2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Iowa

$11 an Hour in Iowa — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $11/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $22,880. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Iowa state income tax, your take-home pay is $9.65/hr. In Iowa's low cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Iowa.

Gross Annual
$22,880
Net Annual
$20,065
Net Monthly
$1,672
Net Hourly
$9.65

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $11.00 $1.35 $9.65
Daily (8 hrs) $88.00 $10.83 $77.17
Weekly (40 hrs) $440.00 $54.13 $385.87
Biweekly $880.00 $108.26 $771.74
Monthly $1,906.67 $234.56 $1,672.10
Annual $22,880 $2,815 $20,065

Full Tax Breakdown — Iowa, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $11/hr × 2,080 hrs $22,880
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $6,780
Federal Income Tax 3.0% −$678.00
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$1,418.56
Medicare (1.45%) −$331.76
Iowa Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Iowa State Income Tax 1.7% −$386.46
Total Tax 12.3% effective −$2,814.78
Net Take-Home $20,065

How Does Iowa Compare?

See how $11/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $246.00 $1,684/mo $20,206 Florida None $1,704/mo $20,452 New York $595.20 $1,655/mo $19,856 Texas None $1,704/mo $20,452 Washington None $1,704/mo $20,452
Open Full Calculator for Iowa — $11/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$11/hr = $22,880/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$22,880 salary in Iowa — full breakdown $22,880 after tax in Iowa $22,880 salary to hourly Iowa paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Iowa

$10/hr in Iowa$12/hr in Iowa$13/hr in Iowa$14/hr in Iowa

Same Rate, Other States

$11/hr in Alabama$11/hr in Alaska$11/hr in Arizona$11/hr in Arkansas$11/hr in California$11/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Iowa

✗ Difficult — $11/hr falls short in Iowa
  • Avg 1BR rent in Des Moines: $900/mo — over the 30% rule (47% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Iowa: $32,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $20,065 ($11,935 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$14.4/hr

Working at $11/hr in Iowa

Iowa's low cost of living — Des Moines 1BR averages $900/month — and declining income tax rate make this wage workable. The flat 3.8% rate is among the lowest in states with an income tax. Rural Iowa offers even lower living costs.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 94 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Des Moines (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.5x Iowa's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Iowa is 12.3% -- federal income tax accounts for 3.0%, FICA 7.6%, and Iowa state tax 1.7%.

Iowa's economy is dominated by agriculture, food processing (Tyson, John Deere), insurance (Principal Financial, Transamerica in Des Moines), and manufacturing. Des Moines has emerged as an insurance and financial services hub with a growing tech presence.

Iowa has simplified to a flat 3.8% income tax rate (2026) and continues phasing down. The state also offers significant deductions and credits for lower-income earners. Iowa's tax burden has dropped substantially over the past five years.

Iowa follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr.

Monthly Budget on $11/hr in Iowa

Based on $1,672/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Iowa's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $900 $10,800 53.8%
Food (groceries + dining) $201 $2,412 12.0%
Transportation $167 $2,004 10.0%
Utilities $100 $1,200 6.0%
Healthcare $84 $1,008 5.0%
Entertainment $84 $1,008 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $167 $2,004 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-31 $-372 -1.9%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Iowa at $11/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $11/hr in Iowa

At time-and-a-half ($16.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Iowa. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~17.2%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $83 $68 $3,400
10 hrs/week $165 $137 $6,850
20 hrs/week $330 $273 $13,650

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $11/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $9.65 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 4.6 hrs 5.2 hrs
Week of groceries $120 11 hrs 12.5 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 72.7 hrs 82.9 hrs
1 month rent (Des Moines) $900 81.9 hrs 93.3 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 909.1 hrs 1036.7 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 4363.7 hrs 4975.8 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

11 an hour -- is it a good wage in Iowa?

11/hr in Iowa gives you $20,065/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Iowa. Avg 1BR rent in Des Moines: $900/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 11 an hour after taxes in Iowa?

11/hr in Iowa = $20,065/year or $1,672/month net. Effective rate: 12.3%.

How does 11/hr go further -- Iowa or Texas?

11/hr in Iowa has similar purchasing power to ~14.4/hr in Texas.

What does 11/hr look like as a monthly budget in Iowa?

On $1,672/month in Iowa: rent $900, food $201, transport $167, savings $167, surplus ~$0.

How much does overtime add at 11/hr in Iowa?

At 1.5x (16.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$3,400/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$6,850/year.