Paycheck Calculator: Estimate Your Take-Home Pay After Taxes

Paycheck Calculator: Estimate Your Take-Home Pay After Taxes

Reviewing your first paycheck can feel like putting together a puzzle. You agreed to one number, but you’re left trying to piece together why a smaller amount lands in your bank account. That gap between what you earn (gross income) and what you keep (net income) is real, and it happens to everyone. Using a paycheck calculator can help break down the complexity so you understand exactly what happens to your money before it hits your bank account.

This paycheck calculator tool factors in federal income tax, state income tax, FICA contributions (Social Security and Medicare), your filing status, pay frequency, and overtime to give you a clearer estimate of your net pay. The more accurate your inputs, the closer the estimate to your actual check.

Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and is not tax advice. Tax rules can change, and individual situations vary. For personal tax questions, consider speaking with a qualified tax professional.

Quick answer: What comes out of your paycheck?

These are estimates. Rates vary by state, income level, and filing status. See the state index below the calculator for location-specific figures.

How does a paycheck calculator work?

A paycheck calculator follows a specific sequence to estimate your net pay based on gross earnings and other inputs. Here’s how each step flows.

1. Start with gross pay

Gross pay is your starting number. For hourly workers, it’s your hourly rate multiplied by the hours worked in a pay period. For salaried employees, it’s your annual salary divided by the number of pay periods in the year, often 24 or 26.

2. Subtract pre-tax deductions

Contributions to a 401(k), Health Savings Account (HSA), or employer-sponsored health insurance come out before taxes are calculated. This step reduces your taxable income, which can help you save money on taxes.

3. Apply federal income tax using progressive brackets

Federal income tax is calculated using progressive brackets ranging from 10% to 37%. Only the portion of income that falls within each bracket is taxed at that rate. Your W-4 filing status (single, married, or head of household) determines which brackets apply.

4. Apply state income tax based on location

State income tax is deducted next. Rates range from 0% in states like Texas and Florida to 13.3% at the top end in California. Your state of residence and, in some cases, your state of employment both matter here.

5. Acknowledge local taxes where applicable

Some cities and counties charge an additional local income tax. Workers in New York City, Philadelphia, and Kansas City, for example, may see a local tax line on their pay stub that others do not. Because local tax rules vary widely by jurisdiction, calculator estimates may not capture every city- or county-level deduction.

6. Deduct FICA: Social Security and Medicare

Every worker pays 6.2% of wages toward Social Security (on earnings up to $184,500 in 2026) and 1.45% toward Medicare on all wages. Beyond those base FICA contributions, employers must withhold a 0.9% Additional Medicare tax once an employee’s wages exceed $200,000 in a calendar year, regardless of filing status. Final liability is reconciled at filing. This surcharge is not employer-matched.

7. Subtract any post-tax deductions

Items like Roth 401(k) contributions or wage garnishments are deducted after taxes are applied. These reduce your take-home pay but do not lower your taxable income.

8. Arrive at net pay

The resulting amount is your net pay, or how much you actually take home to use to pay for rent, gas, groceries, and other expenses. Your pay frequency (weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly) may change how much appears on each check, but your total annual tax liability stays the same regardless of how often you’re paid.

Gross pay vs. net pay: why your take-home pay may be less than you expected

Gross pay is your total earnings before anything is taken out. It’s the number employers quote in a job offer letter, for example, $40,000 per year. To calculate gross pay per paycheck, for hourly workers, it’s wage multiplied by hours. For salaried workers, it’s annual pay divided by pay periods.

Net pay is the amount that actually hits your bank account after all taxes and deductions are applied. The gap between the two can surprise a lot of first-time workers.

One thing many workers miss: pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions or HSA deposits reduce your taxable income. That means increasing them lowers your tax bill at the end of the year, not just your take-home — so it’s possible to save more and still see a smaller tax deduction on your check.

For example, if your gross pay is $52,000 per year, paid biweekly, your gross per check is $2,000. Depending on your state and filing status, your take-home pay may typically be in the range of $1,400 to $1,650. Use the paycheck calculator above to get your specific number.

Tax figures in this example are estimated using the EarnIn Paycheck Calculator and are for illustration purposes only. We assume standard filing status, standard deductions, and no additional credits. All figures are estimates and may vary based on individual circumstances and time of filing.

What taxes come out of your paycheck?

