2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Iowa

$12 an Hour in Iowa — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $12/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $24,960. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Iowa state income tax, your take-home pay is $10.41/hr. In Iowa's low cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Iowa.

Gross Annual
$24,960
Net Annual
$21,660
Net Monthly
$1,805
Net Hourly
$10.41

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $12.00 $1.59 $10.41
Daily (8 hrs) $96.00 $12.69 $83.31
Weekly (40 hrs) $480.00 $63.47 $416.53
Biweekly $960.00 $126.94 $833.06
Monthly $2,080.00 $275.04 $1,804.96
Annual $24,960 $3,300 $21,660

Full Tax Breakdown — Iowa, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $12/hr × 2,080 hrs $24,960
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $8,860
Federal Income Tax 3.5% −$886.00
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$1,547.52
Medicare (1.45%) −$361.92
Iowa Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Iowa State Income Tax 2.0% −$505.02
Total Tax 13.2% effective −$3,300.46
Net Take-Home $21,660

How Does Iowa Compare?

See how $12/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $287.60 $1,823/mo $21,877 Florida None $1,847/mo $22,165 New York $678.40 $1,791/mo $21,486 Texas None $1,847/mo $22,165 Washington None $1,847/mo $22,165
Open Full Calculator for Iowa — $12/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$12/hr = $24,960/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$24,960 salary in Iowa — full breakdown $24,960 after tax in Iowa $24,960 salary to hourly Iowa paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Iowa

$10/hr in Iowa$11/hr in Iowa$13/hr in Iowa$14/hr in Iowa$15/hr in Iowa

Same Rate, Other States

$12/hr in Alabama$12/hr in Alaska$12/hr in Arizona$12/hr in Arkansas$12/hr in California$12/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Iowa

✗ Difficult — $12/hr falls short in Iowa
  • Avg 1BR rent in Des Moines: $900/mo — over the 30% rule (43% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Iowa: $32,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $21,660 ($10,340 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$15.8/hr

Working at $12/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 ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 87 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Des Moines (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.7x Iowa's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Iowa is 13.2% -- federal income tax accounts for 3.5%, FICA 7.6%, and Iowa state tax 2.0%.

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 $12/hr in Iowa

Based on $1,805/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 49.9%
Food (groceries + dining) $217 $2,604 12.0%
Transportation $180 $2,160 10.0%
Utilities $108 $1,296 6.0%
Healthcare $90 $1,080 5.0%
Entertainment $90 $1,080 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $180 $2,160 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $40 $480 2.2%

Overtime Pay — $12/hr in Iowa

At time-and-a-half ($18.00/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 $90 $75 $3,750
10 hrs/week $180 $149 $7,450
20 hrs/week $360 $298 $14,900

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $12/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $10.41 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 4.2 hrs 4.9 hrs
Week of groceries $120 10 hrs 11.6 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 66.6 hrs 76.8 hrs
1 month rent (Des Moines) $900 75 hrs 86.5 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 833.4 hrs 960.4 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 4000 hrs 4609.6 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

12/hr in Iowa gives you $21,660/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 12 an hour after taxes in Iowa?

12/hr in Iowa = $21,660/year or $1,805/month net. Effective rate: 13.2%.

How does 12/hr go further -- Iowa or Texas?

12/hr in Iowa has similar purchasing power to ~15.8/hr in Texas.

What does 12/hr look like as a monthly budget in Iowa?

On $1,805/month in Iowa: rent $900, food $217, transport $180, savings $180, surplus ~$40.

How much does overtime add at 12/hr in Iowa?

At 1.5x (18.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$3,750/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$7,450/year.