 1% of wages on residents and on nonresidents who work in the city, so a suburban commuter who works downtown still pays 1%. Voters in Kansas City periodically vote to continue the tax, and St. Louis has a similar structure. The calculator's local field lets you enter 1 for those cities; other Missouri cities do not levy an earnings tax on wages.

Missouri has no state disability or paid family leave deduction. Set state withholding with Form MO W-4, which asks for filing status and allowances. Employees will see federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare and Missouri withholding, plus any city earnings tax.

Retirement income, credits and special Missouri rules

Missouri does not tax Social Security benefits, and it offers a public pension exemption and a deduction for private pension income up to a limit for taxpayers 62 and older with income under a threshold. Recent legislation has expanded the Social Security and pension exemptions. The state offers a property tax credit for seniors and disabled residents, a child care credit and a credit for low-income families.

Bonuses and supplemental wages are taxed as wages with flat-rate withholding. Missouri does not have an estate tax, and long-term capital gains are taxed as ordinary income with a growing deduction that is being phased in.

Living and working in Missouri: how the tax burden compares

Missouri's state sales tax is 4.225%, and local taxes bring combined rates to about 8% to 10% in many areas, with groceries taxed at a reduced state rate. Property taxes are moderate. Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield have health care, logistics and government employment, and housing is affordable compared with the coasts.

Compare Missouri with Illinois across the river from St. Louis and with Kansas, which sits next to Kansas City. Workers who live on one side and work on the other should check both states, because the earnings tax and different rates can change take-home pay.

Missouri income tax at a glance

• State income tax: graduated, from 0% to 4.7%
• State standard deduction: $16,100 single, $32,200 joint
• State pre-tax retirement treatment: follows the federal exclusion
• Local income tax: Missouri city earnings tax, default 0% in the calculator
• Withholding form: Form MO W-4
• Agency: the Missouri 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 Missouri

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 Missouri, the annual contribution of $2,600 cuts net pay by only about $2,166, or $83.30 per biweekly paycheck, so the true cost of each $100 contribution is roughly $83.30. The saving comes from both federal and Missouri income tax, though not from Social Security or Medicare. Use the 401(k) calculator to see how those contributions grow.

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

Missouri has a state minimum wage that rose to $13.75 in 2025 and is scheduled to reach $15 in 2026 under a ballot measure that also required paid sick leave, though the sick leave provisions were later modified by the legislature, so confirm the current rules with the Missouri Department of Labor. Employers must pay wages at least monthly for most employees, final wages are due at termination or on the next regular payday depending on the situation, and overtime follows federal rules after 40 hours. Workers can file wage claims with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Common mistakes with Missouri paychecks

• Forgetting the 1% earnings tax. St. Louis and Kansas City workers pay it even if they live elsewhere.
• Assuming the low brackets matter. Nearly all wages are taxed at 4.7%.
• Budgeting from gross pay. Plan with net pay per paycheck, about $1,927.85 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 MO W-4 after a move, marriage or new job, using the W-4 withholding calculator.

Key takeaways

• Missouri taxes wages with graduated rates from 0% to 4.7%.
• Pre-tax retirement deferrals lower federal income tax but not FICA.
• A single worker earning $65,000 keeps about 77% of gross pay in the standard example.
• Compare states using total cost of living, not only income tax.
• Confirm current figures with the Missouri Department of Revenue and IRS.gov.

What a typical Missouri paycheck covers

On the $47,800 median, the common guideline of spending no more than 30% of gross pay on housing allows rent of about $1,195 a month. Using the 50/30/20 rule on the $3,273 monthly take-home pay, that is about $1,637 for needs such as rent, food and transport, $982 for wants and $655 for savings and debt payments.

If rents run above $1,195 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.