Paycheck Calculator - US Take-Home Pay

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What is a Paycheck Calculator?

The amount of money that reaches your bank account is almost always smaller than your salary. Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare tax and, in most states, state income tax are taken out before you are paid. A paycheck calculator estimates these amounts and shows what is left, which is your net pay, also called take-home pay.

This calculator is made for employees in the United States. It works in your browser and gives you an estimate for one paycheck and for the whole year.

How to Use the Paycheck Calculator

1. Choose whether you want to enter an annual salary or an hourly rate. For an hourly rate, enter your usual hours per week too.
2. Choose your pay frequency: weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
3. Choose your filing status, Single or Married.
4. Choose your state.
5. Read your gross pay, total deductions and net take-home pay, per paycheck and per year, and look at the donut chart.
6. Change one input at a time to compare, for example a different salary or state.

What You See on the Page

Item	Meaning
Gross Pay	What you earn before anything is taken out
Federal income tax	An estimate of the federal tax taken out of your pay
Social Security and Medicare (FICA)	6.2 percent and 1.45 percent of your wages, up to the Social Security limit for Social Security
State income tax	An estimate of the income tax of the state that you chose
Total Deductions	All of the taxes above added together
Net Take-Home Pay	Gross pay minus total deductions
Per paycheck and per year	The same numbers for one pay period and for the whole year
Donut chart	Shows how your gross pay is split between taxes, FICA and take-home pay

From Gross Pay to Take-Home Pay

gross pay per paycheck = yearly pay / number of paychecks a year

take-home pay = gross pay
                - federal income tax
                - Social Security tax (6.2%)
                - Medicare tax (1.45%)
                - state income tax

Each tax is worked out with its own rules, which are explained in the sections below.

Example with made-up rates

The two income tax rates in this example, 10 percent federal and 4 percent state, are made up so that you can follow the arithmetic. They are not real withholding rates, and your real rates will be different. The FICA rates are the real ones.

Item	How	Per bi-weekly paycheck
Gross pay	60,000.00 / 26 paychecks	$2,307.69
Federal income tax (made-up 10%)	2,307.69 x 10%	$230.77
State income tax (made-up 4%)	2,307.69 x 4%	$92.31
Social Security (6.2%)	2,307.69 x 6.2%	$143.08
Medicare (1.45%)	2,307.69 x 1.45%	$33.46
Total deductions	230.77 + 92.31 + 143.08 + 33.46	$499.62
Net take-home pay	2,307.69 - 499.62	$1,808.07

In this example, take-home pay is about 78 percent of gross pay. With real rates it will be different.

Federal Income Tax: How the Brackets Work

US federal income tax is progressive, which means that your income is split into slices, and each slice is taxed at its own rate. Federal brackets use seven rates, from 10 percent up to 37 percent. The key point is that a higher rate applies only to the part of your income that falls in the higher slice, and not to all of it.

Example with made-up brackets

These brackets are made up for illustration only. They are not the real brackets. The real brackets, which are different for each filing status and change every year, are used in the calculator.

Slice of taxable income	Rate	Amount in the slice	Tax
First 10,000	10%	10,000	1,000
10,000 to 40,000	20%	30,000	6,000
Above 40,000 (here up to 50,000)	30%	10,000	3,000
Total tax on 50,000 of taxable income			10,000

The tax is 10,000 on 50,000, an average of 20 percent, even though the top slice is taxed at 30 percent. If you earn 1 dollar more, only that extra dollar is taxed at the top rate. This is why a raise never makes your take-home pay smaller because of the brackets.

Taxable income is not the same as your pay

• Standard deduction: Most people subtract a standard deduction from their income before the brackets are applied. Its size depends on your filing status and changes by tax year.
• Marginal and effective rate: Your marginal rate is the rate of your top slice. Your effective rate is your total tax divided by your income, and it is lower.
• Withholding is not your final tax. Your tax for the year is settled when you file your return, and you either pay more or get a refund.

FICA: Social Security and Medicare

FICA taxes pay for Social Security and Medicare, and they are taken out of almost every paycheck.

