Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Locomotive Engineers actually take home in Iowa?
3.9% flat rate — 24.5% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Locomotive Engineers earning $89,970 in Iowa (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $89,970 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$11,634 | 12.9% |
| Iowa State Income Tax | -$3,508 | 3.9% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$5,578 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,304 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$22,025 | 24.5% |
| Take-Home Pay | $67,944 | 75.5% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Locomotive Engineers in Iowa.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $74,770 | -$16,926 | $57,843 | 22.6% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $74,850 | -$16,953 | $57,896 | 22.6% |
| Median (P50) | $89,970 | -$22,025 | $67,944 | 24.5% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $92,170 | -$22,764 | $69,405 | 24.7% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $95,710 | -$23,951 | $71,758 | 25.0% |
After federal income tax ($11,634), state tax ($3,508), and FICA ($6,882), a Locomotive Engineers in Iowa takes home $67,944 per year — or $5,662 per month. The effective tax rate of 24.5% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 24.5%, a Locomotive Engineers in Iowa keeps $67,944 of $89,970 gross — roughly typical for U.S. middle-income earners once federal, FICA and state taxes are combined.
Iowa applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Locomotive Engineers salary that contributes $3,509 to the 3.9% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Locomotive Engineers salary is $11,634 (53%), but combined state ($3,509, 16%) + FICA ($6,883, 31%) make up the other 47% of the bill.
Moving this same Locomotive Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $71,453 net — a gain of $3,509 (5.2%) per year versus Iowa.
Iowa ranks #10 of 35 states for Locomotive Engineers after-tax pay — comfortably in the upper half.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $67,944 net/year works out to $5,662/month or $2,613/bi-weekly for this Locomotive Engineers in Iowa — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Locomotive Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Iowa ranks #10 out of 35 states for Locomotive Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Locomotive Engineers in Iowa earning a median salary of $89,970 will take home approximately $67,944 per year after federal income tax ($11,634), state income tax ($3,508), and FICA ($6,882). That is $5,662 per month or $2,613 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Locomotive Engineers in Iowa is 24.5%, broken down as: federal income tax 12.9%, Iowa state tax 3.9%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.6%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Iowa has a 3.9% flat rate. On a Locomotive Engineers's median salary of $89,970, the state income tax amounts to $3,508 per year, which is an effective state rate of 3.9%.
After all taxes, a Locomotive Engineers in Iowa takes home approximately $5,662 per month, or about $32.67 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 $89,970 for Locomotive 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 — $67,944/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.
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