Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Mechanical Engineers actually take home in Iowa?
3.9% flat rate — 25.2% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Mechanical Engineers earning $97,700 in Iowa (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $97,700 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$13,335 | 13.6% |
| Iowa State Income Tax | -$3,810 | 3.9% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$6,057 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,416 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$24,619 | 25.2% |
| Take-Home Pay | $73,080 | 74.8% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Mechanical Engineers in Iowa.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $71,050 | -$15,678 | $55,371 | 22.1% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $79,770 | -$18,603 | $61,166 | 23.3% |
| Median (P50) | $97,700 | -$24,619 | $73,080 | 25.2% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $108,580 | -$28,269 | $80,310 | 26.0% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $137,540 | -$38,433 | $99,106 | 27.9% |
After federal income tax ($13,335), state tax ($3,810), and FICA ($7,474), a Mechanical Engineers in Iowa takes home $73,080 per year — or $6,090 per month. The effective tax rate of 25.2% is moderate compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 25.2%, a Mechanical Engineers in Iowa keeps $73,081 of $97,700 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 Mechanical Engineers salary that contributes $3,810 to the 3.9% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Mechanical Engineers salary is $13,335 (54%), but combined state ($3,810, 15%) + FICA ($7,474, 30%) make up the other 46% of the bill.
Moving this same Mechanical Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $76,891 net — a gain of $3,810 (5.2%) per year versus Iowa.
Iowa ranks #38 of 51 states for Mechanical Engineers after-tax pay — lower half of the national distribution. Either gross wages trail the national median, state tax is elevated, or both.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $73,081 net/year works out to $6,090/month or $2,811/bi-weekly for this Mechanical Engineers in Iowa — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Mechanical Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Iowa ranks #38 out of 51 states for Mechanical Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Mechanical Engineers in Iowa earning a median salary of $97,700 will take home approximately $73,080 per year after federal income tax ($13,335), state income tax ($3,810), and FICA ($7,474). That is $6,090 per month or $2,810 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Mechanical Engineers in Iowa is 25.2%, broken down as: federal income tax 13.6%, 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 Mechanical Engineers's median salary of $97,700, the state income tax amounts to $3,810 per year, which is an effective state rate of 3.9%.
After all taxes, a Mechanical Engineers in Iowa takes home approximately $6,090 per month, or about $35.13 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 $97,700 for Mechanical 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 — $73,080/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