Paycheck Calculator

Estimate your net take-home pay from a salary or hourly wage: choose your pay frequency, enter your tax rates, 401(k) contribution and health insurance, and see federal tax, state tax, Social Security and Medicare per paycheck and per year.

From gross pay to take-home pay

Your gross pay is what you earn before anything is taken out. Your net pay, or take-home pay, is what actually lands in your bank account. The difference is made up of three kinds of deductions:

• Pre-tax deductions, such as traditional 401(k) contributions and employer health insurance, which come out first and lower your taxable pay.
• Income taxes — federal, and in most places state or local — charged on your taxable pay at the rates you enter.
• FICA taxes: Social Security and Medicare, which fund those programs and are charged on nearly all wages.

How this calculator works

It starts from your yearly gross pay (your salary, or hourly wage × hours per week × 52). Your 401(k) percentage and health insurance are subtracted to get taxable pay for income tax. Federal and state income tax are your rates applied to that taxable pay. Social Security and Medicare are applied to your pay after health insurance — 401(k) contributions don't reduce them. Everything is then divided by the number of paychecks in a year.

Because tax rules change and every situation is different, all the rates are yours to set. The Social Security and Medicare fields are prefilled with the standard employee rates.

Worked example

A $75,000 salary paid every two weeks (26 paychecks), with a 5% 401(k), $100 per paycheck for health insurance, a 12% federal rate and a 4% state rate:

• Gross pay: $2,884.62 per paycheck
• 401(k): $144.23 and health insurance: $100.00
• Federal income tax: $316.85 · State income tax: $105.62
• Social Security: $172.65 · Medicare: $40.38
• Take-home pay: $2,004.90 per paycheck, or about $52,127 a year

Pay frequency and paycheck size

Your yearly take-home pay doesn't change with pay frequency, but each paycheck does. Weekly pay splits the year into 52 checks, every two weeks into 26, twice a month into 24, and monthly into 12. Workers paid every two weeks get two months each year with three paychecks instead of two — useful to know when budgeting.

Frequently asked questions

What tax rate should I enter for federal income tax?

Use your effective rate, not your top bracket. A simple way to estimate it: divide last year's total federal income tax (from your tax return) by your income. Your most recent pay stub also shows how much federal tax is withheld each paycheck.

Why does a 401(k) contribution lower my income tax but not Social Security or Medicare?

Traditional 401(k) contributions come out before income tax, so they reduce the pay your income tax is calculated on. Social Security and Medicare (FICA) are still charged on that money. Health insurance paid through a cafeteria plan is usually exempt from both, which is how this calculator treats it.

Is Social Security always 6.2%?

The employee rate is 6.2%, but it only applies up to a yearly earnings limit (the Social Security wage base). If you earn above that limit, Social Security stops being withheld for the rest of the year. Medicare has no limit, and higher earners pay an additional 0.9% on wages above a set threshold.

What if I live in a state with no income tax?

Set the state income tax rate to 0. If your city or county also charges an income tax, you can add it to the state rate.

Why is my real paycheck slightly different?

Employers withhold using IRS withholding tables, your W-4 choices, and any other deductions such as dental, vision, HSA or union dues. This calculator gives a close estimate using the rates you enter, which is ideal for comparing job offers or planning a budget.

This is an estimate using the rates you enter, not tax advice or an exact withholding calculation.