Registered Nurses
Median $37.80 an hour in Iowa · 34,420 jobs
Iowa · 2026 take-home pay
$38 an hour after taxes in Iowa
At $38 an hour in Iowa you keep about $29.85 of every hour — $1,194 a week, $5,174 a month or $62,083 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Iowa income tax. Iowa has a flat 3.8% income tax, and its minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
Where $38 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $79,040 | $1,520 | $38.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$8,559 | −$165 | −$4.11 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$4,900 | −$94 | −$2.36 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$1,146 | −$22 | −$0.55 |
| Iowa income tax | −$2,352 | −$45 | −$1.13 |
| Take-home pay | $62,083 | $1,194 | $29.85 |
Effective tax rate 21.5% · federal bracket 22% · Iowa bracket 3.8%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $1,520.00 | $1,193.90 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $3,040.00 | $2,387.80 |
| Twice a month (24) | $3,293.33 | $2,586.79 |
| Monthly (12) | $6,586.67 | $5,173.58 |
$38 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Iowa for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $38 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* | $760 | $636 | $33,084 |
| 30 hours a week | $1,140 | $927 | $48,211 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,520 | $1,194 | $62,083 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,805 | $1,384 | $71,946 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $2,090 | $1,573 | $81,808 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $38 an hour good pay in Iowa?
- Minimum wage: $38 an hour is 5.2 times Iowa's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
- Among Iowa workers: It's about the 79th percentile of hourly pay in Iowa (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 79 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $23.34 an hour.
- Local prices: Iowa's price level is 87.8% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $62,083 a year buys about what $70,740 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,976 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $2,587 a month for needs, $1,552 for wants and $1,035 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Iowa that pay about $38 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Iowa is within 4% of $38 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Accountants and Auditors
Median $37.23 an hour in Iowa · 13,210 jobs
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
Median $38.69 an hour in Iowa · 9,900 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Median $37.75 an hour in Iowa · 9,660 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
Median $37.67 an hour in Iowa · 6,450 jobs
Logisticians
Median $37.86 an hour in Iowa · 2,480 jobs
How Iowa compares on $38 an hour
Iowa ranks 15th of 51 for take-home pay on $38 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $29.85 | $62,083 | $7.25 | — |
| Illinois | $29.17 | $60,667 | $15.00 | −$1,416 a year |
| Minnesota | $28.96 | $60,236 | $11.41 | −$1,847 a year |
| Missouri | $29.64 | $61,657 | $15.00 | −$426 a year |
| Nebraska | $29.67 | $61,718 | $15.00 | −$365 a year |
| South Dakota | $30.98 | $64,435 | $11.85 | +$2,352 a year |
| Wisconsin | $29.45 | $61,251 | $7.25 | −$832 a year |
How the federal tax on $79,040 ($38 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $79,040 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $62,940. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $38,000 | $4,560 |
| 22% | $12,540 | $2,759 |
| Total | $62,940 | $8,559 |
How the Iowa income tax on $79,040 ($38 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $79,040 of Iowa wages minus $16,100 standard deduction = $62,940.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.8% | $62,940 | $2,392 |
| Personal credits | — | −$40 |
| Total | $62,940 | $2,352 |
Common questions
How much is $38 an hour after taxes in Iowa?
About $29.85 for every hour you work, or $62,083 a year at 40 hours a week ($79,040 gross). Taxes take about 21.5% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $38 an hour a week after taxes in Iowa?
About $1,194 a week at 40 hours, from $1,520 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $2,388.
How much is $38 an hour a month after taxes in Iowa?
About $5,174 a month at 40 hours a week, from $6,587 gross.
Is $38 an hour good pay in Iowa?
$38 an hour is 5.2 times Iowa's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. It's about the 79th percentile of hourly pay in Iowa (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 79 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Iowa is $23.34. After taxes and local prices, $62,083 a year buys about what $70,740 would at national-average prices.
Is Iowa a high-tax state for $38 an hour?
It ranks 15th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $38 an hour. The most you'd keep is $64,435 a year, in 7 places including Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada; the least, $58,551 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Iowa
- $34 an hour in Iowa
- $35 an hour in Iowa
- $36 an hour in Iowa
- $37 an hour in Iowa
- $39 an hour in Iowa
- $40 an hour in Iowa
- $45 an hour in Iowa
- $50 an hour in Iowa
$38 an hour in every state · $75,000 a year in Iowa · $80,000 a year in Iowa · Iowa paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Iowa'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.