Paycheck Calculator
Find out exactly what lands in your bank account each pay period. Enter your salary or hourly rate, pay period, filing status, and deductions to see a full per-paycheck breakdown of federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state tax — free, no account required, and your numbers never leave your device.
Pre-Tax Deductions (per paycheck)
Post-Tax Deductions (per paycheck, optional)
Estimated Net Paycheck
$2,368.94
Bi-weekly · Annual take-home ≈ $61,592.50
Effective Tax Rate
17.9%
of gross pay
Marginal Rate
22.0%
federal bracket
Total Deducted
$515.67
this paycheck
Per-Paycheck Breakdown
Where your gross pay goes
Disclaimer: Results are estimates based on 2026 US federal tax brackets, standard deductions, and simplified state flat rates using the IRS annualized wage method. This tool is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Actual withholding depends on your W-4 elections, employer benefit deductions, local taxes, and other payroll-specific factors. Consult a licensed CPA or payroll professional for advice specific to your situation.
How It Works
Enter your pay
Choose Salary or Hourly. Enter your annual salary or hourly rate, select your pay period, and — for hourly — add regular and overtime hours.
Add tax details
Select your IRS filing status and state. The calculator applies 2026 federal brackets and a simplified state flat rate automatically.
Include deductions
Add per-paycheck pre-tax deductions (health insurance, 401(k)%, FSA/HSA) and any post-tax deductions. These update your net pay instantly.
Read your paycheck
See your estimated net paycheck, a full line-by-line breakdown, annual take-home estimate, effective tax rate, and visual allocation chart.
How to Use the Paycheck Calculator
- Select Salary or Hourly using the toggle at the top.
- For salary, enter your annual gross salary and choose your pay frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly).
- For hourly, enter your hourly rate, pay period, regular hours this period, and any overtime hours. Adjust the overtime multiplier if your employer uses a rate other than 1.5×.
- Select your IRS filing status and state to include estimated federal and state income-tax withholding.
- Optionally enter per-paycheck pre-tax deductions — health insurance premium, 401(k) contribution percentage, and FSA/HSA amount — to see how they lower your taxable wages and net pay.
- Enter any post-tax deductions (such as Roth 401(k) contributions, union dues, or wage garnishments) in the post-tax field.
- Your estimated net paycheck, full line-by-line breakdown, annual take-home estimate, effective tax rate, marginal federal bracket, and visual allocation chart appear instantly — no button to press.
Understanding Your Paycheck Results
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Gross Pay | Your total earnings before any taxes or deductions are taken out. For hourly workers this includes regular pay plus overtime pay. |
| Federal Taxable Wages | Gross pay minus pre-tax deductions (health insurance, traditional 401(k), FSA/HSA). Federal income tax is calculated on this reduced figure, not on your full gross pay. |
| Federal Income Tax | Estimated federal income tax withheld this period, calculated using the IRS annualized wage method and 2026 federal tax brackets. |
| Social Security | 6.2% of your gross wages, up to the 2026 Social Security wage base of $184,500 per year. Calculated on gross wages — pre-tax deductions do not reduce this. |
| Medicare | 1.45% of all gross wages, plus an additional 0.9% on wages exceeding $200,000 annually (or $250,000 for married filing jointly). |
| State Income Tax | A simplified flat-rate estimate using each state's approximate effective income-tax rate. Nine states levy no state income tax and will show $0. |
| Estimated Net Pay | Your take-home pay for this period after all taxes and deductions. The annual take-home estimate multiplies this by your number of pay periods per year. |
| Effective Tax Rate | Total estimated taxes (federal, FICA, state) divided by gross pay for this period — your average tax burden as a percentage. |
| Marginal Rate | The federal bracket rate that applies to the last dollar of your annualised taxable income. Your effective rate will always be lower. |
2026 Federal Income Tax Brackets
| Rate | Single | Married Filing Jointly | Head of Household |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 | $0 – $24,800 | $0 – $17,700 |
| 12% | $12,401 – $50,400 | $24,801 – $100,800 | $17,701 – $67,450 |
| 22% | $50,401 – $105,700 | $100,801 – $211,400 | $67,451 – $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,701 – $201,775 | $211,401 – $403,550 | $105,701 – $201,775 |
| 32% | $201,776 – $256,225 | $403,551 – $512,450 | $201,776 – $256,200 |
| 35% | $256,226 – $640,600 | $512,451 – $768,700 | $256,201 – $640,600 |
| 37% | $640,601+ | $768,701+ | $640,601+ |
Standard deductions (2026): Single — $16,100 · Married Filing Jointly — $32,200 · Head of Household — $24,150. Federal income tax is calculated on your wages minus pre-tax deductions minus the applicable standard deduction.
