How does Missouri work out the income tax taken from my paycheck?

The Department of Revenue's withholding formula has your employer turn the paycheck into a year of pay, subtract a standard deduction that depends on the filing status on your Form MO W-4, and tax the rest at 0% on the first $1,348, then 2.0% to 4.5% on each following $1,348 and 4.7% above $9,436. The year's tax is divided back across the paychecks and rounded to the dollar. For a $60,000 salary, single, that is $60,000 less $16,100, $43,900 of taxable income, $1,882.67 of tax and $72.00 to the dollar a paycheck.

How much is $60,000 a year after tax in Missouri?

For a single employee paid every two weeks, a $60,000 salary takes home $1,866.07 a paycheck, or $48,517.88 a year. The year's taxes are $5,020.08 of federal income tax, $1,872.00 of Missouri income tax, $3,720.08 of Social Security and $869.96 of Medicare.

How much is $20 an hour after tax in Missouri?

At 40 hours a week and weekly pay, $20 an hour is $800.00 gross and $664.72 take-home a week for a single employee. That is $54.08 of federal income tax, $20.00 of Missouri income tax, $49.60 of Social Security and $11.60 of Medicare. Switch to hourly in the calculator to type your own hours, including overtime.

How much does the filing status change my Missouri withholding?

A lot. On the $60,000 example, single withholds $72.00 a paycheck, head of household $58.00, and married with a spouse who does not work $43.00. The married box is checked on line 1 of the MO W-4 and is not a separate filing status. A married employee whose spouse works takes the same $16,100 deduction as a single one.

How does Missouri tax a bonus?

A bonus paid with regular wages is added to them and taxed as one payment. One paid separately from an employee whose regular wages have Missouri tax withheld can be withheld at a flat 4.7%, or added to the regular wages for the period with the tax already withheld taken off. This calculator treats all pay as regular pay, and the bonus tax calculator works out the bonus case.

Do Kansas City and St. Louis take a tax out of my paycheck too?

Yes, if you live or work there. Kansas City residents pay the city's one percent earnings tax on their pay wherever they earn it, and St. Louis charges a 1% tax on the wages of employees living or working in the city. Those taxes are the cities' own and are not part of the state method, so they are not in this calculator.

What if I live in another state but work in Missouri?

Missouri has no reciprocity agreement with any other state. A nonresident who does all the work in Missouri is withheld like a resident, and one who works only outside Missouri is not subject to Missouri withholding. For someone working partly in Missouri, the withholding is cut to the share of the wages that come from Missouri work. A Missouri resident working in a state with a lower rate has the difference withheld for Missouri.

What does a 401(k), an HSA or a health plan do to my Missouri paycheck?

Missouri's withholding formula starts from gross taxable income as federal Publication 15 defines it, and the state's tax law gives its terms the same meaning as in federal income tax law. This calculator therefore takes a 401(k) deferral, health premiums through a cafeteria plan and HSA contributions through one out of the pay before it applies the Missouri formula. Putting 6% of a $60,000 salary into a 401(k) ($138.46 a paycheck) cuts Missouri withholding by $6.00 and take-home pay by only $115.84. A $100 HSA contribution a paycheck cuts Missouri withholding by $4.00.

Who pays unemployment tax in Missouri, and how much is it?

The employer does, to the Division of Employment Security, and nothing comes out of your paycheck for it. Taxable wages are the first $9,000 of each employee's pay. A new employer pays 2.376% in 2026 (1.00% for a new nonprofit), which is $213.84 a year per employee, until it has its own record. Missouri is not on the Labor Department's list of states with a 2026 federal credit reduction.

Missouri Paycheck Calculator

Last updated October 22, 2026FreeNo signupFormula shown

Enter your pay, how often you are paid, the answers on your Form W-4 and Missouri Form MO W-4, and this Missouri paycheck calculator shows your 2026 take-home pay. It follows the Department of Revenue's withholding formula, rates from 0% to 4.7% on what is left after the standard deduction for your filing status, and works out the employer's side of the bill under it.

