Calculate your take-home pay after federal taxes, state taxes, FICA, and deductions. All 50 states supported with 2026 tax rates.
This paycheck calculator uses 2026 federal income tax brackets and state income tax rates to estimate your take-home pay. Pre-tax deductions like 401k contributions and health insurance premiums are subtracted before calculating federal and state taxes, showing their true tax savings. State income tax rates are approximate — your actual withholding may vary based on your W-4 elections and employer policies. Always verify with your actual pay stub. All calculations run in your browser — your data never leaves your device.
Paycheck calculation follows a specific order of operations. Pre-tax deductions come out first, then FICA taxes are applied to gross wages, then federal and state income taxes are applied to reduced taxable income, and finally any post-tax deductions are subtracted.
Taxable Income = Gross Pay − Pre-Tax Deductions (401k, HSA, health ins.)
Federal Tax = Progressive bracket calculation on annualized taxable income
State Tax = Taxable Income × State Rate (flat or progressive)
Social Security = Gross Pay × 6.2% (up to annual wage base)
Medicare = Gross Pay × 1.45%
Net Pay = Gross − Federal − State − SS − Medicare − Post-Tax Deductions
Federal income tax uses the IRS's progressive bracket system — your income is taxed at different rates in layers (10% on the first portion, 12% on the next, and so on up to 37%). The calculator annualizes your per-paycheck income, applies the bracket math, then divides by the number of pay periods for the per-paycheck withholding amount.
Nicole earns $75,000/year as a single filer in Colorado (flat 4.4% state income tax), paid biweekly. She contributes 6% to her traditional 401k and pays $120/paycheck for health insurance.
Gross biweekly pay: $75,000 / 26 = $2,885. Pre-tax deductions: 401k = $2,885 × 6% = $173 + health insurance = $120. Total pre-tax deductions: $293. Federal taxable income per paycheck: $2,885 − $293 = $2,592 (annualized: ~$67,400). Estimated federal withholding: ~$260/paycheck. State tax: $2,885 × 4.4% = ~$127. Social Security: $2,885 × 6.2% = $179. Medicare: $2,885 × 1.45% = $42.
Total deductions per paycheck: $260 (federal) + $127 (state) + $179 (SS) + $42 (Medicare) + $293 (pre-tax benefits) = $901. Estimated net (take-home) pay: $2,885 − $901 = approximately $1,984/biweekly paycheck ($51,584 annually). Her effective combined tax rate on gross pay is about 21%. The 401k contribution of $173 only reduced her take-home by about $130 after the tax savings — illustrating the efficiency of pre-tax retirement savings.
Total paycheck deductions typically include federal income tax (10%–37% depending on income and filing status), Social Security (6.2% up to the wage base of $176,100 in 2026), Medicare (1.45% on all wages), and state income tax (0%–13.3% depending on your state). For a single filer earning $75,000/year paid biweekly, a rough estimate might be: federal income tax ~$7,400/year (~$285/paycheck), Social Security ~$4,650/year (~$179/paycheck), Medicare ~$1,088/year (~$42/paycheck), and state tax varies widely. Total federal + FICA alone often amounts to 20–30% of gross pay for most middle-income workers.
FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) is the combined Social Security and Medicare payroll tax withheld from every paycheck. Employees pay 6.2% of wages for Social Security on income up to $176,100 (the 2026 wage base) and 1.45% for Medicare on all wages with no cap. Your employer matches both of these amounts, effectively paying another 7.65% on your behalf — a cost invisible to most employees. An additional 0.9% Medicare surtax applies to wages above $200,000 for single filers ($250,000 for married filing jointly). Self-employed individuals pay the full combined 15.3% as self-employment tax, though they can deduct half of it on their tax return.
Several strategies can legally increase your net paycheck. Contributing to a traditional 401k or traditional IRA reduces your taxable income dollar-for-dollar, lowering federal (and often state) withholding. Health insurance premiums paid through employer-sponsored plans are pre-tax, further reducing taxable income. Contributing to a Dependent Care FSA (up to $5,000/year) or Health FSA reduces taxable wages for childcare or medical expenses. Updating your W-4 to accurately reflect dependents, itemized deductions, or multiple jobs prevents over-withholding. Note: a large tax refund in April means you over-withheld all year — adjusting your W-4 with HR lets you receive that money in each paycheck instead.
Gross pay is your total compensation before any deductions — the salary figure you negotiated or the hourly rate times hours worked. Net pay (take-home pay) is what actually lands in your bank account after federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security, Medicare, 401k contributions, health insurance premiums, dental, vision, and any other pre- or post-tax deductions are withheld. For most employees, net pay is 65–80% of gross pay. The exact percentage depends on your tax bracket, filing status, benefit elections, and state of residence.
Traditional 401k contributions are pre-tax: they reduce your taxable income before federal and state taxes are calculated. A 6% contribution on a $3,000 gross biweekly paycheck = $180 deducted. However, because your taxable income decreases by $180, your federal withholding also drops. If you are in the 22% federal bracket, your federal tax falls by $180 × 22% = $39.60. So the net reduction to your take-home pay is only $180 − $39.60 = about $140 — not the full $180. You are effectively funding $180 of retirement savings for a cost of only $140 in reduced take-home pay, making traditional 401k contributions one of the most tax-efficient ways to save.