What is the Paycheck Calculator?
In short
Take-home pay is gross pay minus federal income tax, FICA (7.65%), state income tax, state payroll premiums and pre-tax deductions such as a 401(k). With this calculator's defaults ($75,000 a year, single, Texas, paid bi-weekly, 6% to a 401(k)), each $2,884.62 paycheck loses $256.92 to federal tax, $220.67 to FICA and $173.08 to the 401(k), leaving $2,233.94 after rounding.
This paycheck calculator estimates your exact take-home pay for any pay frequency — weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly. It applies 2026 federal income tax brackets, full FICA withholding (Social Security + Medicare), state income tax for all 50 states and D.C., mandatory state payroll contributions such as California SDI and Washington's paid-leave premiums, and pre-tax deductions including 401(k), HSA, and other pre-tax items. Hourly workers can enter a rate, weekly hours and overtime, and anyone can add Form W-4 Step 3 credits, Step 4(c) extra withholding and after-tax deductions.
How to use this calculator
- 1Choose Salary or Hourly. For a salary, enter your annual gross pay; for hourly pay, enter your rate, regular hours (up to 40) and any overtime hours.
- 2Select your pay frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly).
- 3Choose your filing status (single, married filing jointly, or head of household).
- 4Select your state for state income tax, or pick a zero-tax state.
- 5Set your 401(k) contribution rate (0–23%) and monthly HSA contribution.
- 6Add any other per-period pre-tax deductions: cafeteria-plan deductions such as health insurance premiums or an FSA, and commuter benefits.
- 7Optionally, enter your Form W-4 Step 3 credits, any Step 4(c) extra withholding and any deductions taken from your pay after tax.
- 8Read your take-home pay per period and the annual breakdown.
The formula
- gross
- — Annual or per-period gross pay before any deductions
- pre-tax
- — Annual 401(k), HSA, and other pre-tax deductions
- std deduction
- — 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single; $32,200 married)
- FICA wages
- — Gross pay minus HSA and other cafeteria-plan deductions; 401(k) deferrals stay in
- FICA
- — Social Security (6.2%, up to the $184,500 2026 wage base) + Medicare (1.45%) payroll taxes
- additional Medicare
- — 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages above $200,000 for a single filer
- federal tax
- — Federal income tax from progressive 2026 brackets
- state tax
- — State income tax based on your selected state
- state payroll
- — Modeled employee unemployment, disability and paid-leave contributions, separate from state income tax
- overtime deduction
- — The FLSA overtime premium (the half in time-and-a-half), up to $12,500 ($25,000 joint), less $100 per full $1,000 of income over $150,000 ($300,000 joint); 2025–2028
- Step 3 credits
- — Form W-4 Step 3: $2,200 per qualifying child under 17, $500 per other dependent, plus other expected credits
- bracket tax
- — Tax on federal taxable income from the progressive 2026 brackets, before credits
- cafeteria-plan deductions
- — Payroll HSA contributions and other section 125 or commuter deductions you enter
- SS wage base
- — $184,500 in 2026: Social Security tax stops above it; Medicare does not
- extra withholding
- — Form W-4 Step 4(c) extra tax withheld each period
- after-tax
- — Deductions taken from pay after tax (they lower take-home, not tax)
- take-home
- — Net pay after all taxes, deductions and any extra withholding
Worked example
The scenario
The calculator's default inputs: a single filer earning $75,000/year in Texas (no state income tax), paid bi-weekly (26 paychecks), contributing 6% to a 401(k), with no HSA or other pre-tax deductions.
The result
401(k): 6% × $75,000 = $4,500/year ($173.08 per paycheck). Federal taxable income: $75,000 − $4,500 − the $16,100 standard deduction = $54,400, taxed 10% on the first $12,400, 12% on the next $38,000 and 22% on the last $4,000: $6,680/year ($256.92 per paycheck). FICA: 7.65% of the full $75,000, because a 401(k) does not reduce it: $5,737.50 ($220.67 per paycheck). Take-home: $75,000 − $4,500 − $6,680 − $5,737.50 = $58,082.50/year, or $2,233.94 per paycheck.
