2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Iowa

$23 an Hour in Iowa — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $23/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $47,840. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Iowa state income tax, your take-home pay is $18.66/hr. In Iowa's low cost-of-living environment, this is a comfortable living wage in Iowa.

Gross Annual
$47,840
Net Annual
$38,810
Net Monthly
$3,234
Net Hourly
$18.66

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $23.00 $4.34 $18.66
Daily (8 hrs) $184.00 $34.73 $149.27
Weekly (40 hrs) $920.00 $173.65 $746.35
Biweekly $1,840.00 $347.30 $1,492.70
Monthly $3,986.67 $752.48 $3,234.19
Annual $47,840 $9,030 $38,810

Full Tax Breakdown — Iowa, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $23/hr × 2,080 hrs $47,840
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $31,740
Federal Income Tax 7.4% −$3,560.80
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,966.08
Medicare (1.45%) −$693.68
Iowa Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Iowa State Income Tax 3.8% −$1,809.18
Total Tax 18.9% effective −$9,029.74
Net Take-Home $38,810

How Does Iowa Compare?

See how $23/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $1,135.84 $3,290/mo $39,484 Florida None $3,385/mo $40,619 New York $1,900.49 $3,227/mo $38,719 Texas None $3,385/mo $40,619 Washington None $3,385/mo $40,619
Open Full Calculator for Iowa — $23/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$23/hr = $47,840/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$47,840 salary in Iowa — full breakdown $47,840 after tax in Iowa $47,840 salary to hourly Iowa paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Iowa

$20/hr in Iowa$21/hr in Iowa$22/hr in Iowa$24/hr in Iowa$25/hr in Iowa$26/hr in Iowa

Same Rate, Other States

$23/hr in Alabama$23/hr in Alaska$23/hr in Arizona$23/hr in Arkansas$23/hr in California$23/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Iowa

✓ Comfortable — $23/hr covers costs in Iowa
  • Avg 1BR rent in Des Moines: $900/mo — within budget (23% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Iowa: $32,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $38,810 ($6,810 above comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$30.2/hr

Working at $23/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 ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 49 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Des Moines (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's within the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 3.2x Iowa's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Iowa is 18.9% -- federal income tax accounts for 7.4%, FICA 7.6%, and Iowa state tax 3.8%.

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 $23/hr in Iowa

Based on $3,234/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 27.8%
Food (groceries + dining) $388 $4,656 12.0%
Transportation $323 $3,876 10.0%
Utilities $194 $2,328 6.0%
Healthcare $162 $1,944 5.0%
Entertainment $162 $1,944 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $323 $3,876 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $782 $9,384 24.2%

Overtime Pay — $23/hr in Iowa

At time-and-a-half ($34.50/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 $173 $139 $6,950
10 hrs/week $345 $279 $13,950
20 hrs/week $690 $558 $27,900

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $23/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $18.66 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 2.2 hrs 2.7 hrs
Week of groceries $120 5.3 hrs 6.5 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 34.8 hrs 42.9 hrs
1 month rent (Des Moines) $900 39.2 hrs 48.3 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 434.8 hrs 536 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 2087 hrs 2572.6 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

23/hr in Iowa gives you $38,810/year after taxes -- a comfortable living wage in Iowa. Avg 1BR rent in Des Moines: $900/month (within the 30% rule).

What is 23 an hour after taxes in Iowa?

23/hr in Iowa = $38,810/year or $3,234/month net. Effective rate: 18.9%.

How does 23/hr go further -- Iowa or Texas?

23/hr in Iowa has similar purchasing power to ~30.2/hr in Texas.

What does 23/hr look like as a monthly budget in Iowa?

On $3,234/month in Iowa: rent $900, food $388, transport $323, savings $323, surplus ~$782.

How much does overtime add at 23/hr in Iowa?

At 1.5x (34.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$6,950/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$13,950/year.