Paycheck Calculator

How the paycheck calculator works

Your take-home pay is your gross pay minus four things: pre-tax deductions, federal income tax, FICA (Social Security and Medicare) and state income tax. The calculator works out the yearly amount of each, the same way payroll software annualizes your wages, and divides by the number of paychecks: 52 weekly, 26 every two weeks, 24 twice a month or 12 monthly.

Federal income tax in 2026

Federal tax only applies to income above the standard deduction: $16,100 for a single filer, $32,200 for a married couple filing jointly and $24,150 for head of household. What remains is taxed in slices: 10% on the first $12,400, 12% up to $50,400, 22% up to $105,700, then 24%, 32%, 35% and 37% (single brackets, IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32). Being “in the 22% bracket” means only the dollars inside that slice are taxed at 22%; your average federal rate is much lower.

Social Security and Medicare

Every paycheck also pays 6.2% Social Security on wages up to $184,500 in 2026 and 1.45% Medicare on all wages, plus an extra 0.9% Medicare that employers withhold above $200,000. Together that is the familiar 7.65%. A traditional 401(k) does not reduce these two; health insurance premiums paid through a cafeteria plan do.

Worked example

A single filer earning $60,000 a year, paid every two weeks in Texas: federal taxable income is $60,000 − $16,100 = $43,900. Federal tax is 10% of $12,400 plus 12% of $31,500, or $5,020. Social Security is $3,720 and Medicare $870. Texas has no income tax, so take-home pay is $50,390 a year, or $1,938.08 per paycheck. The same salary in California takes home about $1,845 per paycheck after California income tax and the 1.3% state disability insurance.

Why your pay stub may differ

• City and county income taxes (New York City, Philadelphia, Ohio and Kentucky cities, and others) are not included.
• Dependents on your W-4 lower withholding through the child tax credit; extra withholding raises it.
• The 2025–2028 deductions for tips, overtime and seniors lower your tax at filing time but often not your withholding.
• Bonuses are often withheld at a flat 22% federal rate, so a bonus check looks more heavily taxed than it is.

Hourly with overtime? Use the overtime calculator to get your gross pay first. To compare a salary with an hourly job, see the salary to hourly calculator. For every state side by side, see take-home pay by state.