Office Clerks, General
Median $20.37 an hour in Missouri · 56,050 jobs
Missouri · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Missouri
At $21 an hour in Missouri you keep about $17.39 of every hour — $695 a week, $3,013 a month or $36,161 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Missouri income tax. Missouri has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $15.00 an hour.
Where $21 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $43,680 | $840 | $21.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$3,062 | −$59 | −$1.47 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,708 | −$52 | −$1.30 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$633 | −$12 | −$0.30 |
| Missouri income tax | −$1,116 | −$21 | −$0.54 |
| Take-home pay | $36,161 | $695 | $17.39 |
Effective tax rate 17.2% · federal bracket 12% · Missouri bracket 4.7%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $840.00 | $695.41 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,390.82 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,506.72 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $3,013.44 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Missouri for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $21 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* | $420 | $375 | $19,482 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $537 | $27,900 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $695 | $36,161 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $815 | $42,357 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $934 | $48,553 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Missouri?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 1.4 times Missouri's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. Retail and service businesses with annual sales under $500,000 are exempt.
- Among Missouri workers: It's about the 41st percentile of hourly pay in Missouri (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 41 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $22.98 an hour.
- Local prices: Missouri's price level is 90.8% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $36,161 a year buys about what $39,818 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,092 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,507 a month for needs, $904 for wants and $603 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Missouri that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Missouri is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Customer Service Representatives
Median $21.24 an hour in Missouri · 50,530 jobs
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Median $20.93 an hour in Missouri · 33,180 jobs
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Median $21.14 an hour in Missouri · 12,260 jobs
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
Median $20.91 an hour in Missouri · 11,650 jobs
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Median $21.73 an hour in Missouri · 11,470 jobs
How Missouri compares on $21 an hour
Missouri ranks 20th of 51 for take-home pay on $21 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $17.39 | $36,161 | $15.00 | — |
| Arkansas | $17.38 | $36,148 | $11.00 | −$13 a year |
| Iowa | $17.44 | $36,269 | $7.25 | +$108 a year |
| Illinois | $16.95 | $35,260 | $15.00 | −$901 a year |
| Kansas | $17.13 | $35,639 | $7.25 | −$522 a year |
| Kentucky | $17.24 | $35,866 | $7.25 | −$295 a year |
| Nebraska | $17.39 | $36,169 | $15.00 | +$8 a year |
| Oklahoma | $17.24 | $35,857 | $7.25 | −$304 a year |
| Tennessee | $17.92 | $37,277 | $7.25 | +$1,116 a year |
How the federal tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $27,580. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $15,180 | $1,822 |
| Total | $27,580 | $3,062 |
How the Missouri income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 of Missouri wages minus $16,100 standard deduction = $27,580.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $1,348 | $0 |
| 2% | $1,348 | $27 |
| 2.5% | $1,348 | $34 |
| 3% | $1,348 | $40 |
| 3.5% | $1,348 | $47 |
| 4% | $1,348 | $54 |
| 4.5% | $1,348 | $61 |
| 4.7% | $18,144 | $853 |
| Total | $27,580 | $1,116 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Missouri?
About $17.39 for every hour you work, or $36,161 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 17.2% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $21 an hour a week after taxes in Missouri?
About $695 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,391.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Missouri?
About $3,013 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Missouri?
$21 an hour is 1.4 times Missouri's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 41st percentile of hourly pay in Missouri (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 41 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Missouri is $22.98. After taxes and local prices, $36,161 a year buys about what $39,818 would at national-average prices.
Is Missouri a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 20th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $21 an hour. The most you'd keep is $37,277 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $34,254 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Missouri
- $17 an hour in Missouri
- $18 an hour in Missouri
- $19 an hour in Missouri
- $20 an hour in Missouri
- $22 an hour in Missouri
- $23 an hour in Missouri
- $24 an hour in Missouri
- $25 an hour in Missouri
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Missouri · $45,000 a year in Missouri · Missouri paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Missouri'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.