Tax	Employee rate	Employer rate	Limit
Social Security	6.2%	6.2%	Applies only up to a yearly wage base, which changes every year
Medicare	1.45%	1.45%	No limit
Additional Medicare Tax	0.9% on wages above 200,000 dollars	None	Paid by the employee only
Total (up to the wage base)	7.65%	7.65%

Example on 60,000 dollars of wages: Social Security is 3,720 dollars (6.2 percent), Medicare is 870 dollars (1.45 percent) and FICA in total is 4,590 dollars (7.65 percent). The employer pays another 4,590 dollars on top, which does not come out of your pay.

• The Social Security wage base for the tax year used here is [add the wage base]. Once your wages for the year pass it, Social Security tax stops until the next year. This makes take-home pay a bit higher late in the year for high earners.
• The 0.9 percent Additional Medicare Tax is withheld on wages above 200,000 dollars in a year. What you finally owe depends on your filing status, and it is settled on your tax return.

State Income Tax

Most states tax wages, and the rules differ a lot. Some states use one flat rate, some use brackets like the federal government, and a few use their own special withholding method. The calculator gives an estimate for the state that you choose.

• No state income tax on wages: At the time of writing, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. State laws change, and some of these states have other payroll charges, so check your own state.
• Local taxes: Some cities and counties, for example in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland, charge their own income or wage tax. The calculator does not include them.
• State payroll programs: Some states take extra deductions for things such as disability insurance or paid family leave. These are not included either.
• Where you live and where you work: If you live in one state and work in another, the rules can be more complicated, and this estimate may not fit your case.

Your pay stub shows every state and local deduction that your employer takes out.

Pay Frequency

Pay frequency decides how many paychecks you get in a year, and so how big each one is. Your yearly pay does not change.

Schedule	Paychecks a year	Gross pay per paycheck on 60,000 a year
Weekly	52	$1,153.85
Bi-weekly (every two weeks)	26	$2,307.69
Semi-monthly (twice a month)	24	$2,500.00
Monthly	12	$5,000.00

• Bi-weekly is not the same as twice a month. Bi-weekly means 26 paychecks, so in two months of the year you get three paychecks. Semi-monthly means 24 paychecks, on fixed dates such as the 15th and the last day.
• Plan your bills by the month. A bi-weekly paycheck times 26, divided by 12, is your real monthly income, and it is more than two paychecks.
• This calculator offers weekly, bi-weekly and monthly. If you are paid twice a month, choose monthly and divide the result by two for a close estimate.

Hourly Pay to Yearly Pay

For hourly pay, the calculator multiplies your hourly rate by your hours per week and by 52 weeks to get a yearly amount, and then works out the taxes on it.

yearly pay = hourly rate x hours per week x 52

Hourly rate	Full-time yearly pay (40 hours, 2,080 hours a year)
$15	$31,200
$20	$41,600
$25	$52,000
$30	$62,400
$50	$104,000

Overtime, shift pay and unpaid time off are not included. If your hours change from week to week, use your real average.

Filing Status and Your Form W-4

Your filing status changes how much federal income tax is taken out. This calculator offers Single and Married, where Married is treated as married filing jointly. Married couples usually have wider brackets and a bigger standard deduction than a single person.

• Your employer uses your Form W-4. On it you give your filing status and, if you want, details about a second job, dependents, other income, other deductions and extra withholding. This calculator does not use those details.
• Other statuses exist, such as head of household and married filing separately. They are not in this version.
• Two earners in one household can have too little tax withheld if each of them uses the married rate. The W-4 has a step for this.

What the Calculator Does Not Include

Not included	Why it matters
401(k) and other retirement contributions	A traditional 401(k) generally lowers the wages that income tax is based on, and it lowers your take-home pay
Health insurance and other benefits	Premiums reduce your take-home pay, and those paid before tax generally also reduce taxable wages
Extra withholding and W-4 details	Changes how much federal tax is taken out
Tax credits	Credits for children or dependents lower your tax, usually when you file your return, or through your W-4
Bonuses and commissions	Often withheld at a different rate than regular pay
Overtime, tips and shift pay	Change your real gross pay
A second job or other income	Can move you into a higher bracket
Local taxes and state payroll programs	Depend on where you live and work
Wage garnishments, loan repayments and union dues	Come out of your pay after tax

Why Your Real Paycheck May Be Different

• Different method: Employers use the federal withholding method and state rules, with the details from your W-4, and the result can differ from a simple estimate.
• Deductions that you chose: Retirement, health and other deductions change your take-home pay.
• Local taxes and payroll programs can be extra lines on your pay stub.
• Uneven earnings: If your pay changes during the year, withholding can differ from period to period.
• Rounding and tax year: Small differences come from rounding, and the figures can be out of date if the rules changed.
• Your final tax is settled when you file. Over-withholding gives a refund and under-withholding means that you owe tax.

