Missouri Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your Missouri take-home pay. Missouri uses an 8-bracket progressive income tax ranging from 0% to 4.7% (top rate effective Jan 2025 per SB 3's revenue-trigger phase-down). The brackets are unusually narrow — each tier is exactly $1,313 wide — but the top 4.7% rate kicks in at just $9,191 of taxable income, so most Missouri working adults pay close to the top rate. Missouri conforms to the FEDERAL standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 MFJ for 2026), making it generous on deductions. Kansas City and St. Louis each levy a 1% earnings tax on residents and on non-residents working in those cities — NOT included in this calculator.
How to use this calculator
- Type your gross pay per paycheck — what you earn before any tax or deduction comes out.
- Pick your pay frequency (biweekly is the default — it's the most common).
- Set your federal filing status (Single or Married Filing Jointly).
- If you contribute to a traditional 401(k), enter the percentage. Add any pre-tax health or HSA deductions per paycheck.
- The result updates as you go. Use Share link to send your numbers to someone else without retyping them.
A real example: a $60,000 salary in St. Louis
Say you take a $60,000-a-year job in St. Louis, paid every two weeks, single, no 401(k). That's $2,307.69 gross per paycheck. The math goes like this for the year (state only — add St. Louis's 1% earnings tax separately):
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | $60,000.00 |
| Federal income tax (after the $16,100 federal standard deduction) | −$5,020.00 |
| Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) | −$3,720.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$870.00 |
| Missouri state tax (8-bracket progressive after $16,100 federal SD) | −$1,887.36 |
| Take-home for the year | $48,502.64 |
| Take-home per biweekly check | $1,865.49 |
About 19% of your gross goes to federal, FICA, and MO state tax combined. Missouri's effective rate at $60k single is about 3.15% — the federal-conformant standard deduction softens the impact of the relatively high top rate. But St. Louis residents owe St. Louis an additional 1% earnings tax (~$600 on $60k), and Kansas City residents owe Kansas City the same 1% — these earnings taxes apply to both residents and to non-residents working in those cities. Total combined rate is closer to 4.15% for residents of those two cities.
Now add a 5% traditional 401(k) and $200/month in pre-tax health premiums on a $120,000 salary, married, paid monthly: gross $10,000/mo, $500 to the 401(k), $200 to health. Missouri follows federal — both pre-tax items reduce MO taxable income, and the MFJ federal SD is $32,200 (double single's $16,100). State tax for the year runs about $3,234, and your monthly take-home lands around $7,591 (before KC/St. Louis 1% local).
How a Missouri paycheck is calculated
Missouri uses 8 narrow brackets — each $1,313 wide — applied identically to single and married filers. The top 4.7% rate starts at just $9,191 of taxable income. Missouri conforms to the federal standard deduction:
A few Missouri-specific details worth knowing:
- Top rate hits at $9,191 — almost everyone pays it. Missouri's brackets are narrow and statutory. By the time you cross $9,191 of taxable income (which happens at gross income of roughly $25,300 for a single filer after the federal SD), every additional dollar is taxed at 4.7%. Marginal rate planning is basically irrelevant in Missouri — focus on credits.
- Federal SD does the heavy lifting. Missouri conforms to the federal standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 MFJ for 2026). This is unusually generous — it's the same as Arizona's and bigger than Georgia's, North Carolina's, or Kentucky's state-specific SDs. Effective rates stay lower than the 4.7% headline because of the SD.
- KC and St. Louis 1% earnings tax is real. Both Kansas City and St. Louis levy a 1% earnings tax on wages earned within city limits — applied to residents AND non-residents who work in the city. It's an additional ~$600 on a $60k salary. NOT included in this calculator. The tax is paid through Form RD-109 (KC) or Form E-1 (St. Louis).
- HB 798 may transition Missouri to a flat tax. Legislation passed in 2025 proposed a flat 4.7% rate with an expanded SD starting TY2026, simplifying the 8-bracket structure. Status varies by source — this calculator uses the verified 8-bracket structure from MO DOR. Watch for updates.
- 401(k) and pre-tax both reduce MO tax. Missouri follows federal treatment for traditional 401(k) and Section 125 items.
- Social Security is fully exempt for ages 62+ or disabled filers — no income threshold. Public pension exemption: $32,000 per person for civilian public pensions. Military pension is fully exempt. Combined with the federal SD, Missouri is moderately retirement-friendly.
