Paycheck / take-home pay calculator

How this calculator works

This calculator estimates take-home pay after federal income tax, FICA (Social Security and Medicare), state income tax, and pre-tax deductions. Enter gross pay per period, your pay frequency, federal filing status, per-period pre-tax deductions, and your state income tax rate.

Federal income tax is estimated using 2024 tax brackets after subtracting pre-tax deductions and the standard deduction for your filing status. Social Security is 6.2% on wages up to the $168,600 wage base. Medicare is 1.45% on all wages, plus an additional 0.9% on wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married). State tax applies to gross pay minus pre-tax deductions at your entered rate.

This is a simplified estimate. Actual withholding depends on W-4 allowances, additional income, deductions and credits, and plan-specific rules. Use it for planning, then verify with your pay stub or a tax professional.

What affects the result

• Pay frequency changes the per-period dollar amounts while annual totals stay constant. Biweekly earners receive 26 paychecks per year; semi-monthly earners receive 24.
• Filing status determines the standard deduction and tax bracket thresholds. Married filing jointly benefits from wider brackets.
• Pre-tax deductions (401k, health insurance, HSA, FSA) reduce federal and state taxable income before brackets are applied, lowering total tax.
• State tax rate varies widely — states with no income tax include Texas, Florida, and Washington. California, Oregon, and New York have rates above 8% for higher earners.
• Effective rate vs. marginal rate — your marginal rate is the bracket your last dollar of income falls into. Your effective rate is average tax as a percentage of gross income, always lower than marginal.

Real-world examples

1. Biweekly earner, single. $3,846 biweekly ($100,000 annual), single, $500 biweekly pre-tax deductions, 5% state tax. Federal taxable income is roughly $74,400 after standard deduction and deductions. Take-home is approximately $2,600–$2,700 per paycheck depending on exact withholding.

2. Monthly earner, married. $8,333 monthly ($100,000 annual), married filing jointly, $800 monthly pre-tax deductions, 4% state tax. The married standard deduction of $29,200 significantly reduces federal taxable income, resulting in a lower effective rate than the same earner filing single.

3. No state income tax. Same inputs as example 1 but 0% state tax. Take-home increases by the state tax amount — effectively equal to your pre-tax salary times the state rate divided by pay periods.

Common mistakes

• Using gross pay to budget. Many first-time earners overestimate take-home pay by not accounting for all deductions. Always plan from net pay, not gross.
• Forgetting pre-tax deductions reduce taxes. A $200/month health insurance premium paid pre-tax saves approximately $44–$88 in federal taxes depending on bracket, plus FICA and state taxes.
• Confusing withholding with tax owed. W-4 allowances and elections determine paycheck withholding, but your actual tax liability is calculated at filing. A refund means you overwitheld; a bill means you underwitheld.
• Ignoring FICA on self-employment income. W-2 employees pay 7.65% in FICA (half of the 15.3% total). Self-employed individuals pay both halves — factor this in if comparing employment to freelancing.

When to use this calculator

Use this calculator when evaluating a job offer to understand take-home pay, planning a budget from salary figures, estimating the after-tax value of a raise, or comparing benefits packages where pre-tax deductions differ.

For budgeting the result, use the budget calculator to allocate take-home pay across needs, wants, and savings. To understand how pre-tax 401(k) contributions affect retirement, use the 401(k) contribution calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my actual paycheck different from this estimate? Federal withholding depends on your W-4 elections, not just your bracket. Additional income sources, tax credits, or itemizing deductions all change your actual tax owed versus withheld. This calculator uses the standard deduction and does not model W-4 adjustments or tax credits.

What are pre-tax deductions? Pre-tax deductions are amounts subtracted from your paycheck before income tax is calculated. Common examples include traditional 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums paid through an employer plan, Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions, and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) elections. Roth 401(k) contributions are after-tax and do not reduce taxable income.

Does this calculator include all FICA taxes? Social Security is 6.2% on wages up to $168,600 (2024 wage base). Medicare is 1.45% on all wages. High earners above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly) also owe an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on excess wages — this is not automatically withheld and may result in additional tax due at filing.

What states have no income tax? Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire (on wages only), South Dakota, Tennessee (on wages only), Texas, Washington, and Wyoming have no broad-based income tax on wages. Enter 0% for state tax if you live in one of these states.

How does my filing status affect take-home pay? Filing status determines your standard deduction and the width of each tax bracket. Married filing jointly has roughly double the bracket thresholds and standard deduction versus single. Head of household falls between the two. The difference can be significant — a $100,000 earner saves several thousand dollars annually filing married versus single.

Related calculators

Plan your net pay with the budget calculator (50/30/20) — allocate take-home pay into needs, wants, and savings. Grow your savings with the compound interest calculator. Maximize your 401(k) with the 401(k) contribution calculator. Set a savings target with the savings goal calculator.