Office Clerks, General
Median $20.37 an hour in Missouri · 56,050 jobs
Missouri · 2026 take-home pay
$20 an hour after taxes in Missouri
At $20 an hour in Missouri you keep about $16.63 of every hour — $665 a week, $2,882 a month or $34,588 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Missouri income tax. Missouri has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $15.00 an hour.
Where $20 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $41,600 | $800 | $20.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,812 | −$54 | −$1.35 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,579 | −$50 | −$1.24 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$603 | −$12 | −$0.29 |
| Missouri income tax | −$1,018 | −$20 | −$0.49 |
| Take-home pay | $34,588 | $665 | $16.63 |
Effective tax rate 16.9% · federal bracket 12% · Missouri bracket 4.7%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $800.00 | $665.15 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,600.00 | $1,330.30 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,733.33 | $1,441.16 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,466.67 | $2,882.31 |
$20 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Missouri for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $20 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $400 | $359 | $18,658 |
| 30 hours a week | $600 | $514 | $26,720 |
| 40 hours a week | $800 | $665 | $34,588 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $950 | $779 | $40,488 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,100 | $892 | $46,389 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $20 an hour good pay in Missouri?
- Minimum wage: $20 an hour is 1.3 times Missouri's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. Retail and service businesses with annual sales under $500,000 are exempt.
- Among Missouri workers: It's about the 37th percentile of hourly pay in Missouri (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 37 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $22.98 an hour.
- Local prices: Missouri's price level is 90.8% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $34,588 a year buys about what $38,085 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,040 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,441 a month for needs, $865 for wants and $576 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Missouri that pay about $20 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Missouri is within 4% of $20 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Security Guards
Median $19.42 an hour in Missouri · 18,630 jobs
Medical Assistants
Median $19.44 an hour in Missouri · 13,050 jobs
Pharmacy Technicians
Median $19.28 an hour in Missouri · 12,610 jobs
Driver/Sales Workers
Median $19.33 an hour in Missouri · 7,590 jobs
Correctional Officers and Jailers
Median $20.49 an hour in Missouri · 6,670 jobs
How Missouri compares on $20 an hour
Missouri ranks 20th of 51 for take-home pay on $20 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $16.63 | $34,588 | $15.00 | — |
| Arkansas | $16.61 | $34,554 | $11.00 | −$34 a year |
| Iowa | $16.67 | $34,677 | $7.25 | +$89 a year |
| Illinois | $16.20 | $33,691 | $15.00 | −$897 a year |
| Kansas | $16.39 | $34,084 | $7.25 | −$504 a year |
| Kentucky | $16.47 | $34,267 | $7.25 | −$321 a year |
| Nebraska | $16.63 | $34,592 | $15.00 | +$4 a year |
| Oklahoma | $16.48 | $34,279 | $7.25 | −$309 a year |
| Tennessee | $17.12 | $35,606 | $7.25 | +$1,018 a year |
How the federal tax on $41,600 ($20 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $41,600 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $25,500. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $13,100 | $1,572 |
| Total | $25,500 | $2,812 |
How the Missouri income tax on $41,600 ($20 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $41,600 of Missouri wages minus $16,100 standard deduction = $25,500.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $1,348 | $0 |
| 2% | $1,348 | $27 |
| 2.5% | $1,348 | $34 |
| 3% | $1,348 | $40 |
| 3.5% | $1,348 | $47 |
| 4% | $1,348 | $54 |
| 4.5% | $1,348 | $61 |
| 4.7% | $16,064 | $755 |
| Total | $25,500 | $1,018 |
Common questions
How much is $20 an hour after taxes in Missouri?
About $16.63 for every hour you work, or $34,588 a year at 40 hours a week ($41,600 gross). Taxes take about 16.9% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $20 an hour a week after taxes in Missouri?
About $665 a week at 40 hours, from $800 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,330.
How much is $20 an hour a month after taxes in Missouri?
About $2,882 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,467 gross.
Is $20 an hour good pay in Missouri?
$20 an hour is 1.3 times Missouri's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 37th percentile of hourly pay in Missouri (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 37 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Missouri is $22.98. After taxes and local prices, $34,588 a year buys about what $38,085 would at national-average prices.
Is Missouri a high-tax state for $20 an hour?
It ranks 20th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $20 an hour. The most you'd keep is $35,606 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $32,757 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Missouri
- $16 an hour in Missouri
- $17 an hour in Missouri
- $18 an hour in Missouri
- $19 an hour in Missouri
- $21 an hour in Missouri
- $22 an hour in Missouri
- $23 an hour in Missouri
- $24 an hour in Missouri
$20 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Missouri · $45,000 a year in Missouri · Missouri paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Missouri's income tax rules (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.