Compare the estimate with your pay stub. If the difference is large, ask your payroll department, or use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator for your federal withholding.

Freelancers and 1099 Workers

This calculator uses the rules for employees. If you are self-employed, the rules are different.

• Self-employment tax: You pay both the employer and the employee halves of Social Security and Medicare, which together are 15.3 percent on most of your net earnings.
• No employer withholding: No one takes tax out of your payments, so you usually make estimated tax payments during the year.
• Business costs can reduce your taxable profit.

The calculator does not work these out. Speak to a tax professional, and use the IRS guidance for the self-employed.

Reading the Donut Chart

• Taxes: The part of your gross pay that goes to federal and state income tax.
• FICA: The part that goes to Social Security and Medicare.
• Take-home pay: What is left for you.

The same numbers are listed next to the chart in text, so you do not have to rely on colors. The three parts add up to your gross pay.

Tips

• Use the estimate for planning, and your pay stub for the truth. Compare the two after your first paycheck.
• Check your Form W-4. If you changed jobs, got married or had a child, ask your payroll department whether your W-4 still fits.
• Budget with take-home pay, not with your salary.
• Remember months with three paychecks if you are paid bi-weekly.
• Compare offers carefully. A higher salary in a state with income tax can leave you with a similar take-home pay as a lower salary in a state without it. The cost of living differs too.
• Include your deductions. Retirement and health costs lower take-home pay, and the calculator does not include them.
• Ask a professional for big decisions. A tax professional can look at your whole situation.

Common Mistakes

• Treating the result as exact: It is an estimate.
• Confusing gross pay and net pay: Plan with the net amount.
• Thinking that the top bracket applies to all of your income: It applies only to the part above the bracket.
• Forgetting the state: State income tax can be a large part of your deductions, or zero.
• Mixing up bi-weekly and semi-monthly: 26 paychecks is not the same as 24.
• Forgetting deductions: Retirement, health and other deductions are not in the estimate.
• Entering hours that are not your real hours: This changes the yearly amount.
• Using the employee result as a self-employed person: Self-employment tax is different.

Good to Know

• The calculator assumes one job and the standard deduction, and it does not use the extra details of your W-4.
• Tax brackets, the standard deduction and the Social Security wage base change every year, and tax laws can change in between.
• Yearly numbers can differ by a few cents from the per-paycheck number times the number of paychecks, because of rounding.
• The tool shows the tax year that it uses next to the results.
• It is made for US employees. It is not made for other countries or for self-employed people.

Privacy and Accuracy

• The calculation is done in your browser, and the numbers you enter are not sent to our server.
• We do not save your salary or your results. They disappear when you close or reload the page.
• The results are estimates based on simplified rules, and your real pay can be different.
• This is not tax, payroll or legal advice. WebToolsKit is not an accountant or a tax adviser and is not connected with the IRS, the Social Security Administration or any government agency. Check exact figures with your payroll department, the IRS and your state, and speak to a qualified professional about your own situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate my paycheck?

Enter your annual salary, or your hourly rate and hours, choose how often you are paid, your filing status and your state. The calculator estimates your gross pay for one paycheck, subtracts federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare tax and state income tax, and shows your net take-home pay for one paycheck and for the year.

What taxes does the calculator include?

Federal income tax, FICA (Social Security at 6.2 percent and Medicare at 1.45 percent) and state income tax. It does not include local taxes, state payroll programs such as disability or family leave insurance, retirement contributions, health insurance premiums or other deductions, because those depend on your employer and your choices.

Will my real paycheck match the result?

Not exactly. The result is an estimate. Your employer works out withholding from the Form W-4 that you filled in, using the federal withholding method and the rules of your state, and then subtracts any deductions that you chose. Your real paycheck can be higher or lower. Compare the result with your pay stub, and ask your payroll department if the difference is large.

