Take-Home Pay Calculator
Enter your gross salary and see what actually lands in your bank account after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state withholdings — updated for the 2026 tax year.
Income Profile
Paycheck Preview
Reveal your actual take-home pay after federal, FICA, and state taxes.
How It Works
What gets taken out of your paycheck
Your gross salary is what you agreed to when you took the job. Your take-home pay is what you can actually spend. The gap between the two comes from four main sources, applied in a specific order.
FICA comes first. Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) are taken straight off gross wages before anything else. They're flat rates with no deduction or exemption for most employees — they apply the same whether you earn $30,000 or $300,000 (up to the Social Security wage base).
Then federal income tax. This is where your filing status and pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA, health insurance) start to matter. The US uses a progressive system — your income is taxed in tiers, not all at one flat rate. Only the income within each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate.
Then state income tax, if your state has one. Nine states currently have no state income tax. Others range from around 3% to over 13% depending on income level and location.
Finally, voluntary deductions — anything you've elected like 401(k) contributions or dental coverage. These are taken after the above, but pre-tax deductions can reduce your federal income tax liability.
2026 Tax Rates
Federal income tax brackets
These are the projected 2026 brackets for single filers after IRS inflation adjustments. Married filing jointly thresholds are exactly double these figures. The standard deduction for 2026 is $16,100 for single filers — income below that amount isn't taxed at all.
| Rate | Taxable Income Range | What this means |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 | The first slice of taxable income everyone pays |
| 12% | $12,401 – $50,400 | Covers most early-career and part-time salaries |
| 22% | $50,401 – $105,700 | Where most full-time professionals land |
| 24% | $105,701 – $201,050 | Senior roles, dual-income households |
| 32% | $201,051 – $243,725 | High earners; still not the top rate |
| 35% | $243,726 – $609,350 | Upper income; effective rate well below 35% |
| 37% | $609,351+ | Only income above this threshold taxed at top rate |
The bracket misconception
"Earning more puts me in a higher bracket" is true, but it doesn't mean your entire income gets taxed at the new rate. Only the income above each threshold is taxed at the higher rate. A single filer earning $60,000 pays 10% on the first $12,400, 12% on the next $38,000, and 22% only on the remaining $9,600. Their effective (average) rate is well under 22%.
FICA Explained
Social Security & Medicare
FICA is the part of your paycheck that funds Social Security and Medicare. Unlike income tax, there's no filing status, no deductions, and no way to reduce it through planning — it's a flat percentage off every paycheck.
The Social Security portion only applies up to the annual wage base ($176,100 projected for 2026). Medicare has no income ceiling; high earners pay an additional 0.9% on income above $200,000.
State Tax
How your state changes the picture
State income tax can add anywhere from nothing to over 13% on top of your federal bill. Nine states currently impose no state income tax at all.
No state income tax
TX, FL, WA, NV, WY, SD, AK, TN, NH
Low (under 5%)
AZ, IN, ND, PA, CO, IL
High (over 9%)
CA, HI, NJ, OR, MN
Moving from California to Texas on the same $120,000 salary can mean roughly $10,000 more in take-home pay per year.
Tips
Getting an accurate estimate
Use your gross salary before any contributions
Enter the total salary figure from your offer letter or contract — before 401(k) deductions, health insurance, or anything else your employer withholds. The tool handles those reductions separately so you can see their impact on your net pay.
Check your W-4 filing status matches reality
If you recently married, divorced, had a child, or took on a second job, your W-4 may be out of date. Updating it with your employer changes how much is withheld from each paycheck. A mismatch usually results in a large tax bill or refund at filing time.
Factor in pre-tax deductions to see their real value
A $200/month 401(k) contribution doesn't actually cost you $200 in take-home pay — it costs you $200 minus whatever you'd have paid in federal income tax on that amount. For someone in the 22% bracket, the true cost is closer to $156. The difference is the government's share.
Watch for the 27th paycheck
On a biweekly pay schedule (26 checks per year), some years fall on calendar boundaries that produce 27 pay periods. Your annual gross salary stays the same — each check is just slightly smaller. Budget accordingly if your year is one of them.
Reading Your Results
What each figure in the output means
| Field | What it represents | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Pay | Your full salary before any deductions | The number on your contract; rarely what you spend |
| Federal Income Tax | Withheld based on your bracket and filing status | The biggest variable — changes with deductions and life events |
| Social Security | 6.2% of gross wages up to the wage base | Fixed; doesn't change with deductions or filing status |
| Medicare | 1.45% of all gross wages (0.9% surcharge above $200k) | No income ceiling unlike Social Security |
| State Income Tax | Varies by state; zero in nine states | Can swing take-home pay by thousands annually |
| Net Pay | What arrives in your bank account | The only number that affects your actual budget |
Honest Limitations
What this calculator doesn't cover
Not a substitute for a tax professional
This tool gives a solid estimate for planning purposes. Your actual tax liability depends on your full return — investment income, self-employment, rental properties, and dozens of other factors that only a CPA or tax software can accurately model.
Local and city taxes not included
Some cities — New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco among them — levy their own local income tax on top of state tax. This tool doesn't currently include local rates.
Self-employment income works differently
Freelancers and contractors pay both the employee and employer share of FICA (15.3% combined), not the 7.65% shown here. They also pay quarterly estimated taxes rather than having withholdings.
Brackets are projected, not final
The 2026 IRS inflation adjustments used here are based on projected CPI data. Final figures may differ slightly. Treat this as a planning estimate and verify against IRS publications once they're released.
FAQ
Common questions
Questions people ask when they're trying to understand their paycheck for the first time — or figure out why a raise didn't feel as big as expected.
Why did my raise barely change my take-home pay?+
Two reasons. First, the progressive tax system means your raise is taxed at your marginal rate — the rate for the bracket it lands in, not the rate on your whole salary. A $5,000 raise in the 22% bracket nets you about $3,900 after federal tax alone.
Second, some raises push income above thresholds that trigger phase-outs of credits or deductions, which can reduce the net benefit further.
What's the difference between gross income and AGI?+
Gross income is everything you earned. Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is gross income minus certain "above-the-line" deductions — things like 401(k) contributions, student loan interest, and HSA deposits. Your AGI is what federal income tax is calculated on, not your gross salary. Reducing your AGI is the most direct way to lower your federal tax bill.
Do I pay Social Security tax on my entire salary?+
No. Social Security tax (6.2%) only applies up to the annual wage base — projected at $176,100 for 2026. Income above that threshold is not subject to the 6.2% Social Security portion. Medicare (1.45%), however, applies to all wages with no ceiling.
How does changing my 401(k) contribution affect take-home pay?+
Traditional 401(k) contributions are pre-tax, which means they reduce your federal (and usually state) taxable income. If you contribute an additional $100 per paycheck and you're in the 22% federal bracket, your take-home pay only decreases by about $78 — the government effectively subsidises the other $22 through reduced withholding.
Roth 401(k) contributions work differently — they're post-tax, so they don't reduce your current take-home pay but grow tax-free.
Is my salary data stored anywhere?+
No. All calculations run inside your browser using JavaScript. Nothing you enter — salary, state, filing status, deductions — is transmitted to any server, logged, or stored. You can disconnect from the internet after the page loads and the calculator will still work.