Missouri Paycheck Calculator

How much of your hard-earned wages does Missouri actually tax?

When you look at your pay stub in Kansas City, review an employment contract in St. Louis, or manage a business budget in Springfield, you will notice that your take-home pay is significantly lower than your gross wages. This difference is caused by a series of mandatory withholdings, including federal progressive income taxes, flat FICA contributions, and Missouri's progressive state income tax.

Missouri's individual income tax operates on a progressive scale. For 2026, state income tax rates span from a low of 2.0% to a top marginal rate of 4.7%. However, the state offers standard deductions conforming directly to federal levels, helping shield your starting wages from state tax. Additionally, if you live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis, you must account for a flat 1.0% local earnings tax on your gross salary.

Running the math on a $72,000 annual salary in Missouri

To see how these deductions look in practice, let's walk through the math for a single employee earning a gross annual salary of $72,000. We will assume they do not contribute to any pre-tax health insurance plans or workplace retirement accounts.

For federal taxes, the employee receives the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100, leaving a taxable base of $55,900. Under progressive federal brackets, this results in an annual federal income tax of $7,010.00. FICA taxes are calculated as 6.2% for Social Security ($4,464.00) and 1.45% for Medicare ($1,044.00).

For state taxes, MO allows a conformed standard deduction of $16,100, which drops the state taxable income to $55,900. Applying the progressive Missouri brackets—including a 0% rate on the first $1,348 and up to 4.7% on the top portion—results in an annual state tax of $2,446.67.

Subtracting these taxes leaves the employee with an annual take-home pay of $57,035.33. For a standard bi-weekly schedule consisting of 26 pay cycles, this translates to a recurring net direct deposit of $2,193.67 per paycheck. You can evaluate your standard federal brackets and withholdings by using a federal paycheck calculator to see how progressive state rates compare side-by-side.

Figure 1: Structure of Missouri standard deductions, tax brackets, and local earnings taxes.

Standard deductions and local earnings taxes that affect your Missouri pay

To lower your individual state tax burden, Missouri permits taxpayers to apply standard deductions that match the federal tax system. These deductions protect a substantial portion of your earnings before state tax rates apply:

• Single / Married Filing Separately: $16,100
• Married Filing Jointly: $32,200
• Head of Household: $24,150

However, local taxes present an additional variable. In St. Louis and Kansas City, you will be subject to a flat 1.0% local earnings tax. Unlike state income taxes, this local tax applies to your raw gross wages before standard deductions are factored in.

If you work remotely for a company located in St. Louis or Kansas City, or if you live inside city borders but work in a suburb, you are generally required to pay this earnings tax. You can find detailed regulations and filing resources directly on the official Missouri Department of Revenue website.

How do pre-tax deductions change a $92,000 salary check?

Enrolling in workplace benefits like pre-tax retirement or health plans is an excellent way to reduce your tax footprint. Let's look at an employee earning a gross annual salary of $92,000 on a bi-weekly schedule (amounting to gross period earnings of $3,538.46) who allocates:

• 7% of their gross paycheck to a traditional, pre-tax 401(k) account ($247.69 per period).
• $130.00 per period to a Section 125 pre-tax health insurance plan.

These selections lower different layers of your withholdings:

• Health Insurance Premiums: Exempt from both income taxes and FICA. In this pay cycle, your FICA-taxable base drops from $3,538.46 to $3,408.46.
• Traditional 401(k) Savings: Tax-deferred for federal and state income taxes, but remains subject to FICA. Your federal and state taxable income drops to $3,160.77.

Incorporating these pre-tax factors results in the following bi-weekly paycheck calculation:

• Gross Period Pay: $3,538.46
• Social Security Tax (6.2% of FICA base): $211.32
• Medicare Tax (1.45% of FICA base): $49.42
• Federal Income Tax (FIT): $355.75
• Missouri State Income Tax (2.0% - 4.7%): $112.51
• Total Deductions: $1,106.69 (includes health premium, 401k, and all taxes)
• Net Take-Home Pay (Take-Home Check): $2,431.77

Figure 2: Allocation of gross salary across federal, state, FICA taxes, pre-tax deductions, and net take-home earnings.

How Missouri's payroll tax burden compares to neighboring states

Missouri shares borders with eight states, meaning many workers commute across state lines or work remotely for companies in adjacent markets. If you are comparing job opportunities, keep in mind how neighboring tax rules differ:

To the east, crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois brings a flat tax system. You can use our Illinois paycheck calculator to see how their flat 4.95% rate compares with Missouri's progressive rates.

Further southeast, Kentucky also levies a flat tax. Check out the Kentucky paycheck calculator to estimate take-home pay under their flat 3.5% tax rate plus local occupational taxes.

To the north, Iowa offers a flat tax rate. The Iowa paycheck calculator outlines how their flat 3.8% state income tax affects your bottom line.