Paycheck Calculator

How take-home pay is calculated

Your gross pay is what you earn before anything is taken out. From it, your employer subtracts:

1. Pre-tax deductions such as a traditional 401(k) and health premiums, which lower the income that gets taxed.
2. Federal income tax, based on your filing status and W-4.
3. FICA: 6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare.
4. State and local income tax, where they apply.

What's left is your net, or take-home, pay. This calculator works out each tax for the full year and divides by your number of paychecks, which matches what the IRS percentage method withholds for a standard W-4 with no adjustments.

2026 federal tax brackets

Federal income tax is progressive: each rate applies only to the income within its bracket. The brackets apply to taxable income, after the standard deduction of $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household.

Moving into a higher bracket never lowers your take-home pay, because only the dollars above the threshold are taxed at the higher rate. That's why your effective rate, total income tax divided by gross pay, is always well below your top bracket.

Social Security and Medicare (FICA)

Social Security tax is 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500; earnings above that aren't taxed for Social Security. Medicare tax is 1.45% of all wages, and employers withhold an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages above $200,000 in a year. Your employer pays a matching 6.2% and 1.45% on top of your pay. Traditional 401(k) contributions still count as wages for FICA, while health premiums paid through a cafeteria plan don't.

State and local income tax

Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming don't tax wages, so enter 0 if you live in one of them. Many other states use a single flat rate, and the rest use brackets like the federal system. For a bracketed state, your effective state rate (state tax divided by income) gives a better estimate than the top bracket. Some cities and counties, including New York City and many in Ohio and Pennsylvania, add a local income tax that this calculator doesn't include.

Pre-tax deductions

Money you put into a traditional 401(k) or 403(b) is taken out before federal income tax (and most state tax), so it lowers your tax bill. In 2026 you can defer up to $24,500, more if you're 50 or older; the calculator caps the 401(k) at that limit. A 5% contribution doesn't cut your paycheck by a full 5%, because part of it would have gone to tax anyway. Roth 401(k) contributions are after-tax, so they don't lower withholding; leave them out of the 401(k) field and subtract them from your take-home separately.

Changing your withholding (W-4)

Form W-4 tells your employer how much federal tax to withhold. The current form has no allowances; instead you can claim dependents, account for a second job or a working spouse, add other income or deductions, or ask for extra withholding per paycheck. This calculator assumes a W-4 with none of those entries. If you get a large refund every year, you're withholding more than needed; if you owe, consider adding extra withholding. The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator walks through the form.

Pay frequency

Weekly pay gives 52 paychecks a year, every two weeks gives 26, twice a month gives 24 and monthly gives 12. Annual pay and annual tax are the same; only the amount per paycheck changes. To turn a time card into gross pay first, including overtime at 1.5 times your rate over 40 hours a week, use the hours calculator.

Sources

The formulas on this page come from the published research below. Last updated October 11, 2026. This calculator gives estimates for general information. It isn't medical advice, so check anything important with a qualified professional.

1. Internal Revenue Service. Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-45), §4.01 and §4.14.Used for: 2026 federal income tax brackets and standard deduction amounts
2. Social Security Administration. Contribution and Benefit Base.Used for: 2026 Social Security wage base of $184,500 and the 6.2% employee rate
3. Internal Revenue Service. Topic no. 560, Additional Medicare Tax.Used for: 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax withheld on wages over $200,000
4. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods.Used for: Annualized percentage-method withholding for a standard Form W-4
5. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Overtime Pay.Used for: Time-and-a-half for hours over 40 in a workweek (hourly mode)