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Paycheck Calculator

Estimate gross pay, taxes, and take-home pay per paycheck (2026 rates, simplified).

Per paycheck

Inputs

Accepts formats like 105,000 or 105 000 or 105000.
Taxes & deductions
Examples: traditional 401(k), HSA, pre-tax insurance.
Optional city/county tax if applicable.
Uses 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction by filing status.
Used for Social Security wage base and Additional Medicare threshold.
Optional: other adjustments above the standard deduction (simplified).
Select a state to apply an estimated state income tax rate.
State rates are an estimate. Exact withholding depends on state rules, deductions, and credits.
Tip: To match calculators that ask you to type the state rate manually, set method to “Custom”.
Estimate tool: Results are approximations. Real withholding can differ due to W-4 settings, credits, and state-specific rules.

Results

Net pay: $0.00
Net pay (0.0%)
Total taxes (0.0%)
Item Amount
Gross pay$0.00
Pre-tax deductions$0.00
Taxable wages$0.00
Federal income tax$0.00
State income tax$0.00
Local tax$0.00
Social Security (6.2%)$0.00
Medicare (1.45% + add.)$0.00
Total taxes$0.00
Federal: 2026 brackets + standard deduction (simplified). Social Security capped at $184,500 wages (2026). Additional Medicare may apply above threshold.

🔹 Table of Contents

🔹 How This Paycheck Calculator Works

Your paycheck is usually smaller than your “gross pay” because employers withhold payroll taxes (FICA), federal income tax, and sometimes state and local income tax. This Paycheck Calculator estimates your take-home pay by starting with gross earnings and then subtracting common deductions and taxes.

This page is built as an estimate tool. Different payroll providers and paycheck calculators can show different results because withholding depends on details you may not enter (W-4 settings, tax credits, itemized vs standard deduction, multiple jobs, local rules, benefit plan handling, and more).

🔹 What It Includes

  • Gross pay based on salary, hourly pay, or custom gross per paycheck.
  • Pre-tax deductions (like traditional 401(k) or HSA) entered per paycheck.
  • Federal income tax using a simplified bracket method based on filing status.
  • State income tax as an estimated rate based on your selected state range or custom rate.
  • Local tax as an optional percentage you enter.
  • Payroll taxes (FICA): Social Security and Medicare, including Additional Medicare where applicable.

🔹 Why Results Can Differ From Other Calculators

Many “take-home pay” tools use their own assumptions about withholding tables and W-4 inputs. For example, one calculator may assume only the standard deduction, while another models extra withholding or applies state rules differently. Because of these differences, this calculator is best used to:

  • Compare scenarios (changing pay, deductions, or pay frequency).
  • Estimate how much of your gross pay goes to taxes vs take-home pay.
  • Get a quick “ballpark” number before checking your real pay stub.

If you’re comparing paycheck timing, you may also like our Salary Calculator for converting annual salary into hourly, weekly, and monthly pay.

🔹 Core Paycheck Formulas Used

Most paycheck calculations follow the same structure: start with gross earnings, subtract pre-tax deductions, then estimate taxes on the remaining taxable wages. Below are the core formulas this estimate tool is built on.

🔹 Gross Pay

Pay type Formula
Salary Gross per paycheck = Annual salary ÷ Pay periods per year
Hourly Annual gross = Hourly rate × Hours/week × 52, then ÷ Pay periods
Custom Annual gross = Gross per paycheck × Pay periods per year

🔹 Taxable Wages

Pre-tax deductions reduce taxable wages for many income tax calculations (and sometimes for payroll tax, depending on the benefit type). In this calculator’s simplified model:

Taxable wages (per paycheck) = Gross pay − Pre-tax deductions

🔹 Federal Income Tax Estimate

A simplified bracket approach estimates annual federal tax by applying progressive rates to estimated taxable income. This step typically uses filing status and a standard deduction assumption:

  • Annual wages for income tax = Annual gross − (Pre-tax deductions × pay periods)
  • Federal taxable income = max(0, Annual wages for income tax − Standard deduction − Additional annual deductions)
  • Federal income tax (annual) = ProgressiveTax(Federal taxable income, bracket table)
  • Federal income tax (per paycheck) = Federal income tax (annual) ÷ Pay periods

🔹 Payroll Taxes (FICA)

Payroll taxes are typically withheld per paycheck and include Social Security and Medicare. Social Security is capped at an annual wage base, while Medicare can have an additional rate above income thresholds.

