US Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your net take-home pay after federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare. Works for hourly or salaried pay, any pay frequency, and all filing statuses.
How this paycheck calculator works
Enter your annual salary or hourly rate, choose your pay frequency and filing status, then calculate. The tool applies 2026 federal tax brackets, the standard deduction, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) to estimate your net paycheck. Optional pre-tax deductions (like 401(k) contributions or health insurance premiums) reduce your taxable income before the tax calculation.
What's taken out of a paycheck?
Three main things reduce a gross paycheck to a net one: federal income tax (based on your income and filing status, calculated progressively across tax brackets), Social Security tax (6.2% of wages up to the annual wage base limit), and Medicare tax (1.45% of all wages, with an extra 0.9% on high earners). This calculator does not include state or local income tax, since these vary widely — some states like Texas, Florida, and Washington have no state income tax at all.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't this include state tax?
State income tax rates and rules vary enormously by state — some are flat, some are progressive, and several states charge no income tax at all. This calculator focuses on federal withholding, which applies the same way nationwide, so you get an accurate baseline you can then adjust for your state.
Is this the same as what my employer withholds?
It's a close estimate using standard IRS tax brackets and the standard deduction. Your actual paycheck may differ slightly based on your W-4 elections, additional withholding requests, or other benefits deducted from your pay.
What's the difference between gross pay and net pay?
Gross pay is your total earnings before any deductions. Net pay (take-home pay) is what actually lands in your bank account after taxes and other deductions are subtracted.
Is my data stored anywhere?
No. This tool is part of the Toolyard collection of free, browser-based utilities. All calculations run locally in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded to a server or stored anywhere.
Why your take-home pay is lower than your salary implies
Gross pay — what's listed as your salary or hourly rate times hours worked — is never what actually lands in your bank account. Federal income tax, state income tax (in states that have one), Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) are withheld from every paycheck, and pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions or health insurance premiums come out before taxes are even calculated. This is why two people with the same stated salary can have noticeably different take-home pay depending on their state, filing status, and benefit elections.
What this calculator accounts for
Federal withholding is based on your filing status and the allowances or adjustments specified on your W-4, while FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) are a flat percentage up to the Social Security wage base, after which Social Security withholding stops for the year. State income tax varies enormously — some states like Texas and Florida have none, while others have rates that scale with income similarly to federal tax.
Common uses
Comparing a job offer's stated salary against realistic take-home pay, budgeting around your actual paycheck rather than gross salary, and checking whether a raise or bonus will land in a higher tax bracket are all typical reasons to run these numbers before, not after, a financial decision.