2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Missouri

$12 an Hour in Missouri — 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 Missouri state income tax, your take-home pay is $10.45/hr. In Missouri's low cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Missouri.

Gross Annual
$24,960
Net Annual
$21,739
Net Monthly
$1,812
Net Hourly
$10.45

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $12.00 $1.55 $10.45
Daily (8 hrs) $96.00 $12.39 $83.61
Weekly (40 hrs) $480.00 $61.94 $418.06
Biweekly $960.00 $123.87 $836.13
Monthly $2,080.00 $268.39 $1,811.61
Annual $24,960 $3,221 $21,739

Full Tax Breakdown — Missouri, 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
Missouri Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Missouri State Income Tax 1.7% −$425.28
Total Tax 12.9% effective −$3,220.72
Net Take-Home $21,739

How Does Missouri 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 Missouri — $12/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

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

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

Adjacent Rates in Missouri

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

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 Missouri

✗ Difficult — $12/hr falls short in Missouri
  • Avg 1BR rent in Kansas City: $950/mo — over the 30% rule (46% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Missouri: $33,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $21,739 ($11,261 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$15.3/hr

Working at $12/hr in Missouri

Missouri's low cost of living — Kansas City 1BR averages $950/month — and flat 4.8% tax create manageable finances at this wage. Kansas City and St. Louis both offer affordable urban living relative to comparable metros.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 91 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Kansas City (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 0.9x Missouri's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Missouri is 12.9% -- federal income tax accounts for 3.5%, FICA 7.6%, and Missouri state tax 1.7%.

Missouri has a diversified economy including finance (Edward Jones, Citi operations in St. Louis), healthcare (BJC HealthCare, SSM Health), agriculture, manufacturing, and a growing tech scene in Kansas City and St. Louis.

Missouri has a flat 4.8% income tax rate (reduced from a graduated system). The state mirrors the federal standard deduction.

Missouri's minimum wage is $13.75/hr (2026), indexed to inflation.

Monthly Budget on $12/hr in Missouri

Based on $1,812/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Missouri's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $950 $11,400 52.4%
Food (groceries + dining) $217 $2,604 12.0%
Transportation $181 $2,172 10.0%
Utilities $109 $1,308 6.0%
Healthcare $91 $1,092 5.0%
Entertainment $91 $1,092 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $181 $2,172 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-8 $-96 -0.4%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Missouri at $12/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $12/hr in Missouri

At time-and-a-half ($18.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Missouri. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~16.3%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $90 $75 $3,750
10 hrs/week $180 $151 $7,550
20 hrs/week $360 $302 $15,100

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 $10.45 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 4.2 hrs 4.8 hrs
Week of groceries $120 10 hrs 11.5 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 66.6 hrs 76.5 hrs
1 month rent (Kansas City) $950 79.2 hrs 90.9 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 833.4 hrs 956.8 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 4000 hrs 4592.7 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

12/hr in Missouri gives you $21,739/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Missouri. Avg 1BR rent in Kansas City: $950/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 12 an hour after taxes in Missouri?

12/hr in Missouri = $21,739/year or $1,812/month net. Effective rate: 12.9%.

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

12/hr in Missouri has similar purchasing power to ~15.3/hr in Texas.

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

On $1,812/month in Missouri: rent $950, food $217, transport $181, savings $181, surplus ~$0.

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

At 1.5x (18.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$3,750/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$7,550/year.