F-1 OPT · Iowa
F-1 OPT take-home pay in Iowa (2026)
Pick a salary to see the full breakdown — federal income tax, FICA, Iowa state income tax, and your annual / monthly / bi-weekly net.
| Gross salary | Take-home | Monthly | Effective rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $49,808 | $4,151 | 17.0% | Details → |
| $80,000 | $64,648 | $5,387 | 19.2% | Details → |
| $100,000 | $79,488 | $6,624 | 20.5% | Details → |
| $120,000 | $94,042 | $7,837 | 21.6% | Details → |
| $150,000 | $115,702 | $9,642 | 22.9% | Details → |
| $180,000 | $137,362 | $11,447 | 23.7% | Details → |
| $220,000 | $164,784 | $13,732 | 25.1% | Details → |
| $280,000 | $202,591 | $16,883 | 27.6% | Details → |
| $350,000 | $245,431 | $20,453 | 29.9% | Details → |
| $500,000 | $337,231 | $28,103 | 32.6% | Details → |
How Iowa state income tax works for F-1 OPT holders
State tax structure
Flat 3.80%
State standard deduction
Conforms to federal / no separate amount
Iowa charges a single flat rate of 3.80% on taxable income. Unlike the federal system, there are no brackets — every dollar of taxable income is taxed at the same rate. This makes the state tax math simple: $F-1 OPT take-home in Iowa is dominated by federal tax + FICA, with the flat state component layered on top.
What's different for F-1 OPT holders in Iowa?
State income tax generally does not distinguish between visa categories — it only looks at where you live and where you work, not your immigration status. A few practical notes for F-1 OPT holders specifically:
- Residency. Most states deem you a tax resident if you are domiciled in the state or spend more than 183 days there during the calendar year, regardless of visa type.
- FICA exemption (federal) ≠ state-tax exemption. Even though you are FICA-exempt at the federal level for 5 years, Iowa still taxes your wages on its own rules.
- Standard deduction. Many states tie their standard deduction to federal rules — if you can't claim the federal standard deduction as a NRA, you may also be limited at the state level.
Source: tax.iowa.gov/