2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Iowa

$17 an Hour in Iowa — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $17/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $35,360. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Iowa state income tax, your take-home pay is $14.18/hr. In Iowa's low cost-of-living environment, this is enough to get by in Iowa, though budget carefully.

Gross Annual
$35,360
Net Annual
$29,494
Net Monthly
$2,458
Net Hourly
$14.18

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $17.00 $2.82 $14.18
Daily (8 hrs) $136.00 $22.56 $113.44
Weekly (40 hrs) $680.00 $112.81 $567.19
Biweekly $1,360.00 $225.62 $1,134.38
Monthly $2,946.67 $488.84 $2,457.83
Annual $35,360 $5,866 $29,494

Full Tax Breakdown — Iowa, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $17/hr × 2,080 hrs $35,360
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $19,260
Federal Income Tax 5.8% −$2,063.20
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,192.32
Medicare (1.45%) −$512.72
Iowa Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Iowa State Income Tax 3.1% −$1,097.82
Total Tax 16.6% effective −$5,866.06
Net Take-Home $29,494

How Does Iowa Compare?

See how $17/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $588.78 $2,500/mo $30,003 Florida None $2,549/mo $30,592 New York $1,173.65 $2,452/mo $29,418 Texas None $2,549/mo $30,592 Washington None $2,549/mo $30,592
Open Full Calculator for Iowa — $17/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$17/hr = $35,360/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$35,360 salary in Iowa — full breakdown $35,360 after tax in Iowa $35,360 salary to hourly Iowa paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Iowa

$14/hr in Iowa$15/hr in Iowa$16/hr in Iowa$18/hr in Iowa$19/hr in Iowa$20/hr in Iowa

Same Rate, Other States

$17/hr in Alabama$17/hr in Alaska$17/hr in Arizona$17/hr in Arkansas$17/hr in California$17/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Iowa

⚠ Tight — $17/hr is borderline in Iowa
  • Avg 1BR rent in Des Moines: $900/mo — over the 30% rule (31% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Iowa: $32,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $29,494 ($2,506 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$22.3/hr

Working at $17/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 ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 64 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Des Moines (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 2.3x Iowa's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Iowa is 16.6% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.8%, FICA 7.6%, and Iowa state tax 3.1%.

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 $17/hr in Iowa

Based on $2,458/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 36.6%
Food (groceries + dining) $295 $3,540 12.0%
Transportation $246 $2,952 10.0%
Utilities $147 $1,764 6.0%
Healthcare $123 $1,476 5.0%
Entertainment $123 $1,476 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $246 $2,952 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $378 $4,536 15.4%

Overtime Pay — $17/hr in Iowa

At time-and-a-half ($25.50/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 $128 $103 $5,150
10 hrs/week $255 $206 $10,300
20 hrs/week $510 $412 $20,600

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $17/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $14.18 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3 hrs 3.6 hrs
Week of groceries $120 7.1 hrs 8.5 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 47 hrs 56.4 hrs
1 month rent (Des Moines) $900 53 hrs 63.5 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 588.3 hrs 705.3 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 2823.6 hrs 3385.2 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

17/hr in Iowa gives you $29,494/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 17 an hour after taxes in Iowa?

17/hr in Iowa = $29,494/year or $2,458/month net. Effective rate: 16.6%.

How does 17/hr go further -- Iowa or Texas?

17/hr in Iowa has similar purchasing power to ~22.3/hr in Texas.

What does 17/hr look like as a monthly budget in Iowa?

On $2,458/month in Iowa: rent $900, food $295, transport $246, savings $246, surplus ~$378.

How much does overtime add at 17/hr in Iowa?

At 1.5x (25.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$5,150/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$10,300/year.