What is FICA?

FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It pays for Social Security and Medicare. An employee pays 6.2 percent of wages for Social Security and 1.45 percent for Medicare, which is 7.65 percent in total, and the employer pays a matching 7.65 percent. For example, on 60,000 dollars of wages, Social Security tax is 3,720 dollars, Medicare tax is 870 dollars and the total is 4,590 dollars.

Is there a limit on Social Security tax?

Yes. Social Security tax applies only to wages up to a yearly limit called the wage base, which changes from year to year. After your wages for the year pass it, Social Security tax stops for the rest of the year. Medicare tax has no limit, and higher earners also pay an extra 0.9 percent Additional Medicare Tax on wages above 200,000 dollars.

How is federal income tax calculated?

US federal income tax is progressive. Your taxable income is split into slices, and each slice is taxed at its own rate, from 10 percent up to 37 percent. Only the part of your income that falls in a higher slice is taxed at the higher rate. Taxable income is your pay minus deductions such as the standard deduction. This calculator estimates the tax with the brackets of the tax year that it shows.

What is the difference between gross pay and net pay?

Gross pay is what you earn before anything is taken out. Net pay, also called take-home pay, is what is left after taxes and other deductions, and it is the amount that reaches your bank account.

How does pay frequency change my paycheck?

Your yearly pay is split into more or fewer paychecks. Weekly means 52 paychecks a year, bi-weekly means 26 and monthly means 12. A bi-weekly paycheck is smaller than a monthly one, but you get two extra paychecks in some years. The yearly total is about the same, apart from small rounding differences.

How do I enter an hourly rate?

Choose the hourly option, enter your rate and the hours you work in a week. The calculator turns it into a yearly amount by multiplying the rate by the hours per week and by 52 weeks. A full-time job of 40 hours is 2,080 hours a year, so 25 dollars an hour is 52,000 dollars a year. Overtime, shift pay and unpaid time off are not included, so use your real average hours.

Which states have no income tax on wages?

At the time of writing, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming do not tax wages with a state income tax. Some of these states still have other payroll charges or taxes, and state laws change, so check your own state.

Does it include local taxes and state payroll deductions?

No. Some cities and counties charge their own income or wage tax, and some states take extra payroll deductions, for example for disability insurance or paid family leave. These depend on where you live and work, and they are not part of this estimate. Your pay stub shows them.

Which filing statuses are supported?

Single and Married, where Married is treated as married filing jointly. Other statuses, such as head of household or married filing separately, are not included in this version, so your real withholding can differ if one of them applies to you.

What is not included in the calculation?

Retirement contributions such as a 401(k), health insurance premiums and other pre-tax or after-tax deductions, extra withholding that you asked for on your W-4, tax credits for children or dependents, bonuses, overtime, tips, a second job, other income and local taxes are not included. Each of these can change your real take-home pay.

How do pre-tax deductions such as a 401(k) change my pay?

Contributions to a traditional 401(k) generally reduce the wages that income tax is based on, but not the wages that Social Security and Medicare tax are based on. Health insurance premiums paid through an employer plan generally reduce both. Roth contributions do not reduce your taxes now. The calculator does not include these deductions, so enter the effect yourself by using a lower salary if you want a rough idea, and check your pay stub.

Can freelancers and 1099 workers use this calculator?

Not for exact figures. This calculator uses the employee rules. A self-employed person pays the employer and employee halves of Social Security and Medicare together, which is called self-employment tax and is 15.3 percent on most net earnings, and also makes estimated tax payments during the year. The calculator does not work these out, so speak to a tax professional.

Which tax year does the calculator use?

The tax year is shown with the results. Tax brackets, the standard deduction and the Social Security wage base change every year, and tax laws can change in between, so the figures are updated from time to time and can be out of date. Check the IRS and Social Security Administration websites for the current figures.

Is my information sent to a server?

No. The calculation is done in your browser using JavaScript, and the numbers you enter are not sent to our server. We do not save them.

Is this paycheck calculator free, and is it tax advice?

The calculator is free and needs no signup. It gives estimates only and is not tax, payroll or legal advice. WebToolsKit is not an accountant or a tax adviser and is not connected with the IRS, the Social Security Administration or any government agency.