What Is Included in FICA?
- Social Security tax (6.2%): Applied to gross wages up to the annual wage base of $184,500 in 2026. Once your annual earnings exceed this threshold, no further Social Security tax is withheld for the rest of the year.
- Medicare tax (1.45%): Applied to all gross wages with no annual cap.
- Additional Medicare tax (0.9%): Applies to wages over $200,000 per year for single filers, or $250,000 for married filing jointly. Employers withhold this on individual wages over $200,000 regardless of filing status.
- FICA is calculated on gross wages — pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions and health insurance premiums do not reduce the wages subject to FICA.
Features
- Your data stays private: All calculations happen entirely in your browser — nothing is sent to or stored on any server.
- No account required: Open the page and start calculating immediately.
- Real-time results: Your estimated paycheck updates as you type — no button to press.
- Hourly with overtime: Enter regular hours, overtime hours, and a custom overtime multiplier (default 1.5×) for an accurate gross pay calculation.
- All major pay periods: Weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly.
- All 50 states + D.C.: Simplified state income-tax estimates, with nine no-tax states correctly shown as $0.
- Pre-tax deductions: Health insurance, 401(k) (%), and FSA/HSA per paycheck — reduces your federal and state taxable wages.
- Post-tax deductions: A single field for other per-paycheck withholdings (Roth 401(k), union dues, garnishments, etc.).
- Visual allocation chart: Colour-coded bar chart shows exactly where every dollar of your gross pay goes.
Important disclaimer: This tool provides estimates for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Results are based on 2026 federal tax law and simplified state rates. Actual paycheck withholding will vary based on your W-4 elections, additional income, itemised deductions, tax credits, local taxes, and employer payroll systems. Consult a licensed CPA, payroll professional, or your employer's HR/payroll department for precise figures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my pay or financial data stored or shared?
No. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. The numbers you enter are never sent to, or stored on, any server.
How is federal income tax withholding estimated?
This calculator uses the IRS annualized wage method: your per-paycheck taxable wages are multiplied by the number of pay periods per year, 2026 federal tax brackets are applied to the annualised figure, and the result is divided back by the number of pay periods to give a per-paycheck withholding estimate.
What is the difference between this and the Salary & Tax Calculator?
The Paycheck Calculator focuses on per-paycheck net pay and supports hourly pay with overtime and per-paycheck deduction inputs. The Salary & Tax Calculator is oriented toward annual tax planning — it shows annual totals, effective vs. marginal rates, and annual income allocation.
Does this calculator include local or city taxes?
No. Cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, and Columbus levy their own income taxes. Your actual take-home pay in those locations will be lower than what this calculator shows.
Why might my actual paycheck differ from this estimate?
Actual withholding depends on your W-4 elections, additional income (bonuses, side jobs), itemised deductions, tax credits, local taxes, and employer-specific benefit deductions not entered here. This calculator uses only the standard deduction and does not include credits. Always verify with your pay stub or payroll department.
What are FICA taxes and how are they calculated?
FICA taxes fund Social Security (6.2% of gross wages up to the $184,500 wage base in 2026) and Medicare (1.45% of all gross wages, plus an additional 0.9% above $200,000 for single filers). FICA is calculated on gross wages — pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions do not reduce FICA-taxable wages.
How does overtime pay work in the calculator?
In Hourly mode, enter your overtime hours and the overtime multiplier (default 1.5× for time-and-a-half). Overtime pay is calculated as: hourly rate × multiplier × overtime hours. This is added to regular pay to give your gross pay, and all taxes and deductions are then applied to the combined gross.
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