Iowa Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your Iowa take-home pay — federal tax, Iowa's flat state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare all included.
Iowa payroll tax overview
Iowa moved to a flat income tax rate of 3.8% after years of using a progressive bracket system, part of a broader tax simplification effort completed recently.
Iowa does not add any state-specific payroll deduction on top of income tax, and there are no local city or county income taxes — your total withholding is federal tax + Social Security + Medicare + the flat 3.8% state rate.
Worked example
A single filer earning $75,000/year in Iowa, paid biweekly:
| Item | Per paycheck | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,884.62 | $75,000.00 |
| Federal income tax | ≈ $313.00 | ≈ $8,140.00 |
| Social Security | $178.85 | $4,650.00 |
| Medicare | $41.83 | $1,087.50 |
| Iowa state tax (3.8%) | ≈ $109.62 | ≈ $2,850.00 |
| Net pay | ≈ $2,241.25 | ≈ $58,272.50 |
Local income context: how Iowa compares
According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, Iowa's median household income is $75,501 — below the 2024 national median of $81,604. Iowa's economy centers on agriculture and a surprisingly large insurance industry — Des Moines is one of the country's leading insurance hubs — producing a stable, moderate income level that trails the national figure but comes with a correspondingly low cost of living.
Median household income reflects a full household (often two earners), while the calculator above estimates take-home pay for a single individual's salary — so it's a useful benchmark for context rather than a direct comparison, but it helps illustrate how a given salary stacks up against typical earnings in Iowa.
Frequently asked questions
How Iowa compares to other states
At 3.8%, Iowa's flat rate is among the lower rates nationally for states with any income tax, comparable to North Carolina and Michigan. This represents a significant reduction from Iowa's former progressive system, which had a considerably higher top marginal rate.
Iowa cost-of-living context
Iowa's cost of living is well below the national average, with even its largest metro area, Des Moines, offering considerably more affordable housing than most other state capitals. This combination of a low flat tax rate and low cost of living makes take-home pay stretch notably further in Iowa.
More frequently asked questions
Iowa minimum wage context
Iowa follows the federal minimum wage with no state-level minimum wage law of its own, and no Iowa city sets a higher local minimum. The federal rate applies uniformly if you're entering an hourly figure into this calculator.