  • Social Security tax = 6.2% × min(Annual wages, Remaining wage base)
  • Medicare tax = 1.45% × Annual wages
  • Additional Medicare = 0.9% × Wages above threshold (threshold varies by filing status)

🔹 State and Local Income Tax (Estimate)

State and local rules vary widely, so this calculator uses an estimated rate approach:

  • State tax = Taxable wages × State rate (low/high/midpoint or custom)
  • Local tax = Taxable wages × Local rate (user-entered %)

🔹 Net Pay

Finally, take-home pay is what remains after deductions and taxes:

Net pay = Gross pay − Pre-tax deductions − (Federal + State + Local + FICA)

🔹 Worked Example

Here’s a simple example that shows the flow of a paycheck estimate. Use it as a reference when you change pay frequency, deductions, or state in the calculator.

Example inputs: $105,000 annual salary, Monthly pay (12), Single, $0 pre-tax deductions, local tax 0%, and state tax set to 0%.

🔹 Step-by-Step Breakdown

  1. Gross pay per paycheck
    $105,000 ÷ 12 = $8,750.00
  2. Pre-tax deductions
    $0 (so taxable wages stay the same in this simplified estimate)
  3. Payroll taxes (FICA)
    Social Security is 6.2% and Medicare is 1.45% of wages (simplified). For this paycheck:
    • Social Security = $8,750 × 6.2% = $542.50
    • Medicare = $8,750 × 1.45% = $126.88
  4. Federal income tax
    Federal withholding uses progressive brackets and a standard deduction assumption, then converts annual tax to per-paycheck. Your exact result can differ from other calculators because they may model W-4 entries differently.
  5. Net pay
    Net = Gross − Pre-tax − (Federal + State + Local + FICA)

🔹 Example Table

Below is an example table format you can compare against your calculator output. (Values will change based on your tax method and state assumptions.)

Item Monthly amount
Gross pay $8,750.00
Social Security (6.2%) $542.50
Medicare (1.45%) $126.88
Federal income tax (estimate) Varies by method
State income tax (estimate) $0.00 (if state rate set to 0%)
Local tax $0.00 (if set to 0%)
Net pay Depends on federal withholding estimate

Want to test another scenario fast? Change your pay frequency (weekly vs biweekly vs monthly) and watch how take-home pay per paycheck changes, even when annual income stays the same.

🔹 State Taxes and Why They Change Your Paycheck

Two people earning the same salary can take home very different amounts depending on the state they work in. Some states have no wage income tax, while others use progressive brackets with higher top rates. This calculator includes a State selector so you can quickly compare take-home pay across locations.

Quick tip: If you want the closest “manual control,” set State tax method to Custom and enter a percentage that matches your current pay stub or a payroll estimate.

🔹 State Tax Methods in This Calculator

  • Midpoint: uses the middle of the state’s low/high range as a simple estimate.
  • Low / High: lets you stress-test a best-case or worst-case state rate.
  • Custom: you enter the rate (useful for matching your own withholding more closely).
  • No state income tax: forces the state rate to 0% (useful for no-tax states).

🔹 States With No Wage Income Tax

If you work in one of these states, your paycheck may be higher because state wage income tax is typically not withheld:

State Typical wage income tax
Alaska0%
Florida0%
Nevada0%
South Dakota0%
Tennessee0%
Texas0%
Washington0%
Wyoming0%
New HampshireTypically no wage tax (special rules may apply)

Behind the scenes, the calculator uses state rate ranges as an estimation reference. If you want to review the underlying state-rate source used for this page, you can check the reference list at the bottom of this calculator page.

🔹 Pre-Tax vs Post-Tax Deductions

Deductions can have a big impact on take-home pay because they can reduce taxable wages before income tax is calculated. This calculator includes a simple Pre-tax deductions per paycheck input so you can model common benefit contributions.