Depending on where you live, you may see various taxes on your pay stub. Here’s a breakdown of the most common ones.

Federal income tax

Federal income tax uses progressive brackets from 10% to 37%, based on your taxable income and filing status. Your W-4 tells your employer how much to withhold. According to tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026, the standard deduction is approximately $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly.

State income tax

State income tax varies widely. Nine states charge no state income tax at all: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. At the other end of the range, California’s top rate reaches 13.3%. For your specific state rate, scroll to the state calculator index below and select your state page.

FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare)

Based on 2026 Social Security and Medicare withholding rates, workers pay 6.2% of wages toward Social Security on earnings up to $184,500. Medicare takes 1.45% of all wages with no cap. In addition, employers must withhold a 0.9% Additional Medicare tax once an employee’s wages exceed $200,000 in a calendar year, regardless of filing status. Final liability is reconciled at filing. This surcharge is not employer-matched. Employers do match the standard Social Security and Medicare portions separately, which doesn’t reduce your take-home pay.

Pre-tax deductions that could reduce your taxable income

Typically, contributions to a 401(k), an HSA, or employer health insurance premiums come out before taxes are calculated. This is a key point many workers overlook, as increasing these contributions could lower taxable income, which might mean a smaller tax bill while the net effect on take-home pay may be less dramatic than it looks.

How to read your pay stub

Your pay stub is a line-by-line record of what you earned and what was deducted. If you’ve ever tried to read a pay stub and felt confused, here’s what each line actually means.

Hourly vs. salary pay: what’s the difference?

Whether you’re paid hourly or on a salary changes how gross pay is calculated and how you use the salary paycheck calculator or hourly paycheck calculator mode above.

If you’re paid hourly

Gross pay equals your hourly rate multiplied by the hours you worked in a given pay period. Your check can vary week to week based on actual hours worked. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt hourly workers earn overtime at 1.5 times their regular rate for any hours above 40 in a workweek. When using the calculator, enter your hourly wage, standard weekly hours, and any overtime hours to get an accurate estimate.

If you’re paid a salary

Gross pay equals your annual salary divided by the number of pay periods in the year. The amount stays the same each period regardless of actual hours worked. Exempt salaried employees typically do not receive overtime pay. Enter your annual salary and pay frequency to get your per-check net pay estimate.

How does pay frequency affect your take-home pay?

Your total annual tax bill is the same no matter how often you’re paid. Only the per-check withholding amount changes. One useful planning note: biweekly workers receive 26 paychecks per year, which means two months include three paydays instead of two. This can support budgeting for larger expenses.

Here’s how a $60,000 annual gross salary breaks down by pay frequency.

How does overtime and bonus pay affect your paycheck?

Other factors in how much you see in each paycheck include overtime and bonus pay. Here’s how those can affect your earnings.

Overtime pay

Overtime hours, those above 40 in a workweek, are paid at 1.5 times your regular hourly rate under federal FLSA rules. Overtime is taxed as ordinary income at the same federal and state rates as regular wages.

However, because overtime raises your gross pay for that period, more of your earnings may temporarily fall into a higher marginal bracket when withholding is calculated. Your actual annual tax liability corrects for this when you file, but you may notice a higher withholding percentage on overtime-heavy paychecks. You can model this using the hourly paycheck calculator by adding your overtime hours separately.

Bonus pay

The IRS classifies bonuses as supplemental wages. Many employers withhold bonuses at a flat 22% federal supplemental wage rate, though withholding methods can vary depending on how the bonus is paid.

This creates two common situations:

• Workers in lower brackets may see more withheld from a bonus than their regular rate would suggest.
• Workers in the 37% bracket may see less withheld from a bonus and could owe the difference when they file.

State income taxes still apply to bonuses at your normal state rate. To estimate what a bonus paycheck might look like, add the bonus amount to your regular gross pay in the calculator’s gross pay field.

Calculate your paycheck by state

State income tax is one of the biggest variables in take-home pay. The difference between living in Texas (0% state income tax) and California (up to 13.3%) can mean a difference of thousands of dollars per year on the same salary.

Filing status, local taxes, and state-specific rules add further variation. Use the state index below the calculator to go directly to your state’s paycheck calculator for a more precise estimate based on where you live and work. Each state page accounts for local rates and state-specific rules that a general calculator may not capture fully.

Two of the most-used state pages are linked below as a starting point.