Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Chemical Engineers actually take home in Iowa?
3.9% flat rate — 26.7% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Chemical Engineers earning $117,590 in Iowa (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $117,590 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$17,760 | 15.1% |
| Iowa State Income Tax | -$4,586 | 3.9% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$7,290 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,705 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$31,341 | 26.7% |
| Take-Home Pay | $86,248 | 73.3% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Chemical Engineers in Iowa.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $78,610 | -$18,214 | $60,395 | 23.2% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $92,050 | -$22,723 | $69,326 | 24.7% |
| Median (P50) | $117,590 | -$31,341 | $86,248 | 26.7% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $124,120 | -$33,663 | $90,456 | 27.1% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $134,030 | -$37,186 | $96,843 | 27.7% |
After federal income tax ($17,760), state tax ($4,586), and FICA ($8,995), a Chemical Engineers in Iowa takes home $86,248 per year — or $7,187 per month. The effective tax rate of 26.7% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Chemical Engineers in Iowa loses 26.7% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $117,590 gross, $86,248 lands in the paycheck after federal ($17,760), state ($4,586), and FICA ($8,996) withholding.
Iowa applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Chemical Engineers salary that contributes $4,586 to the 3.9% effective state-tax burden.
Federal income tax ($17,760) accounts for 57% of the total tax bill — the single largest deduction. FICA adds $8,996 (29%), and state tax the remaining $4,586 (15%).
Moving this same Chemical Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $90,834 net — a gain of $4,586 (5.3%) per year versus Iowa.
Iowa ranks #18 of 41 states for Chemical Engineers after-tax pay — comfortably in the upper half.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $86,248 net/year works out to $7,187/month or $3,317/bi-weekly for this Chemical Engineers in Iowa — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Chemical Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Iowa ranks #18 out of 41 states for Chemical Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Chemical Engineers in Iowa earning a median salary of $117,590 will take home approximately $86,248 per year after federal income tax ($17,760), state income tax ($4,586), and FICA ($8,995). That is $7,187 per month or $3,317 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Chemical Engineers in Iowa is 26.7%, broken down as: federal income tax 15.1%, Iowa state tax 3.9%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.7%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Iowa has a 3.9% flat rate. On a Chemical Engineers's median salary of $117,590, the state income tax amounts to $4,586 per year, which is an effective state rate of 3.9%.
After all taxes, a Chemical Engineers in Iowa takes home approximately $7,187 per month, or about $41.47 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $117,590 for Chemical Engineers in Iowa, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), Iowa state income tax (3.9% flat rate), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $86,248/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR