Career & Money
Paycheck Calculator
What actually lands in your bank account. 2026 federal brackets, Social Security and Medicare, all 50 states, and your pre-tax deductions — per paycheck.
How it works
Behind the numbers
Your gross pay is annualized from whatever period you enter — hourly wages included. Pre-tax deductions come off first: 401(k) or 403(b), HSA, and health, dental, and vision premiums. What remains is the income your taxes are figured on.
Federal income tax follows the 2026 brackets after the standard deduction: $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household. Social Security takes 6.2% up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500; Medicare takes 1.45% with no cap, plus another 0.9% above $200,000 single or $250,000 joint. One detail most calculators skip: 401(k) contributions lower your income tax but not Social Security and Medicare. Health premiums and HSA contributions lower both.
State tax is estimated from 2026 rates for all 50 states and DC — exact for flat-rate states, conservative for progressive ones. The result is divided by your pay periods into a per-paycheck number. This is a planning estimate, not payroll advice: actual withholding also reflects allowances, local taxes, and post-tax deductions.
FAQ
Questions, answered
How is take-home pay calculated from my salary?
Start with gross pay and subtract pre-tax deductions like 401(k) and health premiums. Apply the 2026 federal brackets to what is left after the standard deduction, subtract Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) and Medicare (1.45%), then your state's income tax. The calculator above does it in one pass and breaks it down per paycheck.
Do 401(k) contributions reduce Social Security and Medicare taxes?
No. 401(k) and 403(b) contributions lower your federal and state income tax, but Social Security and Medicare still apply to that money. Health, dental, and vision premiums and HSA contributions are the common pre-tax items that lower both. The calculator handles the split correctly.
Why does the same salary give different take-home pay in different states?
Nine states have no income tax at all, and the rest range from flat rates near 2.5% to progressive systems topping 13%. On a $75,000 salary that gap can be several thousand dollars a year. Switch the state dropdown above to see it directly.
What is FICA tax on my paycheck?
FICA is the federal payroll tax: 6.2% for Social Security on wages up to $184,500 in 2026, plus 1.45% for Medicare on all wages. Earners above $200,000 single or $250,000 married filing jointly pay an extra 0.9% Medicare tax. Your employer matches the 7.65%, which never shows on your pay stub.
What is the difference between gross pay and net pay?
Gross pay is the full amount before anything comes out. Net pay — take-home pay — is what lands in your bank account after federal and state taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and your deductions. Comparing job offers on gross pay alone can mislead; the gap between two offers often shrinks or flips after tax.