General Finance
Salary & Paycheck Calculator
Estimate take-home pay per paycheck from a salary or hourly wage, using 2026 (or 2025) federal brackets, the standard deduction, FICA and an optional flat state rate.
Calculation inputs
Choose salary or hourly pay. State tax is a single flat percentage you enter yourself.
Results
No result yet
Complete the fields and select Calculate to show results here.
Estimates only, not tax advice. Source: IRS.gov 2026 and 2025 inflation adjustments (Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and 2024-40); check IRS.gov for the current year.
About this calculator
This tool estimates the take-home amount on each paycheck from a yearly salary or an hourly wage. It applies 2026 federal income tax brackets and standard deduction (with 2025 available as an option), Social Security and Medicare, and an optional flat state rate that you supply.
How the calculation works
- Federal taxable = gross − pre-tax contributions − standard deduction for the chosen year
- Federal tax = sum of each bracket's slice × its rate
- Social Security = 6.2% of wages up to $184,500 (2026) or $176,100 (2025); Medicare = 1.45% of all wages
- Net = gross − pre-tax − federal − FICA − state; per paycheck = net ÷ pay periods
Notes and assumptions
2026 figures use the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly); 2025 uses $15,750 and $31,500. These update every year.
The 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on high earners, credits and itemized deductions are not modelled.
How it works in plain English
Hourly pay is first turned into a yearly figure by multiplying the wage by weekly hours and by 52 weeks. Salaried pay is used as entered. Any pre-tax retirement contributions, such as a traditional 401(k), are taken off before federal income tax is worked out.
Next the standard deduction is subtracted: for 2026 that is $16,100 for single filers or $32,200 for married couples filing jointly ($15,750 and $31,500 if you pick 2025). What remains is federal taxable income, which is run through that year's brackets. Each slice of income is taxed only at the rate of the bracket it falls in, and the slices are added up.
Payroll taxes, known as FICA, come next. Social Security takes 6.2 percent of wages up to the yearly wage base ($184,500 for 2026, $176,100 for 2025), and Medicare takes 1.45 percent of all wages. Retirement contributions do not reduce these. If you enter a state rate, it is applied as a single flat percentage, because state rules differ too much to build in reliably.
Everything withheld is subtracted from gross pay, and the yearly net figure is divided by the number of paychecks in the year. Brackets, the deduction and the wage base change every year, so check IRS.gov for current figures.
The formula
- Taxable income = gross − pre-tax contributions − standard deduction
- Federal tax = Σ (income in each bracket × bracket rate)
- FICA = 6.2% × min(gross, wage base: $184,500 in 2026) + 1.45% × gross
- Net per paycheck = (gross − pre-tax − federal − FICA − state) ÷ pay periods
Worked example
Take a single filer earning a $65,000 salary in 2026, paid every two weeks, with no retirement contributions and no state income tax.
Subtracting the $16,100 standard deduction leaves $48,900 of taxable income. The first $12,400 is taxed at 10 percent, or $1,240. The remaining $36,500 stays below the $50,400 limit of the 12 percent bracket, adding $4,380, for federal tax of $5,620.
Social Security takes $4,030 and Medicare $942.50. Subtracting all three from $65,000 leaves $54,407.50 a year. Spread over 26 paychecks, that is about $2,092.60 per check, compared with a gross of $2,500.
2026 federal tax brackets and standard deduction
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 | $0 – $24,800 |
| 12% | $12,401 – $50,400 | $24,801 – $100,800 |
| 22% | $50,401 – $105,700 | $100,801 – $211,400 |
| 24% | $105,701 – $201,775 | $211,401 – $403,550 |
| 32% | $201,776 – $256,225 | $403,551 – $512,450 |
| 35% | $256,226 – $640,600 | $512,451 – $768,700 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 |
| Standard deduction | $16,100 | $32,200 |
Source: IRS.gov, Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (2026 tax brackets and standard deduction); Social Security wage base ($184,500 for 2026) from SSA.gov. Figures update every year.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my real paycheck different from this estimate?
Employers withhold based on the details on your W-4 form, the IRS withholding tables and any benefits you choose, such as health insurance, which come out before tax. Local taxes, bonuses and overtime also change the numbers. This tool works on a simplified yearly basis, so expect it to land close to, but not exactly on, your actual net pay.
Why does state tax use a flat percentage?
Each state sets its own rules. Some have no income tax, some use one flat rate and others have several brackets, deductions and credits of their own. Building all of them in would be hard to keep accurate, so the tool lets you enter one effective percentage. Your state revenue department's website lists its current rates.
Does a 401(k) contribution lower my Social Security tax?
No. Traditional 401(k) contributions reduce the income used for federal income tax, and usually state tax, but Social Security and Medicare are still charged on the full wage. That is why the tool subtracts retirement contributions before federal tax but applies FICA to gross pay. Roth contributions do not reduce income tax either.
What is the Social Security wage base?
It is the maximum yearly wage that Social Security tax applies to. For 2026 it is $184,500 (it was $176,100 in 2025). Once your earnings pass that point during the year, the 6.2 percent Social Security deduction stops for the rest of the year, while Medicare continues on every dollar. The limit is adjusted each year for wage growth.
Are the tax brackets in this tool current?
The tool uses the 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction published by the IRS, with 2025 figures available as an option. These figures are adjusted for inflation every year and can also change when Congress passes new tax laws. Before relying on any estimate for planning, compare the figures with the latest tables on IRS.gov.
Helpful next steps
- Tax Bracket Calculator — See how your federal income tax splits across each bracket.
- Savings Goal & Budget Calculator — Plan a monthly savings target from your take-home pay.
Related tools
Marginal and effective 2025 federal tax with a bracket breakdown.
Grow a balance with regular contributions and compound interest.
Compare two payoff orders across up to five debts.
Size your cash cushion and time the goal.