Paycheck Calculator
See exactly what lands in your bank account each payday — after federal tax, FICA, and state tax.
Calculate your take-home pay
How many paychecks you get per year. You can type a number or a formula.
Type a number or a formula, like 5.5 or 11 / 2. You can also use one of your saved numbers.
How to Use the Paycheck Calculator
Enter your gross annual salary — the number on your offer letter, before anything is taken out. Choose how often you're paid and the state you work in. The calculator instantly breaks your pay into gross wages, federal income tax, FICA taxes, and state tax, then shows your net take-home pay per paycheck and per year, plus your effective tax rate.
Try changing the state from Texas to California and watch the take-home number move — that's the real cost of state income tax on an identical salary.
How Paycheck Taxes Are Calculated
Federal income tax (progressive brackets)
The US federal system taxes income in layers. For 2026 planning we use the IRS 2025 single-filer brackets (the latest published): the first $11,925 is taxed at 10%, the next chunk up to $48,475 at 12%, then 22% up to $103,350, and so on up to 37%. Crucially, only the income inside each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate — moving into a higher bracket never taxes your entire salary at the higher rate.
FICA — Social Security and Medicare
FICA is a flat 7.65% on wages: 6.2% for Social Security (only on earnings up to the annual wage base — $176,100 for 2025) plus 1.45% for Medicare with no cap. Your employer pays a matching 7.65% separately, so it never appears as a deduction on your pay stub, but it is part of your total compensation cost.
State income tax (simplified)
States range from 0% (Texas, Florida, Washington, Nevada and a few others) to roughly 13% at the top end in California. Real state systems are usually progressive with their own brackets and deductions; this calculator uses a simplified flat representative rate per state and labels it clearly as an estimate.
Worked Example: $75,000 Salary in Texas vs California
Texas (no state income tax) — paid biweekly
Step 1 — Gross per paycheck: $75,000 ÷ 26 = $2,884.62.
Step 2 — Federal tax: 10% on the first $11,925 ($1,192.50) + 12% on the next $36,550 ($4,386.00) + 22% on the remaining $26,525 ($5,835.50) = $11,414.00/year.
Step 3 — FICA: $75,000 × 7.65% = $5,737.50/year.
Step 4 — State tax: $0.
Result: total tax $17,151.50 → net $57,848.50/year, or $2,224.94 per paycheck. Effective rate: 22.9%.
California (~9.3% simplified) — same $75,000
Federal ($11,414.00) and FICA ($5,737.50) are identical — federal taxes don't care where you live. The simplified California tax adds $75,000 × 9.3% = $6,975.00. Total tax becomes $24,126.50, net drops to $50,873.50/year — $1,956.67 per paycheck. Same job, same salary, $268 less every two weeks. That's why "cost of living" comparisons should always start with take-home pay, not salary.
What's Deducted From Your Paycheck
Beyond the taxes this calculator estimates, a real pay stub usually has more lines:
- Pre-tax deductions — 401(k)/403(b) contributions, health/dental/vision premiums, HSA or FSA contributions. These reduce your taxable income, which lowers the federal and state tax computed above.
- Post-tax deductions — Roth 401(k), disability or life insurance, union dues, wage garnishments.
- Employer-paid items — the employer's 7.65% FICA match, part of health premiums, 401(k) match. Not deducted from your pay, but useful to know your true compensation.
To approximate your real paycheck with this tool: subtract your per-paycheck pre-tax deductions from the salary first, then run the calculator on the remainder.
5 Tips to Increase Your Take-Home Pay
- Max pre-tax contributions. Every $1,000 into a traditional 401(k) or HSA can save $220+ in federal tax if you're in the 22% bracket — and it still ends up as your money.
- Check your W-4. Too much withholding = an interest-free loan to the IRS (big refund). Too little = an April surprise bill. The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator takes 10 minutes.
- Use an FSA/HSA for predictable costs. Medical, dental and dependent-care expenses paid pre-tax beat paying with after-tax dollars.
- Negotiate the full package. A $5,000 raise in a no-income-tax state can beat a $7,000 raise in a high-tax state once take-home is compared.
- Time bonuses wisely. Bonuses are often withheld at a flat 22% federal rate — fine if that's near your marginal rate, but worth knowing at tax time.
My saved numbers reuse them in any calculator
Save a number once — like your rent or hourly rate — then just type its name instead of the number, in any calculator here. You can also type formulas like 5000 * 1.1 right into any box.
Saved only in this browser — nothing is sent to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is take-home pay calculated?
Take-home pay equals gross pay minus federal income tax, FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare), state income tax where applicable, and any pre-tax deductions. This calculator estimates the tax portion instantly.
What is FICA tax on my paycheck?
FICA is 7.65% of your wages: 6.2% for Social Security (up to the annual wage base, $176,100 for 2025) plus 1.45% for Medicare with no cap. Your employer matches this amount separately.
Why is my paycheck less than my salary?
Your salary is gross pay before deductions. Federal income tax, FICA, state taxes, plus benefits like health insurance and 401(k) contributions are all withheld before the money reaches you.
Does this calculator include state taxes?
Yes — it includes a simplified flat-rate estimate for 11 states, including zero-tax states like Texas and Florida. Real state taxes are often progressive, so treat the result as a planning estimate.
How do pre-tax deductions affect take-home pay?
Pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions and health premiums lower your taxable income, which reduces federal (and usually state) tax. This calculator does not subtract them — enter your salary before benefits for the closest estimate, or subtract them mentally from the gross first.