Take-Home Paycheck Calculator
See your real take-home pay per paycheck after federal tax, FICA, and state tax.
Example
Example: $60,000 salary, Single, biweekly (26 paychecks), 5% state rate.
Taxable income = $60,000 - $14,600 standard deduction = $45,400. Federal tax = $1,160 (10% of $11,600) + $4,056 (12% of $33,800) = $5,216. FICA = $3,720 (6.2% SS) + $870 (1.45% Medicare) = $4,590. State = 5% x $60,000 = $3,000.
Annual take-home = $60,000 - $5,216 - $4,590 - $3,000 = $47,194, or about $1,815.15 per biweekly paycheck.
How it works
Enter your annual gross salary, pick filing status and pay frequency, and add your state tax rate; we apply 2024 federal brackets, 6.2% Social Security (up to the wage cap) and 1.45% Medicare, then show net per period.
Good to know
This calculator turns an annual gross salary into an estimated net amount per paycheck by subtracting 2024 US federal income tax, FICA (6.2% Social Security up to the $168,600 wage cap plus 1.45% Medicare), and a flat state income tax rate you supply. It is built for US employees who are weighing a job offer, switching pay frequencies, or simply trying to reconcile why the number on their paystub is smaller than their stated salary.
Reach for it when you want a quick sanity check rather than an exact figure: comparing two offers in states with different income taxes, estimating cash flow for a budget, or seeing roughly how much a raise actually adds after taxes. Because it works on annualized brackets and divides by your pay frequency, switching between weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, and monthly only changes the per-check size, not your total annual tax.
To read the output, start with "Net pay per paycheck," then use the stacked bars to see how each dollar of gross splits between take-home, federal tax, FICA, and state tax. The "Effective tax rate" is total tax divided by gross, which will always be lower than your top bracket because only income above each threshold is taxed at the higher rate. The standard deduction ($14,600 single, $29,200 married) is applied to federal tax but not to FICA or the flat state estimate.
One important caveat: the estimate deliberately ignores several things that move real paychecks, including pre-tax 401(k) and HSA contributions, employer health premiums, tax credits, local or city taxes, the Additional Medicare surtax on high earners, and the fact that most states use graduated brackets rather than one flat rate. If you contribute to a 401(k), your actual take-home is usually higher than shown here; for a precise figure, check your latest paystub or your state's published tax tables.
Frequently asked questions
Does this account for 401(k) or health insurance deductions?
No. This estimate uses your gross salary and the standard deduction only. Pre-tax contributions like 401(k) or HSA would lower your taxable income and FICA-eligible wages, so your actual take-home could be higher than shown.
Why does Social Security stop at a certain income?
Social Security tax (6.2%) only applies to wages up to the annual wage base, which is $168,600 for 2024. Earnings above that cap are not subject to the 6.2% tax, though Medicare's 1.45% has no cap.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No — this calculator runs entirely in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Is this financial advice?
No. These are educational estimates — consult a qualified financial professional before making decisions.
People also ask
What is the difference between gross pay and take-home pay?
Gross pay is your total salary before any deductions, while take-home (net) pay is what lands in your account after federal income tax, FICA, state tax, and any other withholdings are removed. This tool subtracts the federal, FICA, and flat state portions to estimate net pay.
How much is taken out of a paycheck for taxes in the US?
It varies with income, filing status, and state, but FICA alone is a fixed 7.65% of wages (6.2% Social Security up to the cap plus 1.45% Medicare), with federal income tax and state tax added on top. Effective total rates for typical salaries often fall in the 15-30% range.
What is FICA and how is it calculated?
FICA is the combined Social Security and Medicare payroll tax. Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to the annual wage base ($168,600 in 2024) and Medicare is 1.45% of all wages with no cap, for a combined employee rate of 7.65%.
Does a 401(k) contribution change my take-home pay?
Yes. Traditional 401(k) contributions are pre-tax, so they lower the wages used to calculate federal income tax and can reduce your taxable income. This calculator does not include 401(k) deductions, so your real net pay may differ.
Why is my effective tax rate lower than my tax bracket?
The US uses marginal brackets, meaning only the income within each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate, not your entire salary. Your effective rate is total tax divided by gross income, which is always lower than your highest marginal bracket.
How do I convert an annual salary to a per-paycheck amount?
Divide the annual figure by the number of pay periods: 52 for weekly, 26 for biweekly, 24 for semi-monthly, and 12 for monthly. This tool applies that division after calculating annual taxes, so the per-check amount reflects net pay.
Do all states tax income the same way?
No. Some states have no income tax, some use flat rates, and many use graduated brackets. This calculator uses a single flat state rate you enter, so results for graduated-bracket or no-tax states are approximate.
Why does Social Security tax stop partway through the year for high earners?
Social Security tax applies only to wages up to the annual wage base ($168,600 in 2024), so once cumulative earnings pass that cap, the 6.2% withholding stops for the rest of the year. Medicare's 1.45% continues to apply to all wages.
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