Paycheck Calculator

What this estimate assumes

• Federal income tax uses the 2026 IRS tax brackets and standard deduction only — it does not model itemized deductions, tax credits (like the Child Tax Credit), or filing statuses other than Single / Married Filing Jointly.
• Social Security tax is 6.2% up to the 2026 taxable maximum of $184,500; Medicare is 1.45%, plus an extra 0.9% on income above $200,000 (Single) / $250,000 (Married Filing Jointly).
• 401(k)/pre-tax contributions reduce your federal taxable income but not your Social Security/Medicare wages, matching how payroll actually works.
• State and local tax is not calculated automatically — enter your own estimated rate, since it varies enormously by state and city.

Want the deduction-by-deduction breakdown? Read Understanding Your Paycheck.

How to use this calculator

1. Enter your annual gross salary — your pay before any taxes or deductions come out.
2. Choose your filing status, Single or Married Filing Jointly. This changes which federal tax brackets and standard deduction apply to you.
3. If you contribute to a 401(k) or other pre-tax retirement account, enter your annual contribution amount. Leave it at $0 if you don't contribute.
4. Enter your estimated combined state and local income tax rate as a percentage. This calculator doesn't look this up for you — check a recent pay stub or your state's tax tables for a reasonable number, or leave it at 0 if your state has no income tax.
5. Choose how often you're paid — weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly.
6. Click "Calculate take-home pay" to see your estimated net pay per paycheck, along with a breakdown of exactly where each dollar of your gross pay goes.

Worked example

Take a single filer earning $75,000/year, with no 401(k) contribution, an estimated 5% combined state and local tax rate, paid biweekly (26 paychecks a year). Here's exactly how the calculator arrives at a take-home number.

Step 1 — federal taxable income. Subtract any 401(k) contribution and the 2026 single-filer standard deduction ($16,100) from gross pay: $75,000 − $0 − $16,100 = $58,900 taxable income.

Step 2 — federal tax, bracket by bracket. The 2026 brackets tax each slice of income separately:

• 10% on the first $12,400 → $1,240.00
• 12% on the next $38,000 (from $12,400 to $50,400) → $4,560.00
• 22% on the remaining $8,500 (from $50,400 to $58,900) → $1,870.00

Total federal income tax: $1,240 + $4,560 + $1,870 = $7,670.00.

Step 3 — payroll taxes. Social Security is 6.2% of gross pay (well under the $184,500 wage base): $75,000 × 0.062 = $4,650.00. Medicare is 1.45% of all gross pay, with no additional 0.9% surtax since income is under $200,000: $75,000 × 0.0145 = $1,087.50.

Step 4 — state tax. At the estimated 5% flat rate: $75,000 × 0.05 = $3,750.00.

Step 5 — net annual pay. Subtract every deduction from gross: $75,000 − $0 (401k) − $7,670 (federal) − $4,650 (Social Security) − $1,087.50 (Medicare) − $3,750 (state) = $57,842.50 take-home per year.

Step 6 — per paycheck. Divide by 26 biweekly pay periods: $57,842.50 ÷ 26 ≈ $2,224.71 per paycheck. That's roughly 77% of the $2,884.62 gross biweekly pay ($75,000 ÷ 26) — the other 23% goes to federal, Social Security, Medicare, and state tax combined.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my calculated take-home pay different from what actually lands in my bank account?

This calculator only models federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and a flat state tax rate you provide. Your real paycheck may also subtract health insurance premiums, dental/vision plans, HSA or FSA contributions, life insurance, union dues, wage garnishments, or local/city taxes — none of which this simplified tool accounts for. Treat the result as a reasonable estimate, not an exact match to your pay stub.

Why does increasing my 401(k) contribution lower my federal tax but not my Social Security or Medicare tax?

That's how pre-tax 401(k) contributions actually work under IRS rules: they reduce the income your federal tax is calculated on, but Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes are still calculated on your full gross wages before the 401(k) deduction. This calculator models that distinction exactly — your 401(k) field only reduces the "federal taxable income" step, not the payroll tax steps.

Why do I have to enter my own state tax rate instead of it being calculated automatically?

State income tax rules vary enormously — some states have no income tax at all, some have flat rates, and others have their own bracket systems with different deductions and credits. Rather than give you a potentially wrong number, this calculator asks you to enter your own estimated rate (from a recent pay stub or your state's published tax tables) so you can see how it affects your take-home pay without us guessing incorrectly on your behalf.

What is the 0.9% additional Medicare tax, and when does it apply to me?

It's an extra Medicare tax that kicks in on earnings above $200,000 for single filers in 2026. If your gross salary is below that threshold, like the $75,000 example above, you'll only ever see the standard 1.45% Medicare rate. Enter a higher salary to see the additional 0.9% appear in your results.

Why does my per-paycheck amount change when I switch pay frequency?

Your annual take-home pay stays the same regardless of how often you're paid — only how it's divided up changes. Weekly pay splits it across 52 checks, biweekly across 26, semimonthly across 24, and monthly across 12. Switching frequencies in the calculator just changes the denominator; it doesn't change your total yearly take-home pay.

Does this calculator account for tax credits like the Child Tax Credit?

No. It applies only the 2026 standard deduction and tax brackets — it doesn't model tax credits, itemized deductions, or filing statuses other than Single and Married Filing Jointly. If you qualify for significant credits, your actual tax bill (and therefore your take-home pay) will likely be higher than this estimate suggests.