Frequently asked questions

Yes — every calculator, every state page, no limits and no paid tier. The site is supported by advertising, the way a newspaper is, so the tools can stay free for everyone.

No. There is no sign-up, no login and no account anywhere on this site. Open a calculator, type your numbers, get your answer.

Nothing leaves your device. The calculations run in your browser, so your pay is never sent to us, never stored and never sold. Close the tab and it is gone.

Close enough to check a pay stub against. We use the published 2026 federal brackets and standard deductions, the $184,500 Social Security wage base, and each state's own 2026 rates and deductions. Your real check can still differ with W-4 entries, benefits like health insurance, garnishments and local taxes we flag on the state pages.

Because salary is gross pay and your check is net pay. Between them sit federal income tax, state income tax (in most states), Social Security at 6.2%, Medicare at 1.45%, and anything you chose — a 401(k), health premiums, an HSA. The paycheck calculator shows each one on its own line so you can see exactly where the money went.

California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina and New Jersey — each with its own 2026 rates, brackets and worked examples. The hub calculator covers the same states; pick yours from the list at the top of the paycheck calculator.

No — and we will not pretend otherwise. This is a paycheck estimator for planning and checking pay stubs. For filing, use the IRS and your state's tax department, or a tax professional, especially if you have income beyond a salary.

You can use them to estimate and to explain pay to your team. For actually running payroll — withholding, reporting and paying the IRS — use a proper payroll service; the penalties for getting that wrong are real, and an estimate is not a filing.