Take-Home Pay Calculator
From gross salary to the number that actually lands in your account — federal, FICA and state tax.
A salary is a promise; a paycheck is what survives taxes. This calculator walks the same path your payroll department does: pre-tax deductions come off first, Social Security and Medicare (FICA) are charged on wages, federal income tax applies the 2026 brackets to what remains after the standard deduction, and your state applies its own structure — flat rate, graduated brackets, or nothing at all.
How to use
- Enter your annual gross salary and how often you are paid.
- Pick your filing status and the state you work in — all 50 states plus DC are in the list, each with its real 2026 tax structure.
- Optionally add pre-tax deductions: a 401(k) percentage and health insurance per paycheck.
- Click "Calculate take-home pay" for the full breakdown — every tax, per year and per paycheck.
About this tool
Two details most quick calculators get wrong are handled properly here. First, 401(k) contributions reduce income tax but NOT FICA — Social Security and Medicare still apply to them. Second, pre-tax health insurance premiums escape both income tax and FICA. The state estimate uses each state's published standard deduction and brackets; a few states tax 401(k) contributions or levy local income taxes (New York City, for example) that are not modeled.
All figures are estimates for tax year 2026, compiled from IRS, Social Security Administration and state tax authority publications. Everything runs in your browser — your salary never leaves your device.
How it works
Order of operations: (1) pre-tax health premiums come off gross pay; (2) FICA is charged on the result — Social Security at 6.2% up to the wage base, Medicare at 1.45% plus 0.9% above the threshold; (3) the 401(k) contribution comes off for income-tax purposes; (4) federal tax = the 2026 marginal brackets applied to income after the standard deduction for your filing status; (5) state tax = your state's own standard deduction and flat rate or brackets applied the same way.
Marginal brackets mean only the income inside each band is taxed at that band's rate — earning one dollar into a higher bracket never taxes your whole salary at the higher rate. The effective rate shown (total tax ÷ gross) is therefore always below your top marginal rate.
Worked examples
$85,000 salary, single, in California: Gross $85,000, paid bi-weekly, 6% to a 401(k) ($5,100) and $120 per paycheck in health premiums ($3,120). FICA is charged on $81,880: Social Security $5,076.56 and Medicare $1,187.26. Federal taxable income is $60,680 after the $16,100 standard deduction, for $8,061.60 of federal tax. California taxable income is $70,880 after its $5,900 standard deduction; the graduated brackets give $2,965.52, minus the $158 exemption credit = $2,807.52. Take-home: $59,647.06 a year, $2,294.12 per paycheck.
The same salary in Texas: Identical pay and deductions, but Texas has no state income tax, so the state line is $0 and take-home rises to $62,454.58 a year — $2,402.10 per paycheck. The entire $2,807.52 difference is the California tax.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my real paycheck different?
Real withholding follows your W-4 and your employer's payroll tables, and may include items not modeled here: state disability insurance, local taxes, garnishments, or post-tax deductions like Roth 401(k) and parking. This estimate shows the tax skeleton; your pay stub adds the flesh.
What is FICA?
The Federal Insurance Contributions Act taxes: 6.2% for Social Security on wages up to the 2026 wage base, plus 1.45% for Medicare on all wages, plus 0.9% additional Medicare tax on wages above the filing-status threshold. Your employer pays matching amounts that never appear on your stub.
Does the 401(k) cap apply here?
Yes — contributions are capped at the IRS elective deferral limit for 2026. If you are 50 or older, the catch-up limit is higher; the difference is noted rather than modeled, so a capped result may slightly understate your deferral.
Which states have no income tax here?
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire (wages), South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming levy no broad-based tax on wages in 2026, so the state line is $0.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. Every calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you type ever leaves your device.
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