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Paycheck Calculator

FinanceSalary and Wages
Filing status

401(k), 403(b) or similar deferrals taken before income tax.

A flat effective rate for your state; 0 for states without a wage tax.

Take-home pay per period —
Federal income tax
—
Social Security (6.2%)
—
Medicare
—
State income tax
—
Take-home pay per year
—
Share of gross paid in tax
—
Where each paycheck goes
The chart appears with your result

Take-home pay is gross pay minus federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), state tax and pre-tax deductions. A single filer paid $2,000 every two weeks with a 5% state rate keeps about $1,588.87 per check: $158.13 federal, $124 Social Security, $29 Medicare and $100 state tax come out.

About this tool

New hires comparing offers, people switching from hourly to salaried work and anyone checking a first pay stub want the same number: what actually lands in the bank account. Enter the gross amount of one paycheck, how often you are paid and your filing status, and the calculator annualises the pay, applies the 2025 federal brackets after the standard deduction, adds Social Security and Medicare, and takes a flat state percentage. The result shows each deduction per period, the yearly take-home figure and a breakdown of where each check goes. It is an estimate: real withholding follows your Form W-4, so extra withholding, dependent credits, local taxes and health premiums can move the actual stub by a few percent.

How to use it

  1. Enter one paycheck's gross pay

    Type the amount before any deductions for a single pay period, not your annual salary (unless you pick the once-a-year option).

  2. Choose frequency and filing status

    Pick how many times a year you are paid and the filing status on your W-4: single, married filing jointly or head of household.

  3. Add pre-tax deductions

    Enter 401(k) or 403(b) deferrals taken from each check; they reduce income tax but not Social Security or Medicare.

  4. Set the state rate

    Move the slider to your state's approximate rate on wages, or leave it at 0% in states with no wage tax, then read the per-period and yearly results.

Examples

$65,760 a year, single, no state tax

Gross pay per period
65760
Pay frequency
Once a year (1)
Filing status
Single
Pre-tax deductions per period
0
State income tax rate
0

Result Take-home pay per period: $54,813.16
Federal income tax: $5,916.20
Social Security (6.2%): $4,077.12
Medicare: $953.52
State income tax: $0.00
Take-home pay per year: $54,813.16
Share of gross paid in tax: 16.6%

  1. Annual wages for federal tax = ($65,760.00 − $0.00) × 1 = $65,760.00
  2. Taxable income = $65,760.00 − standard deduction $15,750.00 = $50,010.00
  3. Federal income tax for the year = $5,916.20 (top bracket 22%), ÷ 1 = $5,916.20
  4. Social Security = 6.2% × min($65,760.00, $176,100) ÷ 1 = $4,077.12
  5. Medicare = (1.45% × $65,760.00 + 0.9% above $200,000) ÷ 1 = $953.52
  6. State = 0% × $65,760.00 = $0.00

One annual payment shows the bare federal arithmetic: $50,010 of taxable income reaches the 22% bracket by $1,535, and FICA takes 7.65% of the full salary.

$2,000 every two weeks, 5% state

Gross pay per period
2000
Pay frequency
Every two weeks (26)
Filing status
Single
Pre-tax deductions per period
0
State income tax rate
5

Result Take-home pay per period: $1,588.87
Federal income tax: $158.13
Social Security (6.2%): $124.00
Medicare: $29.00
State income tax: $100.00
Take-home pay per year: $41,310.50
Share of gross paid in tax: 20.6%

  1. Annual wages for federal tax = ($2,000.00 − $0.00) × 26 = $52,000.00
  2. Taxable income = $52,000.00 − standard deduction $15,750.00 = $36,250.00
  3. Federal income tax for the year = $4,111.50 (top bracket 12%), ÷ 26 = $158.13
  4. Social Security = 6.2% × min($52,000.00, $176,100) ÷ 26 = $124.00
  5. Medicare = (1.45% × $52,000.00 + 0.9% above $200,000) ÷ 26 = $29.00
  6. State = 5% × $2,000.00 = $100.00

A $52,000 salary paid 26 times: federal tax of $4,111.50 a year works out to about $158 per check, and a 5% state rate takes $100 more.

