Missouri paycheck calculator employers use for hourly paychecks
The Missouri paycheck calculator at the top of this page makes it easy for employers to double-check payroll calculations for hourly employees and help ensure they receive the correct take-home pay. It accounts for payroll taxes, overtime rates, and other common payroll factors used when calculating employee wages. Further down this page, you will also find additional information about how payroll calculations differ for salaried and hourly employees. If you reward employees with performance bonuses, you may also want to try our Missouri bonus tax calculator.
Is Payroll Handled Differently for Hourly and Salaried Employees?
In general, the payroll process is very similar regardless of the type of employee. Employers begin with an employee’s gross wages, which is the total amount earned during a pay period, and then withhold federal payroll taxes, Missouri state income tax, along with any additional deductions such as health insurance premiums, retirement contributions, or wage garnishments.
Missouri uses a progressive state income tax system rather than a flat-rate structure. For withholding periods in 2026, Missouri withholding is generally based on an annualized method that applies a series of income tax brackets, with rates ranging from 0.0% up to a top marginal rate of approximately 4.7%. Employers typically calculate withholding using the employee’s Form MO W-4 together with the state’s withholding tables or percentage method formula.
Missouri does impose a state personal income tax on wages, so employers are generally required to withhold Missouri income tax from employee paychecks. However, unlike some states, Missouri does not impose a separate statewide local income tax on wages for all employees, although some cities (such as Kansas City and St. Louis) do impose local earnings taxes that may apply depending on the work location.
Gross Wages for Hourly Employees
For hourly employees in Missouri, gross wages are calculated by multiplying the number of hours worked during a pay period by the employee’s hourly pay rate.
Although the calculation itself is straightforward, employers must also account for overtime pay requirements. Under federal labor law, non-exempt employees must generally receive overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek, unless an exemption applies. Overtime wages are typically paid at 1.5 times the employee’s regular hourly rate.
Employers should ensure payroll calculations properly account for overtime hours when determining gross pay for hourly workers.
Gross Wages for Salaried Employees
For employees who receive an annual salary, gross pay is determined by dividing the employee’s annual salary by the number of pay periods in a year.
For example, if an employee earns an annual salary of $100,000, their gross wages per pay period would look like this (assuming no other pre-tax deductions):
| Pay Schedule | Gross Wages (based on $100k salary) |
| Weekly (52 pay periods/year) | $1923.08 |
| Bi-Weekly (26 pay periods/year) | $3846.15 |
| Bi-Monthly (24 pay periods/year) | $4166.67 |
| Monthly (12 pay periods/year) | $8333.33 |
Employers should choose a pay schedule that works best for their organization while ensuring payroll compliance and accurate withholding calculations.