State

Missouri

Another state? Pick any of the 50 states and DC.

I'm paid

Yearly salary (USD)

Pay frequency

Filing status on Form W-4

Form W-4 steps 2 to 4

Step 2 box is checked

Two jobs with similar pay, or both spouses work. Missouri reads this as Married and spouse works on Form MO W-4, which takes the $16,100 standard deduction instead of $32,200.

Children under 17

Step 3: $2,200 each.

Other dependents

Step 3: $500 each.

Other income per year

Step 4(a).

Deductions per year

Step 4(b).

Extra withholding each paycheck (USD)

Step 4(c).

401(k), % of pay

2026 limit $24,500.

Health premiums per paycheck

Pre-tax.

HSA per paycheck

2026 limit $8,750.

Take-home pay per paycheck

$1,866.07

$2,307.69 gross · $441.62 withheld (19.1%)

Where this paycheck goes

Gross pay: $2,307.69
Federal income tax: - $193.08
Social Security6.2%: - $143.08
Medicare1.45%: - $33.46
Additional Medicare0.9%: - $0.00
Missouri income tax: - $72.00
401(k): - $0.00
Health premiums: - $0.00
HSA: - $0.00

Take-home pay$1,866.07

Over the year, 26 paychecks

Gross pay: $60,000
Taxes: - $11,482
Pre-tax deductions: - $0
Share kept: 80.9%

Take-home pay$48,518

Of every $100 of gross pay, $81 is take-home.

Federal income tax$5,020 · 8.4%
Social Security$3,720 · 6.2%
Medicare$870 · 1.4%
Missouri income tax$1,872 · 3.1%
Take-home pay$48,518 · 80.9%

Take-home pay rises with every extra dollar of salary.

Gross payTake-home pay

This pay costs the employer $64,846 a year, $2,494.07 each pay period.

What the employer adds, per year

Employer Social Security6.2% to $184,500: $3,720
Employer Medicare1.45%: $870
Federal unemployment (FUTA)0.6% of the first $7,000: $42
Missouri unemployment2.376% of the first $9,000: $214

Employer taxes$4,846

Total cost of the employee

Gross pay: $60,000
Employer taxes: + $4,846
Per pay period: $2,494.07

Per year$64,846

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Missouri withholds 0% to 4.7% of a year's pay, after a standard deduction of $16,100 or more.

The Department of Revenue's formula has two steps. Your employer turns the paycheck into a year of pay and subtracts the standard deduction for the filing status on your MO W-4. The rest is taxed at 0% on the first $1,348, then 2.0%, 2.5%, 3.0%, 3.5%, 4.0% and 4.5% on each following $1,348 up to $9,436, and 4.7% above that. The year's tax is divided back across the paychecks and rounded to the nearest whole dollar, so Missouri withholding is always a whole number.

A $60,000 Missouri salary takes home $1,866.07 every two weeks.

The calculator opens on this case: a single employee on a standard Form W-4, paid every two weeks, with no pre-tax deductions.

Gross pay: $60,000 ÷ 26 = $2,307.69
Federal income tax: $193.08
Missouri income tax: $60,000 − $16,100 = $43,900 of taxable income; the first $9,436 taxes $262.86 (the Department's example rounds each band to the dollar, $263), 4.7% of the other $34,464 is $1,619.81; total $1,882.67; ÷ 26 = $72.41, which is $72.00 to the dollar
Social Security: 6.2% × $2,307.69 = $143.08; Medicare: 1.45% = $33.46
Take-home pay: $1,866.07 a paycheck, $48,517.88 a year

Of $60,000 gross, $48,518 reaches the bank account.

Federal income tax$5,020 · 8.4%
Social Security$3,720 · 6.2%
Medicare$870 · 1.4%
Missouri income tax$1,872 · 3.1%
Take-home pay$48,518 · 80.9%

Each paycheck: $1,866.07Kept: 80.9%

A single employee on a $60,000 salary, paid every two weeks. Invented example. Each tax is rounded to the cent in every paycheck, as payroll does.