Common use cases
- Comparing job offers with different salaries and pay frequencies
- Planning a budget based on actual take-home pay, not gross salary
- Evaluating how a 401(k) contribution rate change affects your paycheck
- Understanding the tax impact of a salary raise
- Estimating how much of a raise you actually keep after taxes
Limitations & assumptions
- Uses 2026 federal tax brackets and standard deductions — results differ if you itemize.
- State tax estimates use flat-rate or simplified bracket approximations for many states.
- State payroll coverage is partial: Alaska and Pennsylvania employee unemployment contributions are included, along with the modeled disability and paid-leave programs. Hawaii, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware and Minnesota programs are not yet included. Assumes one covered job for the full year, with no coverage exemption; annual amounts are spread evenly over pay periods rather than tracking year-to-date caps and payroll rounding.
- Alaska UI excludes the entered 401(k), payroll HSA and other pre-tax deductions before its wage cap. For Alaska, that other field assumes only UI-exempt health/FSA benefits, not dependent care or other benefit types. Pennsylvania employee UC uses gross wages, with no employee wage cap; federal and state income-tax deductions do not determine its base.
- Does not account for local city or county income taxes (e.g., New York City, Philadelphia).
- FICA withholding is shown as the employee share (6.2% + 1.45%); employers pay an equal amount.
- Treats the HSA and other pre-tax deductions as cafeteria-plan or commuter benefits, which are exempt from Social Security and Medicare (commuter benefits up to $340 a month; the cap is not enforced). A deduction taken outside those plans would not lower FICA wages.
- Federal tax is the year's tax on these wages, spread evenly over your paychecks. It is not the IRS Publication 15-T withholding table, so an actual paycheck can differ. In particular, the overtime deduction lowers withholding only if you claim it in Form W-4 Step 4(b); if you don't, the tax it saves comes back when you file.
- Hourly mode counts 52 paid weeks and overtime at the federal minimum of 1.5× for hours over 40. The overtime deduction is federal only and assumes all of your overtime is required by the FLSA; overtime paid only under a state rule (such as California's daily overtime) does not qualify.
Official sources
Official publications for rules and figures this page uses. Rates and rules change, so confirm the current figures with the publisher before you rely on them:
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32: 2026 tax brackets, standard deduction and other inflation adjustments (irs.gov)
- IRS Topic No. 751: Social Security and Medicare withholding rates (2026 wage base) (irs.gov)
- IRS Form W-4 (2026): Step 3 dependent credits and Step 4(c) extra withholding (irs.gov)
- IRS Publication 15-B (2026): cafeteria-plan benefits are exempt from Social Security and Medicare tax (irs.gov)
- Public Law 119-21 § 70202 (26 U.S.C. § 225): qualified overtime compensation deduction (govinfo.gov)
- IRS Schedule 1-A (Form 1040): how the tips and overtime deductions phase out (irs.gov)
- 29 U.S.C. § 207 (Fair Labor Standards Act): overtime at one and one-half times the regular rate after 40 hours (govinfo.gov)
- Alaska Department of Labor: 2026 employee UI rate and taxable wage base (labor.alaska.gov)
- Alaska Employment Security Tax Handbook: reportable wages and retirement/cafeteria-plan exclusions (labor.alaska.gov)
- Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry: Calendar Year 2026 UC tax highlights (pa.gov)
- Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry: employee UC gross-wage basis and payroll rounding (pa.gov)
Frequently asked questions
What is FICA tax?
How much federal tax is withheld from my paycheck?
Does a 401(k) contribution reduce my paycheck taxes?
What is the standard deduction for 2026?
Why is my effective tax rate lower than my marginal rate?
Does my state have income tax?
What is the additional Medicare tax?
Is overtime pay tax-free in 2026?
What does extra withholding on Form W-4 Step 4(c) do?
Disclaimer: KalkWise calculators are provided for general informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Results are estimates based on the figures you enter and the assumptions described above. Actual outcomes will vary. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.