St. Louis, MO Paycheck Calculator 2026

How paychecks work in Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri residents follow the same statewide payroll rules as everyone else in Missouri, with the additional local considerations noted below. Every paycheck issued in Missouri has three federal withholdings — federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare — followed by Missouri's own withholding rules and any local wage tax that applies where you work. Missouri has a progressive state income tax with a top marginal rate of 4.70%. Missouri's economy is anchored by defense manufacturing, agriculture, financial services, and beverages, with major hubs in Kansas City and St. Louis.

This page explains, step by step, how gross wages become take-home pay in Missouri: what the federal government takes, what the state of Missouri takes, which cities and localities add their own withholding, and how minimum wage, overtime, and pay-frequency rules interact with common benefits like 401(k) contributions and pre-tax health premiums.

Federal taxes on Missouri paychecks

Regardless of where you live, the IRS applies the same federal income tax brackets, standard deduction, and FICA contributions. For 2026, the federal tax brackets range from 10% on the first ~$12,400 of taxable income (single) up to 37% on income above roughly $626,000. Most workers land in the 12%, 22%, or 24% brackets after subtracting the $16,100 single (or $32,200 married-jointly) standard deduction.

On top of federal income tax, every Missouri employee pays FICA: 6.2% Social Security up to a $184,500 wage base, plus 1.45% Medicare on all wages, with an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax on wages over $200,000 (single). Employers match Social Security and Medicare dollar-for-dollar; you only see your half on the stub.

Missouri state income tax

Missouri uses 7 tax brackets ranging from 2.00% on the first dollars of taxable income up to 4.70% on income above $7,638. The state standard deduction is $15,000 single / $30,000 married.

The top marginal bracket of 4.70% kicks in only after the income thresholds shown above; most Missouri residents effectively pay a lower blended rate because the first dollars of income are taxed at the lower brackets, and the state standard deduction reduce the amount actually taxed.

Local wage taxes in Missouri

Kansas City and St. Louis both impose 1% local earnings taxes on wages.

City-level rates vary — see the table below or the specific city page for detail. If you live in one Missouri city and work in another, you may owe wage tax in the work city and receive a partial credit on your home city return. Always check the current municipal filing rules before the tax year ends.

FICA: Social Security and Medicare

Social Security is the biggest single deduction most middle-income Missouri workers see besides federal income tax. It funds retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, and applies at 6.2% until you have earned $184,500 for the year (2026). If you earn more than that, Social Security stops for the remainder of the year — a highly visible bump in take-home pay for high earners late in the calendar year.

Medicare has no cap. All wages are hit at 1.45%, and an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies to any wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly). Employers begin withholding the additional 0.9% the pay period you cross $200,000, whether or not you'll actually owe it after year-end.

Overtime rules for Missouri employees

Follows federal FLSA: 1.5x for hours over 40/week.

Overtime pay itself is taxed exactly the same way as regular wages — there is no special overtime tax rate. But because a paycheck with lots of overtime looks temporarily much larger, employer withholding formulas may withhold a higher percentage than your true annual rate. That withholding is reconciled at tax time via your federal 1040 and Missouri state return, so if you consistently work overtime you may want to review your W-4 to avoid over-withholding.

Minimum wage in Missouri

The current minimum wage in Missouri is $13.75 per hour. Missouri's minimum wage was raised by 2024 ballot measure and reaches $15 in 2026. At 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year, that equates to roughly $28,600 in gross annual wages before overtime.

Pay frequency rules

At least twice per month for corporations; less strict for other employers. Most private-sector employees in Missouri are paid either weekly or bi-weekly, with salaried professionals often on a semi-monthly schedule. Choosing the right pay-frequency assumption is important when using the calculator above, because the same annual salary produces different per-paycheck amounts depending on whether it's split over 26 (bi-weekly) or 24 (semi-monthly) periods.

Example take-home pay in Missouri

The table below shows estimated federal, FICA, and Missouri state tax for a single filer at several common salary levels, using 2026 rules and the standard deduction. Bi-weekly amounts assume 26 paychecks per year.

Common Missouri payroll deductions to watch

• 401(k) contributions — pre-tax dollars reduce federal (and, in Missouri, state) income tax. The 2026 employee limit is $24,500 ($32,000 if age 50+).
• Pre-tax health premiums — Section 125 cafeteria plan contributions reduce federal, state, and FICA-taxable wages.
• HSA contributions — for high-deductible health plans, HSA money is pre-tax at both federal and state levels in Missouri.
• Garnishments, child support, and Roth 401(k) — these post-tax deductions do not reduce taxable wages but still cut take-home pay.
• Missouri's top rate falls with revenue triggers and has dropped steadily from 6% since 2019.
• The 1% earnings taxes in Kansas City and St. Louis apply to non-residents working there too.

Key industries and pay levels in Missouri

Missouri's top industries include Aerospace/Defense, Agriculture, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Beverages. Major employers like Boeing Defense, Ascension Health, Anheuser-Busch InBev, and Edward Jones anchor a large share of state payrolls, and pay levels tend to track industry mix — states heavy on technology, finance, and aerospace typically show higher median household income than states dominated by agriculture, tourism, or retail.