2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Iowa

$28 an Hour in Iowa — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $28/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $58,240. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Iowa state income tax, your take-home pay is $22.39/hr. In Iowa's low cost-of-living environment, this is a comfortable living wage in Iowa.

Gross Annual
$58,240
Net Annual
$46,574
Net Monthly
$3,881
Net Hourly
$22.39

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $28.00 $5.61 $22.39
Daily (8 hrs) $224.00 $44.87 $179.13
Weekly (40 hrs) $1,120.00 $224.35 $895.65
Biweekly $2,240.00 $448.70 $1,791.30
Monthly $4,853.33 $972.18 $3,881.16
Annual $58,240 $11,666 $46,574

Full Tax Breakdown — Iowa, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $28/hr × 2,080 hrs $58,240
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $42,140
Federal Income Tax 8.3% −$4,808.80
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$3,610.88
Medicare (1.45%) −$844.48
Iowa Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Iowa State Income Tax 4.1% −$2,401.98
Total Tax 20.0% effective −$11,666.14
Net Take-Home $46,574

How Does Iowa Compare?

See how $28/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $1,759.84 $3,935/mo $47,216 Florida None $4,081/mo $48,976 New York $2,508.89 $3,872/mo $46,467 Texas None $4,081/mo $48,976 Washington None $4,081/mo $48,976
Open Full Calculator for Iowa — $28/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$28/hr = $58,240/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$58,240 salary in Iowa — full breakdown $58,240 after tax in Iowa $58,240 salary to hourly Iowa paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Iowa

$25/hr in Iowa$26/hr in Iowa$27/hr in Iowa$29/hr in Iowa$30/hr in Iowa$31/hr in Iowa

Same Rate, Other States

$28/hr in Alabama$28/hr in Alaska$28/hr in Arizona$28/hr in Arkansas$28/hr in California$28/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Iowa

✓ Comfortable — $28/hr covers costs in Iowa
  • Avg 1BR rent in Des Moines: $900/mo — within budget (19% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Iowa: $32,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $46,574 ($14,574 above comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$36.8/hr

Working at $28/hr in Iowa

At this level in Iowa you're in the top tier of earners statewide. The combination of low taxes, very low cost of living, and stable industries creates genuine financial security at this wage.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 41 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Des Moines (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's within the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 3.9x Iowa's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Iowa is 20.0% -- federal income tax accounts for 8.3%, FICA 7.7%, and Iowa state tax 4.1%.

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 $28/hr in Iowa

Based on $3,881/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 23.2%
Food (groceries + dining) $466 $5,592 12.0%
Transportation $388 $4,656 10.0%
Utilities $233 $2,796 6.0%
Healthcare $194 $2,328 5.0%
Entertainment $194 $2,328 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $388 $4,656 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $1,118 $13,416 28.8%

Overtime Pay — $28/hr in Iowa

At time-and-a-half ($42.00/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 $210 $170 $8,500
10 hrs/week $420 $340 $17,000
20 hrs/week $840 $679 $33,950

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $28/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $22.39 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 1.8 hrs 2.3 hrs
Week of groceries $120 4.3 hrs 5.4 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 28.6 hrs 35.7 hrs
1 month rent (Des Moines) $900 32.2 hrs 40.2 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 357.2 hrs 446.7 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 1714.3 hrs 2143.7 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

28/hr in Iowa gives you $46,574/year after taxes -- a comfortable living wage in Iowa. Avg 1BR rent in Des Moines: $900/month (within the 30% rule).

What is 28 an hour after taxes in Iowa?

28/hr in Iowa = $46,574/year or $3,881/month net. Effective rate: 20.0%.

How does 28/hr go further -- Iowa or Texas?

28/hr in Iowa has similar purchasing power to ~36.8/hr in Texas.

What does 28/hr look like as a monthly budget in Iowa?

On $3,881/month in Iowa: rent $900, food $466, transport $388, savings $388, surplus ~$1,118.

How much does overtime add at 28/hr in Iowa?

At 1.5x (42.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$8,500/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$17,000/year.