Paycheck Calculator

Your paycheck starts with gross pay—your salary before anything is withheld. From there, pre-tax deductions (like health premiums) and retirement contributions come out first. What remains is roughly your taxable income for federal and state income tax. Payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare (together called FICA) are calculated on wages as well.

This free paycheck calculator estimates those pieces, then divides annual take-home pay by how often you get paid. Use it as a planning tool when comparing offers, budgeting for rent, or checking whether a raise actually moves the needle on your bank deposit.

Federal income tax uses the 2026 brackets published by the IRS. This estimate subtracts the 2026 standard deduction first: $16,100 if you file single, or $32,200 if you file married jointly. It does not apply tax credits, itemized deductions, or local tax.

FICA is separate: Social Security at 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, and Medicare at 1.45% of wages. Wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married) also pay the extra 0.9% Medicare tax. Pre-tax benefit deductions reduce these wages. A retirement contribution does not.

State income tax varies by where you live. Some states have no income tax; others use brackets. Here you enter a flat state tax percent so you can model a simple estimate. Local taxes, credits, and exact withholding methods are not included.

Suppose you earn $60,000 a year, file as single, pay about 5% state tax, and have no extra pre-tax deductions or retirement contributions. After the 2026 standard deduction, federal tax, FICA, and that flat state tax, take-home is about $47,390 a year, or about $1,823 every biweekly paycheck.

Want the hourly view of that salary? Use our salary to hourly calculator or read $60,000 a year is how much an hour. Pairing gross hourly rate with take-home pay gives a clearer picture of what a job really pays.