Hook: If your paycheck looks “too low” compared to your salary, deductions are often the reason — especially retirement contributions and health plans.

🔹 Common Deductions That Affect Your Paycheck

Deduction type How it usually affects taxes
Traditional 401(k) / 403(b) Often reduces federal (and sometimes state) taxable income before withholding.
Roth 401(k) Usually taken after taxes (does not reduce taxable wages for income tax).
HSA (Health Savings Account) Often pre-tax for federal income tax; payroll handling can vary by employer plan setup.
Health / dental / vision premiums May be pre-tax depending on plan structure; confirm on your pay stub.
Commuter benefits Can be pre-tax up to allowed limits (plan-dependent).
Garnishments / post-tax deductions Generally taken after taxes and reduce take-home pay directly.

🔹 How to Use the Pre-Tax Input

In this calculator, the pre-tax field is applied as:

Taxable wages (per paycheck) = Gross pay − Pre-tax deductions

This gives you a quick way to see how changes (for example increasing retirement contributions) could reduce income-tax withholding and impact your net pay.

If you’re comparing earnings across pay types (hourly vs salary), you may also like our Hourly to Salary Calculator.

🔹 Pay Frequency and Why Your Paycheck Changes

Your annual salary might stay the same, but your paycheck amount changes depending on how often you’re paid. A weekly paycheck is smaller than a monthly paycheck because the salary is split across more pay periods.

Hook: Many people get confused by biweekly vs semi-monthly. They sound similar, but they can create different paycheck amounts.

🔹 Common Pay Frequencies

Pay frequency Pay periods per year Example formula
Weekly 52 Annual salary ÷ 52
Biweekly 26 Annual salary ÷ 26
Semi-monthly 24 Annual salary ÷ 24
Monthly 12 Annual salary ÷ 12

🔹 Biweekly vs Semi-Monthly

  • Biweekly (26): paid every 2 weeks → 26 paychecks per year.
  • Semi-monthly (24): paid twice per month → 24 paychecks per year.

If you switch from semi-monthly to biweekly, your paycheck typically becomes slightly smaller because salary is spread across 26 paychecks instead of 24. But you get two extra paychecks per year, which can help with budgeting.

🔹 Budgeting Tip

If you’re paid biweekly, a common planning trick is to treat those “extra” two paychecks as savings or debt payoff. The Paycheck Calculator helps you estimate how much those extra checks might be after taxes.

🔹 Pay Frequency and Why Your Paycheck Changes

Your annual salary might stay the same, but your paycheck amount changes depending on how often you’re paid. A weekly paycheck is smaller than a monthly paycheck because the salary is split across more pay periods.

Hook: Many people get confused by biweekly vs semi-monthly. They sound similar, but they can create different paycheck amounts.

🔹 Common Pay Frequencies

Pay frequency Pay periods per year Example formula
Weekly 52 Annual salary ÷ 52
Biweekly 26 Annual salary ÷ 26
Semi-monthly 24 Annual salary ÷ 24
Monthly 12 Annual salary ÷ 12

🔹 Biweekly vs Semi-Monthly

  • Biweekly (26): paid every 2 weeks → 26 paychecks per year.
  • Semi-monthly (24): paid twice per month → 24 paychecks per year.

If you switch from semi-monthly to biweekly, your paycheck typically becomes slightly smaller because salary is spread across 26 paychecks instead of 24. But you get two extra paychecks per year, which can help with budgeting.

🔹 Budgeting Tip

If you’re paid biweekly, a common planning trick is to treat those “extra” two paychecks as savings or debt payoff. The Paycheck Calculator helps you estimate how much those extra checks might be after taxes.

🔹 Why “YTD Wages” Matters for Payroll Tax Caps

Payroll taxes (FICA) are not always “flat” across the entire year. Social Security has an annual wage base limit, and Additional Medicare tax can start once your wages pass a threshold. That’s why this calculator includes a YTD wages field.

Hook: If you get a raise mid-year or you’re close to the Social Security cap, your paycheck can increase later in the year because less Social Security tax is withheld.

