Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Materials Engineers actually take home in Iowa?
3.9% flat rate — 20.9% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Materials Engineers earning $64,270 in Iowa (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $64,270 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$5,980 | 9.3% |
| Iowa State Income Tax | -$2,506 | 3.9% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$3,984 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$931 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$13,403 | 20.9% |
| Take-Home Pay | $50,866 | 79.1% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Materials Engineers in Iowa.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $62,390 | -$12,772 | $49,617 | 20.5% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $62,390 | -$12,772 | $49,617 | 20.5% |
| Median (P50) | $64,270 | -$13,403 | $50,866 | 20.9% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $98,730 | -$24,964 | $73,765 | 25.3% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $115,140 | -$30,470 | $84,669 | 26.5% |
After federal income tax ($5,980), state tax ($2,506), and FICA ($4,916), a Materials Engineers in Iowa takes home $50,866 per year — or $4,238 per month. The effective tax rate of 20.9% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 20.9%, a Materials Engineers in Iowa keeps $50,866 of $64,270 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 Materials Engineers salary that contributes $2,507 to the 3.9% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Materials Engineers salary is $5,980 (45%), but combined state ($2,507, 19%) + FICA ($4,917, 37%) make up the other 55% of the bill.
Moving this same Materials Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $53,373 net — a gain of $2,507 (4.9%) per year versus Iowa.
Iowa sits near the bottom (#45 of 45) for Materials Engineers after-tax earnings. Relocation, negotiation, or credential stacking typically show the clearest ROI in bottom-quartile states.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $50,866 net/year works out to $4,239/month or $1,956/bi-weekly for this Materials Engineers in Iowa — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Materials Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Iowa ranks #45 out of 45 states for Materials Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Materials Engineers in Iowa earning a median salary of $64,270 will take home approximately $50,866 per year after federal income tax ($5,980), state income tax ($2,506), and FICA ($4,916). That is $4,238 per month or $1,956 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Materials Engineers in Iowa is 20.9%, broken down as: federal income tax 9.3%, 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 Materials Engineers's median salary of $64,270, the state income tax amounts to $2,506 per year, which is an effective state rate of 3.9%.
After all taxes, a Materials Engineers in Iowa takes home approximately $4,238 per month, or about $24.46 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 $64,270 for Materials 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 — $50,866/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