How St. Louis taxes your pay
The City of St. Louis is separate from St. Louis County, and only the city has an earnings tax. It applies to city residents on all their pay and to commuters on pay for work done in the city, and voters must renew it every five years.
Metro East commuters from Illinois pay the city tax and have Missouri tax withheld as nonresidents; Illinois then credits the Missouri tax.
St. Louis tax rates for 2026
- St. Louis earnings tax: 1% of pay for residents, wherever they work; 1% for people who live elsewhere, on pay for work done here.
| Salary | Live and work here | Work here, live elsewhere in Missouri | Take-home, living here | Take-home with no local tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $400 | $400 | $32,984 | $33,384 |
| $60,000 | $600 | $600 | $47,918 | $48,518 |
| $75,000 | $750 | $750 | $58,242 | $58,992 |
| $100,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $74,410 | $75,410 |
| $150,000 | $1,500 | $1,500 | $106,181 | $107,681 |
| $250,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $169,866 | $172,366 |
The commuter column assumes a home elsewhere in Missouri with no local tax of its own; a home city or county with its own tax can add to it or credit it.
Worked example: the Missouri median wage in St. Louis
The median annual wage in Missouri is $47,800: half of all jobs pay more and half pay less, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey for May 2025 (all occupations; survey date May 31, 2025). Paid every two weeks as a single filer, with no 401(k) or benefits, that salary works out like this in St. Louis, Missouri.
| Line | Each paycheck | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $1,838.46 | $47,800.00 |
| Federal income tax | $136.77 | $3,556.02 |
| Social Security | $113.98 | $2,963.49 |
| Medicare | $26.66 | $693.16 |
| Missouri income tax | $50.00 | $1,300.00 |
| St. Louis earnings tax | $18.38 | $477.89 |
| Take-home pay | $1,492.67 | $38,809.44 |
You keep 81.2% of gross pay. Of the $8,991 withheld, federal income tax is the largest part at $3,556, followed by Social Security at $2,963.
Without the local tax the same salary would leave $39,287 a year in Missouri, so living and working in St. Louis costs $478 a year, or 1.0% of pay.
Live in Illinois, work in St. Louis
On the same $47,800 salary, take-home pay in this case comes to $37,743 a year, $1,066 less than living and working in St. Louis.
| Line | Year |
|---|---|
| Missouri income tax | $1,300 |
| Illinois income tax | $1,066 |
| St. Louis earnings tax | $478 |
| Take-home pay | $37,743 |
Enter both states in the calculator ("I live in a different state") to run this with your own pay.
St. Louis paycheck questions
How much is St. Louis local tax on $75,000 a year?
$750 for the year if you live and work in St. Louis, single and paid every two weeks. That leaves $58,242 after all taxes, against $58,992 with no local tax.
Do I pay St. Louis tax if I live there but work somewhere else?
Yes. St. Louis taxes residents on their pay wherever they work.
What is the Missouri median wage after tax in St. Louis?
The median wage in Missouri is $47,800 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). Living and working in St. Louis, that leaves $38,809 a year after federal, Missouri, FICA and $478 of local tax.
What does a paycheck look like in St. Louis?
At the Missouri median wage, paid every two weeks, each paycheck is $1,838.46 before tax and $1,492.67 after it. $18.38 of that goes to St. Louis, next to $136.77 of federal income tax and $50.00 for Missouri.
How much St. Louis tax is withheld on $250,000?
$2,500 for the year living and working there, which leaves $169,866 after every tax, against $172,366 with no local tax.
What if I live in Illinois and work in St. Louis?
On $47,800, take-home pay comes to $37,743 a year, against $38,809 living and working in St. Louis. Enter both states in the calculator to see each line.
Sources
Rules checked . How we calculate.