Paycheck Calculator

About Paycheck Calculator

This paycheck calculator estimates take-home pay from an annual gross salary. It applies simplified 2026 federal income tax brackets for a single filer with the standard deduction, FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare), and a flat state tax rate chosen from four levels: none, about 4%, 6%, or 8%. Results show annual take-home pay, net pay per paycheck for weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly pay schedules, and your effective tax rate, with a chart of where your salary goes. It is useful for comparing job offers or estimating net pay, but it does not account for 401(k), health insurance, or local taxes.

How to use

1. Enter or paste your Annual Salary (Gross) in the box (such as $85,000), or drag the slider between $10k and $1M.
2. Pick a State Tax Level that matches where you live.
3. Choose your Pay Frequency: Bi-weekly, Weekly, Semi-monthly or Monthly.
4. Read Federal Tax, FICA, State Tax, Effective Tax Rate, Take Home (Annual) and Per Paycheck, plus the breakdown bar.
5. Click Copy Results to copy the full breakdown as text.

Limitations & notes

• Federal tax uses 2026 single-filer brackets and the $16,100 standard deduction; other filing statuses and tax years are not supported.
• State tax is a flat 0%, 4%, 6% or 8% of gross salary rather than your state's actual brackets, and local taxes are ignored.
• FICA uses the 2026 Social Security wage base of $184,500; the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax is not included.
• Pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) and health insurance, tax credits and W-4 withholding choices are not modeled.
• Salary is capped at $1,000,000, and a note appears when a typed salary is above the cap; each paycheck is the annual take-home divided evenly by the number of pay periods.

FAQ

How is take-home pay calculated?

Take-home pay is gross salary minus federal income tax, FICA, and state tax. Federal tax is figured on salary minus the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100 using the single-filer brackets from 10% to 37%, and the annual result is divided by your number of pay periods.

Which tax year and filing status does it use?

It uses 2026 federal brackets and the standard deduction for a single filer only. Married filing jointly, head of household, and other tax years are not supported.

How is FICA tax calculated?

FICA is 7.65% of wages: 6.2% Social Security on earnings up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, plus 1.45% Medicare on all earnings. The 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax for high earners is not included.

Does it calculate my exact state income tax?

No. Instead of state-specific brackets, you choose an approximate flat rate of 0%, 4%, 6%, or 8% that is applied to your gross salary. Results are estimates only, not tax or financial advice.

Why is my actual paycheck different from this estimate?

Real paychecks can include pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions and health insurance, local income taxes, and withholding based on your W-4, none of which this calculator models.