Paycheck Calculator
Pick your state, type your pay, and see exactly what reaches your bank account in 2026 — every tax line on its own line.
Your take-home pay
Fill in your pay on the left, press Calculate, and your take-home pay will show here — every deduction on its own line.
How this paycheck calculator works
Enter your pay
Annual salary, or an hourly rate and your hours per week. Add your state, filing status and how often you are paid.
We apply 2026 taxes
Federal brackets and standard deduction, your state's rates, Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base, and Medicare.
See every line
Your net pay per paycheck and per year, each deduction on its own line, and the share of your pay that goes to tax.
What comes out of a US paycheck?
Four deductions appear on almost every pay stub in America. Federal income tax is the biggest for most people: it is progressive, so the first slice of your income is taxed at 10%, the next at 12%, and so on up to 37% — you never pay your top rate on everything you earn. State income tax depends entirely on where you live: nine states tax no wages at all, Illinois-style flat taxes take the same percentage from everyone, and California-style systems climb past 12%.
Then come the two payroll taxes together called FICA. Social Security takes 6.2% of your wages, but only on the first $184,500 in 2026. Medicare takes 1.45% with no cap, plus an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000. Your employer matches both (except the extra Medicare part), though you never see that half on your stub.
On top of taxes, many paychecks lose money to things you chose: a 401(k), health insurance, an HSA. Those are not taxes, but they shrink the check the same way — which is why this calculator lets you add pre-tax deductions and see the final number before payday.
Paycheck questions, answered
How is my take-home pay calculated?
Start with your gross pay. Subtract any pre-tax deductions (like a traditional 401(k)), then take out federal income tax using the 2026 brackets and standard deduction, your state income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500 of wages) and Medicare (1.45%). What is left is your take-home pay. This calculator walks through exactly those steps.
Why is my actual paycheck different from the estimate?
Small differences are normal. Your W-4 entries, health insurance premiums, HSA or commuter benefits, garnishments and local taxes (like New York City or Ohio city tax) all change the result. This calculator covers the big four every worker pays — federal, state, Social Security and Medicare — so it lands close for most people.
What is the difference between gross pay and net pay?
Gross pay is what you earn before anything is taken out — the number in your offer letter. Net pay, or take-home pay, is what actually reaches your bank account after taxes and deductions. On a typical US paycheck, net pay is about 70% to 85% of gross pay.
Does a 401(k) contribution lower my tax?
A traditional 401(k) lowers your federal and state income tax today, because the money goes in before income tax is worked out. It does not lower Social Security and Medicare — those are charged on your full wages. A Roth 401(k) is the opposite: taxed now, tax-free later.
How much tax is taken from a $1,000 paycheck?
It depends on your state, filing status and pay schedule, because income tax is worked out on your annual pay, not per check. As a rough guide, a single worker paid $1,000 a week in Texas keeps about $845 of each check; in California, about $807. Put your own numbers into the calculator for your exact answer.
Paycheck calculator by state
State tax is the biggest reason the same salary spends differently across America. Open your state for its own rates, brackets and examples.
Working hours instead? Try the hours calculator or the time card calculator — or ask for a calculator we have not built yet.