🔹 Social Security Wage Base (Cap)

In the U.S., Social Security tax is withheld at 6.2% for employees, but only up to an annual wage base. Once your year-to-date wages reach the cap, Social Security withholding typically stops for the rest of the year (for that employer).

This calculator uses your YTD wages to estimate how much of your next paycheck is still subject to Social Security tax.

🔹 Medicare and Additional Medicare

Medicare tax is generally withheld at 1.45% of wages, and higher earners can also pay an Additional Medicare tax of 0.9% on wages above a filing-status threshold. If your wages cross that threshold during the year, the “Medicare line” on your paycheck may increase.

🔹 How to Use the YTD Field in the Calculator

  • Find your current YTD wages on your pay stub (often listed near the bottom).
  • Enter it into the calculator before running your estimate.
  • If you’re near the Social Security cap, test scenarios by adjusting YTD wages up or down.

🔹 Quick Example

If your wages are close to the Social Security cap, part of your next paycheck may be exempt from the 6.2% Social Security tax. That can increase your take-home pay even if your gross pay stays the same.

🔹 Real-Life Scenarios to Test

The quickest way to get value from a paycheck calculator is to run “what-if” scenarios. This helps you see how changes to deductions, pay frequency, or location could affect your take-home pay.

Hook: Small changes (like a 1% deduction or moving from one state to another) can shift your paycheck more than you expect.

🔹 Scenario Ideas

  • Raise simulation: increase salary or hourly rate and compare net pay before vs after.
  • Retirement contribution test: add a pre-tax deduction and see how taxes and net pay shift.
  • Move states: compare a no-tax state vs a higher-tax state using the state selector.
  • Switch pay frequency: biweekly vs semi-monthly to see the “per paycheck” difference.
  • End-of-year effect: increase YTD wages to see what happens near payroll tax caps.

🔹 Quick Comparison Table

Use this simple approach when testing scenarios: keep everything the same and change only one field at a time.

What you change What to watch
Salary / hourly rate Net pay growth vs tax increase
Pre-tax deductions Lower taxable wages and lower income tax estimate
State State tax line and total taxes
Pay frequency Per-check amount vs annual totals
YTD wages Social Security and Additional Medicare changes

If your goal is planning for a monthly budget, you can also convert your results into a month-by-month view using our Monthly Budget Calculator.

Paycheck scenarios comparison chart showing how salary, deductions, and state taxes can change take-home pay

Image note: Replace the placeholder URL after uploading. Suggested image: a simple bar chart comparing Net Pay vs Taxes across 3 scenarios.

🔹 Tips to Get More Accurate Results

Because paychecks depend on withholding rules and your employer’s payroll setup, the best way to use an estimate tool is to match the inputs to your real pay stub as closely as possible. The tips below help you reduce the gap between an estimate and your actual paycheck.

Hook: The fastest “accuracy upgrade” is to copy your pre-tax deductions and YTD wages directly from your pay stub.

🔹 What to Pull From Your Pay Stub

Pay stub field Where it helps in the calculator
Gross pay Confirms your salary/hourly calculations and pay frequency
Pre-tax deductions Improves taxable wage estimate (retirement/benefits)
YTD wages Helps estimate Social Security cap and Additional Medicare
Local tax line Use it to set a local tax % (or keep it at 0 if not applicable)
State withholding Use “Custom state rate” to better approximate your state line

🔹 Common Reasons Paychecks Don’t Match

  • W-4 settings: additional withholding, dependents, multiple jobs, or exemptions.
  • Tax credits: credits reduce tax liability, but many estimate tools don’t model them.
  • State specifics: deductions, allowances, and local add-ons vary widely by state.
  • Benefit tax rules: some benefits reduce federal taxable wages but not all payroll taxes.
  • Bonuses and supplemental pay: often withheld at different rates than normal wages.

🔹 Best Practice for Scenario Planning

If you’re using this calculator to plan your budget, set a “conservative” estimate by selecting a higher state rate method (or adding a small buffer to deductions). That way your expected take-home pay is less likely to be overstated.

If you want to estimate your spending power after expenses, try our Budget Calculator.