$10,000 a month, married, $500 to a 401(k)

Gross pay per period
10000
Pay frequency
Monthly (12)
Filing status
Married filing jointly
Pre-tax deductions per period
500
State income tax rate
0

Result Take-home pay per period: $7,949.75
Federal income tax: $785.25
Social Security (6.2%): $620.00
Medicare: $145.00
State income tax: $0.00
Take-home pay per year: $95,397.00
Share of gross paid in tax: 15.5%

  1. Annual wages for federal tax = ($10,000.00 − $500.00) × 12 = $114,000.00
  2. Taxable income = $114,000.00 − standard deduction $31,500.00 = $82,500.00
  3. Federal income tax for the year = $9,423.00 (top bracket 12%), ÷ 12 = $785.25
  4. Social Security = 6.2% × min($120,000.00, $176,100) ÷ 12 = $620.00
  5. Medicare = (1.45% × $120,000.00 + 0.9% above $200,000) ÷ 12 = $145.00
  6. State = 0% × $9,500.00 = $0.00

The $500 deferral lowers federal taxable wages to $114,000 a year, but Social Security and Medicare are still charged on the full $10,000.

How it is calculated

Net = G − D − (T(max(0, (G − D) × n − S)) ÷ n) − 0.062 × min(G × n, 176,100) ÷ n − 0.0145 × G − 0.009 × max(0, G × n − 200,000) ÷ n − r × (G − D)

G
gross pay for one period
D
pre-tax deductions per period
n
pay periods per year (52, 26, 24, 12 or 1)
S
2025 standard deduction: $15,750 single, $31,500 joint, $23,625 head of household
T
2025 federal bracket tax on yearly taxable income (10% to 37%)
r
state income tax rate as a decimal

This follows the logic of the IRS annualised percentage method: pay is scaled to a year, the standard deduction is removed, the progressive brackets are applied and the result is divided back over the pay periods. Social Security uses the 2025 SSA wage base of $176,100, and the extra 0.9% Medicare applies to wages above $200,000 whatever the filing status, as employers withhold it. State tax is treated as a flat share of wages after pre-tax deductions.

Sources

When not to use it

  • Self-employment income, which pays both halves of FICA through Schedule SE.
  • Bonus or commission checks, which employers often withhold at a flat 22% supplemental rate.
  • Pay stubs with itemised deductions, tax credits or extra withholding claimed on the W-4.
  • States with graduated brackets or city taxes where one flat rate misstates the bill.

Common mistakes

  • Typing the annual salary while the frequency is still set to every two weeks.
  • Expecting a 401(k) deferral to lower Social Security and Medicare as well as income tax.
  • Using your state's top marginal rate instead of the average rate on your wages.
  • Leaving out health or dental premiums, which come off the real stub too.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my real paycheck different from this estimate?

Employers withhold using your Form W-4 and the IRS Publication 15-T tables. Dependent credits, extra withholding, a second job box, health premiums, HSA contributions and local taxes all change the stub. Expect a gap of a few percent, and compare a recent stub line by line with the breakdown here to find which item differs.

Which tax year do the federal figures use?

The 2025 brackets and the 2025 standard deduction as raised by the July 2025 tax law: $15,750 for single filers, $31,500 for married couples filing jointly and $23,625 for heads of household. Social Security stops at the 2025 wage base of $176,100.

Do pre-tax deductions reduce Social Security and Medicare?

Not here. Traditional 401(k), 403(b) and 457 deferrals lower federal and most state income tax, but they remain subject to FICA. Section 125 cafeteria plan items such as employer health premiums do escape FICA, so if most of your deductions are premiums, the real FICA lines will be a little lower.

What happens once I pass the Social Security wage base?

Social Security withholding stops for the rest of the calendar year once wages reach $176,100. The calculator spreads the yearly amount evenly across periods, so high earners see a smaller Social Security line every check here, while their actual stubs show the full 6.2% early in the year and nothing late in the year.

How do I find my state rate?

Divide last year's state income tax from your state return by your state wages, or use your state revenue department's withholding tables for your pay level. Nine states, including Texas, Florida and Washington, tax no wage income, so 0% fits there.

Why does twice a month differ from every two weeks?

Twice a month gives 24 checks and every two weeks gives 26. The same $52,000 salary is $2,166.67 per semimonthly check but $2,000 per biweekly check, and each check's taxes shrink in step.

Cite this tool

Using this tool in an assignment, article or report? Copy a citation, or a link for your website.

APA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. (2026, October 18). Paycheck Calculator. Tools Directory. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://tools.milunir.com/finance/salary-and-wages/paycheck-calculator/

MLA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Paycheck Calculator.” Tools Directory, 18 Oct. 2026, https://tools.milunir.com/finance/salary-and-wages/paycheck-calculator/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Paycheck Calculator.” Tools Directory. Last modified October 18, 2026. Accessed October 27, 2026. https://tools.milunir.com/finance/salary-and-wages/paycheck-calculator/.

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