- Brackets ARE inflation-indexed — each year, the $1,313 increment adjusts slightly with the CPI. The 2026 increments are very close to $1,313 (subject to small inflation adjustment). The narrow bracket structure means inflation indexing has limited practical effect for most filers.
What Missouri paychecks look like at common salaries (single, no 401k)
| Annual salary | Federal tax | FICA | Missouri tax | Net per year | Net per biweekly check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,620.00 | $3,060.00 | $947.36 | $33,372.64 | $1,283.56 |
| $50,000 | $3,820.00 | $3,825.00 | $1,417.36 | $40,937.64 | $1,574.52 |
| $60,000 | $5,020.00 | $4,590.00 | $1,887.36 | $48,502.64 | $1,865.49 |
| $75,000 | $7,670.00 | $5,737.50 | $2,592.36 | $59,000.14 | $2,269.24 |
| $100,000 | $13,170.00 | $7,650.00 | $3,767.36 | $75,412.64 | $2,900.49 |
| $150,000 | $24,734.00 | $11,475.00 | $6,117.36 | $107,673.64 | $4,141.29 |
Numbers above use 2026 federal rates and Missouri's 8-bracket 0-4.7% progressive brackets ($1,313 increments), single filer, no 401(k) or pre-tax deductions, no KC/St. Louis 1% earnings tax. Your actual withholding will differ based on your MO W-4.
Tips to take home more
- Max out pre-tax benefits first. Health insurance, HSA, and FSA dollars reduce both your federal tax and FICA — that's a roughly 22–28% discount on those expenses for most people.
- A 401(k) is real money, not a deduction. A 5% contribution on $60k is $3,000 the IRS doesn't see right now. You're not losing it — you're moving it.
- Check your W-4 if your refund or bill is large. A big refund means you overpaid all year; a big bill means you underpaid. Either way, the IRS withholding estimator at irs.gov/W4App helps fix it.
- Track the Social Security cap. If you'll cross $184,500 this year, your last few checks will be noticeably bigger for SS. (Medicare and SDI keep going on every dollar.)
- Live in MO, work remotely for an out-of-state employer? Missouri taxes residents on all income regardless of where it's earned. If you work in KC city limits, the 1% Kansas City earnings tax applies regardless of where you live; same for St. Louis. Telecommuting outside MO for an MO employer: check your paystub — withholding can be wrong.
Frequently asked questions
What is Missouri's state income tax rate in 2026?
Missouri uses an 8-bracket progressive income tax for TY2026 with rates from 0% to 4.7%. The top 4.7% rate is the endpoint of SB 3's (2022) revenue-trigger phase-down (down from 5.4% historically). Brackets are in $1,313 increments and apply identically to all filing statuses — the top 4.7% rate kicks in at just $9,191 of taxable income.
How much of a $60,000 salary do you take home in Missouri?
A single filer earning $60,000 in Missouri with no pre-tax deductions takes home roughly $48,503 a year (before city earnings tax), or about $1,865 every two weeks. That's $5,020 federal, $4,590 FICA, and $1,887.36 MO state tax (8 brackets applied to $43,900 after the $16,100 federal SD). St. Louis or Kansas City residents pay an additional 1% earnings tax — about $600 more on $60k.
Do Kansas City and St. Louis have a local income tax?
Yes — both cities levy a 1% earnings tax. The tax applies to wages earned within city limits — to residents AND to non-residents who work in the city. Kansas City uses Form RD-109; St. Louis uses Form E-1. This calculator does NOT include the earnings tax. Other Missouri cities (Springfield, Columbia, Independence, Jefferson City) have no local income tax.
What is the Missouri standard deduction for 2026?
Missouri conforms to the federal standard deduction — $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, $24,150 for head of household (2026 amounts per IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32). This is more generous than most state SDs and helps lower the effective rate well below the 4.7% headline top rate.
Will a 401(k) reduce my Missouri state tax?
Yes. Missouri follows federal treatment — traditional 401(k) contributions reduce both your federal AND Missouri taxable income. A 5% contribution on $80,000 saves about $188 in MO tax alone (4% on $4,000), plus federal and FICA savings. Roth 401(k) contributions don't reduce current-year tax but grow tax-free.