The filing status on the MO W-4 moves the Missouri tax of this paycheck from $43.00 to $72.00.

Missouri has no allowances. Line 1 of the MO W-4 is a filing status, and it sets the standard deduction: $16,100 for single, for married with a working spouse and for married filing separately, $24,150 for head of household and $32,200 for married with a spouse who does not work, which is a check box on line 1 and not a filing status of its own. The bigger the deduction, the less of the pay is taxed.

The filing status on the MO W-4 sets the Missouri tax of a biweekly paycheck, from $43.00 to $72.00.

Single$72.00
Married, spouse works$72.00
Head of household$58.00
Married, spouse does not work$43.00

Invented example: a $60,000 salary, paid every two weeks, no pre-tax deductions.

Kansas City and St. Louis add their own 1% tax, which is not in the state method.

Kansas City residents pay a one percent earnings tax on their pay wherever they earn it, and St. Louis withholds 1% from employees who live or work in the city. Both are the cities' own taxes. The state formula does not include them, and neither does this calculator, so take 1% of pay off the result if either applies to you.

Missouri defines wages the way federal law does, so a 401(k) lowers the tax.

The formula starts from gross taxable income as federal Publication 15 defines it. A 401(k) deferral of 6% on the $60,000 example is $138.46 a paycheck, and it lowers Missouri withholding by $6.00. Social Security and Medicare still apply to a 401(k) deferral, but not to health premiums or an HSA contribution made through a cafeteria plan.

A 6% 401(k) lowers federal tax by $16.62 and Missouri tax by $6.00 a paycheck.

Federal tax, no 401(k)$193.08
Federal tax, 6% 401(k)$176.46
Missouri tax, no 401(k)$72.00
Missouri tax, 6% 401(k)$66.00

Invented example: a $60,000 salary, single, paid every two weeks. 6% of pay is $138.46 a paycheck.

Hiring that employee costs $64,846 a year in Missouri.

On top of the $60,000, the employer matches Social Security and Medicare at 6.2% and 1.45%, which is $4,590. It pays federal unemployment tax of 0.6% on the first $7,000, which is $42; Missouri is not on the Labor Department's list of states with a 2026 credit reduction. A new Missouri employer pays unemployment tax at 2.376% on the first $9,000 of pay, which is $213.84 a year per employee. The employee pays nothing toward it.

On $60,000 of pay, the employer owes $4,846 more in taxes.

Employer Social Security$3,720
Employer Medicare$870
Missouri unemployment$214
Federal unemployment (FUTA)$42

An employee on a $60,000 salary. Missouri unemployment is the 2026 new-employer rate of 2.376% on the first $9,000.

Take-home pay in Missouri runs from $33,384 on $40,000 to $107,681 on $150,000.

For a single employee, paid every two weeks. Hourly workers can get their weekly figure from the hourly paycheck calculator.

Take-home pay in Missouri for a single employee on a standard Form W-4, paid every two weeks, with no pre-tax deductions. Missouri taxes are its income tax.
Salary	Federal tax	Social Security and Medicare	Missouri taxes	Take-home a year	Every two weeks
$40,000	$2,620	$3,060	$936	$33,384	$1,284.00
$50,000	$3,820	$3,825	$1,404	$40,951	$1,575.05
$60,000	$5,020	$4,590	$1,872	$48,518	$1,866.07
$75,000	$7,670	$5,738	$2,600	$58,992	$2,268.94
$100,000	$13,170	$7,650	$3,770	$75,410	$2,900.38
$150,000	$24,734	$11,475	$6,110	$107,681	$4,141.58

Methodology & sources

The formula this calculator uses is shown in full above, and every assumption is an input you control. There are no hidden industry presets. All math runs in your browser; nothing you enter is stored or sent to a server. For the reasoning behind the formula and its edge cases, see:

Frequently asked questions

How does Missouri work out the income tax taken from my paycheck?: The Department of Revenue's withholding formula has your employer turn the paycheck into a year of pay, subtract a standard deduction that depends on the filing status on your Form MO W-4, and tax the rest at 0% on the first $1,348, then 2.0% to 4.5% on each following $1,348 and 4.7% above $9,436. The year's tax is divided back across the paychecks and rounded to the dollar. For a $60,000 salary, single, that is $60,000 less $16,100, $43,900 of taxable income, $1,882.67 of tax and $72.00 to the dollar a paycheck.
How much is $60,000 a year after tax in Missouri?: For a single employee paid every two weeks, a $60,000 salary takes home $1,866.07 a paycheck, or $48,517.88 a year. The year's taxes are $5,020.08 of federal income tax, $1,872.00 of Missouri income tax, $3,720.08 of Social Security and $869.96 of Medicare.
How much is $20 an hour after tax in Missouri?: At 40 hours a week and weekly pay, $20 an hour is $800.00 gross and $664.72 take-home a week for a single employee. That is $54.08 of federal income tax, $20.00 of Missouri income tax, $49.60 of Social Security and $11.60 of Medicare. Switch to hourly in the calculator to type your own hours, including overtime.
Does Missouri have allowances on its withholding form?: No. The Form MO W-4 has no allowances. Line 1 is your filing status, which sets the standard deduction: $16,100 for single, married with a working spouse and married filing separately, $24,150 for head of household, and $32,200 for married with a spouse who does not work. Line 2 is an extra amount to withhold each paycheck, and line 3 lets an employee who expects a refund ask for a fixed lower amount.
How much does the filing status change my Missouri withholding?: A lot. On the $60,000 example, single withholds $72.00 a paycheck, head of household $58.00, and married with a spouse who does not work $43.00. The married box is checked on line 1 of the MO W-4 and is not a separate filing status. A married employee whose spouse works takes the same $16,100 deduction as a single one.
How does Missouri tax a bonus?: A bonus paid with regular wages is added to them and taxed as one payment. One paid separately from an employee whose regular wages have Missouri tax withheld can be withheld at a flat 4.7%, or added to the regular wages for the period with the tax already withheld taken off. This calculator treats all pay as regular pay, and the bonus tax calculator works out the bonus case.
Do Kansas City and St. Louis take a tax out of my paycheck too?: Yes, if you live or work there. Kansas City residents pay the city's one percent earnings tax on their pay wherever they earn it, and St. Louis charges a 1% tax on the wages of employees living or working in the city. Those taxes are the cities' own and are not part of the state method, so they are not in this calculator.
What if I live in another state but work in Missouri?: Missouri has no reciprocity agreement with any other state. A nonresident who does all the work in Missouri is withheld like a resident, and one who works only outside Missouri is not subject to Missouri withholding. For someone working partly in Missouri, the withholding is cut to the share of the wages that come from Missouri work. A Missouri resident working in a state with a lower rate has the difference withheld for Missouri.
What does a 401(k), an HSA or a health plan do to my Missouri paycheck?: Missouri's withholding formula starts from gross taxable income as federal Publication 15 defines it, and the state's tax law gives its terms the same meaning as in federal income tax law. This calculator therefore takes a 401(k) deferral, health premiums through a cafeteria plan and HSA contributions through one out of the pay before it applies the Missouri formula. Putting 6% of a $60,000 salary into a 401(k) ($138.46 a paycheck) cuts Missouri withholding by $6.00 and take-home pay by only $115.84. A $100 HSA contribution a paycheck cuts Missouri withholding by $4.00.
Who pays unemployment tax in Missouri, and how much is it?: The employer does, to the Division of Employment Security, and nothing comes out of your paycheck for it. Taxable wages are the first $9,000 of each employee's pay. A new employer pays 2.376% in 2026 (1.00% for a new nonprofit), which is $213.84 a year per employee, until it has its own record. Missouri is not on the Labor Department's list of states with a 2026 federal credit reduction.

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