2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Iowa

$16 an Hour in Iowa — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $16/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $33,280. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Iowa state income tax, your take-home pay is $13.43/hr. In Iowa's low cost-of-living environment, this is enough to get by in Iowa, though budget carefully.

Gross Annual
$33,280
Net Annual
$27,941
Net Monthly
$2,328
Net Hourly
$13.43

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $16.00 $2.57 $13.43
Daily (8 hrs) $128.00 $20.53 $107.47
Weekly (40 hrs) $640.00 $102.67 $537.33
Biweekly $1,280.00 $205.34 $1,074.66
Monthly $2,773.33 $444.90 $2,328.44
Annual $33,280 $5,339 $27,941

Full Tax Breakdown — Iowa, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $16/hr × 2,080 hrs $33,280
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $17,180
Federal Income Tax 5.4% −$1,813.60
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,063.36
Medicare (1.45%) −$482.56
Iowa Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Iowa State Income Tax 2.9% −$979.26
Total Tax 16.0% effective −$5,338.78
Net Take-Home $27,941

How Does Iowa Compare?

See how $16/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $505.58 $2,368/mo $28,415 Florida None $2,410/mo $28,920 New York $1,064.45 $2,321/mo $27,856 Texas None $2,410/mo $28,920 Washington None $2,410/mo $28,920
Open Full Calculator for Iowa — $16/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$16/hr = $33,280/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$33,280 salary in Iowa — full breakdown $33,280 after tax in Iowa $33,280 salary to hourly Iowa paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Iowa

$13/hr in Iowa$14/hr in Iowa$15/hr in Iowa$17/hr in Iowa$18/hr in Iowa$19/hr in Iowa

Same Rate, Other States

$16/hr in Alabama$16/hr in Alaska$16/hr in Arizona$16/hr in Arkansas$16/hr in California$16/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Iowa

⚠ Tight — $16/hr is borderline in Iowa
  • Avg 1BR rent in Des Moines: $900/mo — over the 30% rule (32% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Iowa: $32,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $27,941 ($4,059 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$21/hr

Working at $16/hr in Iowa

This is a solid middle-class income in Iowa. Des Moines' insurance and financial sector creates stable employment at this level. The declining income tax rate means take-home improves slightly each year as Iowa continues its rate reduction path.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 67 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Des Moines (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 2.2x Iowa's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Iowa is 16.0% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.4%, FICA 7.6%, and Iowa state tax 2.9%.

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 $16/hr in Iowa

Based on $2,328/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 38.7%
Food (groceries + dining) $279 $3,348 12.0%
Transportation $233 $2,796 10.0%
Utilities $140 $1,680 6.0%
Healthcare $116 $1,392 5.0%
Entertainment $116 $1,392 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $233 $2,796 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $311 $3,732 13.4%

Overtime Pay — $16/hr in Iowa

At time-and-a-half ($24.00/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 $120 $97 $4,850
10 hrs/week $240 $194 $9,700
20 hrs/week $480 $388 $19,400

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $16/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $13.43 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3.2 hrs 3.8 hrs
Week of groceries $120 7.5 hrs 9 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 50 hrs 59.5 hrs
1 month rent (Des Moines) $900 56.3 hrs 67 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 625 hrs 744.5 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3000 hrs 3573.3 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

16/hr in Iowa gives you $27,941/year after taxes -- enough to get by in Iowa, though budget carefully. Avg 1BR rent in Des Moines: $900/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 16 an hour after taxes in Iowa?

16/hr in Iowa = $27,941/year or $2,328/month net. Effective rate: 16.0%.

How does 16/hr go further -- Iowa or Texas?

16/hr in Iowa has similar purchasing power to ~21/hr in Texas.

What does 16/hr look like as a monthly budget in Iowa?

On $2,328/month in Iowa: rent $900, food $279, transport $233, savings $233, surplus ~$311.

How much does overtime add at 16/hr in Iowa?

At 1.5x (24.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,850/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,700/year.