2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Iowa

$15 an Hour in Iowa — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $15/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $31,200. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Iowa state income tax, your take-home pay is $12.69/hr. In Iowa's low cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Iowa.

Gross Annual
$31,200
Net Annual
$26,389
Net Monthly
$2,199
Net Hourly
$12.69

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $15.00 $2.31 $12.69
Daily (8 hrs) $120.00 $18.51 $101.49
Weekly (40 hrs) $600.00 $92.53 $507.47
Biweekly $1,200.00 $185.06 $1,014.94
Monthly $2,600.00 $400.96 $2,199.04
Annual $31,200 $4,812 $26,389

Full Tax Breakdown — Iowa, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $15/hr × 2,080 hrs $31,200
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $15,100
Federal Income Tax 5.0% −$1,564.00
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$1,934.40
Medicare (1.45%) −$452.40
Iowa Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Iowa State Income Tax 2.8% −$860.70
Total Tax 15.4% effective −$4,811.50
Net Take-Home $26,389

How Does Iowa Compare?

See how $15/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $422.38 $2,236/mo $26,827 Florida None $2,271/mo $27,249 New York $958.25 $2,191/mo $26,291 Texas None $2,271/mo $27,249 Washington None $2,271/mo $27,249
Open Full Calculator for Iowa — $15/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$15/hr = $31,200/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$31,200 salary in Iowa — full breakdown $31,200 after tax in Iowa $31,200 salary to hourly Iowa paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Iowa

$12/hr in Iowa$13/hr in Iowa$14/hr in Iowa$16/hr in Iowa$17/hr in Iowa$18/hr in Iowa

Same Rate, Other States

$15/hr in Alabama$15/hr in Alaska$15/hr in Arizona$15/hr in Arkansas$15/hr in California$15/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Iowa

✗ Difficult — $15/hr falls short in Iowa
  • Avg 1BR rent in Des Moines: $900/mo — over the 30% rule (35% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Iowa: $32,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $26,389 ($5,612 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$19.7/hr

Working at $15/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 ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 71 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Des Moines (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 2.1x Iowa's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Iowa is 15.4% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.0%, FICA 7.7%, and Iowa state tax 2.8%.

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 $15/hr in Iowa

Based on $2,199/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 40.9%
Food (groceries + dining) $264 $3,168 12.0%
Transportation $220 $2,640 10.0%
Utilities $132 $1,584 6.0%
Healthcare $110 $1,320 5.0%
Entertainment $110 $1,320 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $220 $2,640 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $243 $2,916 11.1%

Overtime Pay — $15/hr in Iowa

At time-and-a-half ($22.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Iowa. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~19.1%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $113 $91 $4,550
10 hrs/week $225 $182 $9,100
20 hrs/week $450 $364 $18,200

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $15/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $12.69 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3.4 hrs 4 hrs
Week of groceries $120 8 hrs 9.5 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 53.3 hrs 63 hrs
1 month rent (Des Moines) $900 60 hrs 71 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 666.7 hrs 788.3 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3200 hrs 3783.5 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

15/hr in Iowa gives you $26,389/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 15 an hour after taxes in Iowa?

15/hr in Iowa = $26,389/year or $2,199/month net. Effective rate: 15.4%.

How does 15/hr go further -- Iowa or Texas?

15/hr in Iowa has similar purchasing power to ~19.7/hr in Texas.

What does 15/hr look like as a monthly budget in Iowa?

On $2,199/month in Iowa: rent $900, food $264, transport $220, savings $220, surplus ~$243.

How much does overtime add at 15/hr in Iowa?

At 1.5x (22.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,550/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,100/year.