$15 an Hour in Missouri — 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 Missouri state income tax, your take-home pay is $12.75/hr. In Missouri's low cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Missouri.
Pay Period Breakdown
Full Tax Breakdown — Missouri, Single Filer
How Does Missouri Compare?
See how $15/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:
Equivalent Annual Salary Pages
$15/hr = $31,200/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:
Adjacent Rates in Missouri
Same Rate, Other States
Cost of Living in Missouri
- Avg 1BR rent in Kansas City: $950/mo — over the 30% rule (37% of gross monthly)
- Minimum comfortable income in Missouri: $33,000/yr
- Your net annual: $26,524 ($6,476 below comfortable threshold)
- Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$19.1/hr
Working at $15/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 ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 75 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Kansas City (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.1x Missouri's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Missouri is 15.0% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.0%, FICA 7.7%, and Missouri state tax 2.3%.
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 $15/hr in Missouri
Based on $2,210/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Missouri's cost of living.
Overtime Pay — $15/hr in Missouri
At time-and-a-half ($22.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Missouri. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~18.3%.
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 $12.75 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.
Frequently Asked Questions
15 an hour -- is it a good wage in Missouri?
15/hr in Missouri gives you $26,524/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 15 an hour after taxes in Missouri?
15/hr in Missouri = $26,524/year or $2,210/month net. Effective rate: 15.0%.
How does 15/hr go further -- Missouri or Texas?
15/hr in Missouri has similar purchasing power to ~19.1/hr in Texas.
What does 15/hr look like as a monthly budget in Missouri?
On $2,210/month in Missouri: rent $950, food $265, transport $221, savings $221, surplus ~$198.
How much does overtime add at 15/hr in Missouri?
At 1.5x (22.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,600/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,200/year.