Paycheck Calculator
Enter your salary or hourly rate, filing status, and state to estimate your take-home pay — federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state tax included.
How this paycheck calculator works
This tool estimates your net pay — the amount that actually lands in your bank account — by starting with your gross pay and subtracting the standard payroll withholdings every US employee has taken out automatically:
- Federal income tax, calculated using 2026 IRS tax brackets and the standard deduction for your filing status.
- Social Security, a flat 6.2% on earnings up to the annual wage base ($176,100 for 2026).
- Medicare, 1.45% on all earnings, plus an additional 0.9% on income above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly).
- State income tax, if applicable — nine states, including Texas and Florida, charge no state income tax at all.
This estimate assumes no pre-tax deductions (401(k), HSA, pre-tax health premiums). If you contribute to any of these, your actual take-home pay will typically be a bit higher than shown here, since those contributions lower your taxable income before tax is calculated.
Worked example
A single filer earning $65,000/year in Texas (no state income tax), paid biweekly:
| Item | Per paycheck | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,500.00 | $65,000.00 |
| Federal income tax | ≈ $258.00 | ≈ $6,710.00 |
| Social Security | $155.00 | $4,030.00 |
| Medicare | $36.25 | $942.50 |
| State tax (TX) | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Net pay | ≈ $2,050.75 | ≈ $53,317.50 |
Frequently asked questions
What affects your paycheck withholding
Several factors beyond your salary determine how much lands in your bank account each pay period. Your filing status changes which standard deduction and bracket thresholds apply — married couples filing jointly generally see less withheld per dollar earned than single filers at the same income, since the brackets are wider. Your Form W-4 also plays a role: if you claimed dependents, additional income, or extra withholding on your W-4, your employer adjusts how much federal tax comes out of each check accordingly. This calculator assumes a standard W-4 with no extra adjustments.
Where you live matters too. Nine states charge no income tax at all, while others — like California, New York, Hawaii, and Oregon — have some of the highest marginal rates in the country. Even within a no-tax state, you might still see deductions for state-specific programs like disability insurance or paid family leave (California and New York both have these).
Finally, pay frequency changes your per-check amount without changing your annual total. Switching from biweekly (26 checks/year) to semimonthly (24 checks/year) means slightly larger but less frequent paychecks — useful to know when comparing job offers that use different pay schedules.
Tips for managing your take-home pay
- Review your W-4 after major life changes — marriage, a new child, or a second job can all change your optimal withholding and prevent surprises at tax time.
- Increase pre-tax contributions if you want a bigger refund-free paycheck — contributing more to a traditional 401(k) lowers your taxable income today, though it doesn't show up in this calculator since it assumes no pre-tax deductions. Try our Net Pay Calculator to model 401(k) and health insurance deductions directly.
- Compare offers by take-home pay, not just salary — two job offers with the same gross salary in different states can result in meaningfully different paychecks once state tax is factored in.
- Don't forget FICA when negotiating a raise — a $5,000 raise doesn't translate to $5,000 more in your pocket; Social Security, Medicare, and income tax all take a share first.