Paycheck Calculator

How to use the paycheck calculator

1. Gross pay. Enter an annual salary, or switch to per-paycheck pay if you are paid by the hour. For hourly pay, multiply your rate by the hours in one pay period.
2. Pay frequency. Weekly (52 paychecks), every two weeks (26), twice a month (24) or monthly (12).
3. W-4 filing status. The status from Step 1(c) of your Form W-4.
4. 401(k) contribution. The percentage of each paycheck going to a traditional (pre-tax) 401(k).
5. Health insurance premium. Your share of medical, dental or vision premiums, plus FSA contributions, taken pre-tax.
6. State and local tax. A flat percentage you enter. State rules differ widely: some have no wage tax, some use one flat rate and others use brackets with their own deductions. Your state tax agency’s withholding tables give an exact figure; an average rate is a fair estimate.
7. W-4 Step 3 credits and Step 4(c) extra withholding. Optional, for people who filled in those boxes.

How each deduction is calculated

Net pay = gross pay − pre-tax deductions − federal income tax − Social Security − Medicare − state tax

• Federal income tax. The calculator follows the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method for a 2020-or-later W-4 with the Step 2 box unchecked. Taxable wages per check are multiplied by the number of paychecks, the 2026 standard deduction is subtracted ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household), the 2026 brackets are applied, and the result is divided back by the number of paychecks. Pub. 15-T writes this as a $8,600 or $12,900 adjustment plus shifted tables, which gives the same answer.
• Social Security. 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500. Pre-tax health premiums are exempt; 401(k) deferrals are not.
• Medicare. 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax that your employer withholds on wages above $200,000, whatever your filing status.
• State and local tax. Your rate times wages after the 401(k) and health deductions.

Worked example: $75,000 salary, paid biweekly

Single filer, 5% to a 401(k), $100 health premium per check, no state income tax:

The federal figure works like this: $2,640.38 of taxable wages × 26 = $68,650; minus the $16,100 standard deduction leaves $52,550; the brackets give $6,273 a year, or $241.27 per check. Add a 5% state income tax and the state takes $132.02 per check, which brings net pay to $2,054.07.

Checking the method against the IRS tables

Pub. 15-T (2026) shows a single employee earning $60,000 a year with no adjustments has an adjusted annual wage of $51,400 ($60,000 − $8,600). That falls in the $19,900 to $57,900 row: $1,240 plus 12% of the excess, or $5,020 for the year. Paid biweekly, that is $193.08 per check, the same figure this calculator gives.

Take-home pay at common salaries

High earners see Social Security stop once year-to-date wages reach $184,500, so paychecks rise late in the year. The calculator spreads that annual amount evenly, which matches your total for the year but not each individual check.

Why your real paycheck might differ

• Other deductions. Roth 401(k) contributions, union dues, garnishments, life insurance and commuter benefits all change net pay. Roth deferrals are after-tax and do not lower withholding.
• Bonuses. Supplemental wages are often withheld at a flat 22% instead of the regular method.
• Local taxes. Some cities and counties levy their own income tax. Add it to the state rate.
• Two jobs or a working spouse. The standard method assumes one job. If both of you work, checking the Step 2 box or using the IRS withholding estimator avoids under-withholding.

To see what you owe for the whole year, try the income tax calculator. To compare hourly and yearly pay, use the salary calculator. To see how a bigger contribution grows over time, open the 401(k) calculator.