🔹 Local Taxes and Why NY Paychecks Often Differ

One big reason New York paycheck results vary between calculators is local taxation. Many locations don’t have wage-based local income tax, but some areas do. If you compare your New York estimate to another site, the gap is often caused by whether the calculator assumes local taxes (or specific NYC rules) and how it applies them.

Hook: If your “New York” result seems too high or too low, check whether the other calculator is including a local tax. In this tool, local tax is only applied if you enter a percentage.

🔹 How the Local Tax Input Works

This calculator uses a simple percentage model:

Local tax (per paycheck) = Taxable wages (per paycheck) × Local tax rate (%)

Because local tax rules vary a lot, this is intentionally flexible. If another calculator includes local taxes automatically for a city (for example, an assumed NYC local tax), you can approximate it by entering an equivalent local tax rate here.

🔹 What to Check When Comparing NY Results

Item to compare Why it changes the result
Local tax included or not Some tools auto-apply city taxes; this one applies local tax only when you enter it.
State taxable base Different tools use different assumptions for state deductions/allowances and what counts as taxable wages.
Federal withholding method Some calculators model W-4 tables; others estimate annual tax and divide by pay periods.
Pre-tax deductions handling Payroll systems may treat certain deductions differently for state vs FICA.

🔹 Best Way to Use This Tool for NY

  • Start by matching your gross pay, pay frequency, and pre-tax deductions to your pay stub.
  • If you have a local tax line on your stub, use it to back into a local % and enter it.
  • If you want closer matching, switch the state method to Custom and tune the state rate until your state withholding looks similar.

🔹 Paycheck Calculator FAQ

This calculator is an estimate tool. Real withholding depends on your W-4 settings, tax credits, benefit plan rules, state-specific deductions, and any local taxes. Payroll systems can also treat certain deductions differently for federal vs state vs FICA, which changes totals.
Use the Year-To-Date wages shown on your current pay stub. YTD helps the calculator estimate payroll tax caps like Social Security’s wage base and when Additional Medicare may apply.
Yes — you can enter pre-tax deductions per paycheck to reduce the calculator’s taxable wage estimate. Keep in mind that real payroll handling can vary by plan type (some deductions reduce income tax but not all payroll taxes).
The state selector uses a simple estimated state tax rate range. You can apply the low end, high end, midpoint, or enter a custom state rate if you want to match a pay stub more closely.
No — local tax is only applied if you enter a local tax percentage. This keeps the calculator flexible because local tax rules vary widely by city and county.
You can approximate a bonus by using “Custom (Gross/Paycheck)” and entering the bonus gross amount. However, many employers withhold bonuses using different “supplemental wage” rules, so your real bonus check may differ.
Start by matching your pay stub: gross pay, pay frequency, pre-tax deductions, and YTD wages. Then use the Local tax input (if you have a local line) and switch the state method to “Custom” to tune the state rate closer to your stub.

🔹 References & Sources

These sources were used to guide the estimate logic, tax thresholds, and state-rate references in this Paycheck Calculator. State and local tax rules can change and can vary by city/county and employer payroll setup.

Source Used for Link
IRS – Tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (IR-2025-103) Federal bracket threshold anchors (headline thresholds) and standard deduction amounts for 2026. IRS newsroom release (2026 inflation adjustments)
IRS – Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (PDF) Detailed 2026 inflation-adjusted tax items (supporting document referenced by IRS release). Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (PDF)
Social Security Administration – Contribution and Benefit Base 2026 Social Security (OASDI) wage base used for estimating the Social Security tax cap behavior. SSA: Contribution and Benefit Base
Social Security Administration – 2026 COLA Fact Sheet Cross-check reference for the 2026 “Maximum Taxable Earnings” figure. SSA: 2026 COLA Fact Sheet
IRS – Additional Medicare Tax (Topic No. 560) Additional Medicare tax thresholds by filing status (e.g., $200k single, $250k MFJ). IRS Topic 560: Additional Medicare Tax
WorldPopulationReview – Income Tax by State General reference for income-tax-by-state context and comparisons. WorldPopulationReview: Income Tax by State
AI Calculator Tax – List of US State Tax Rates 2026 State income tax rate ranges reference list used for the state-rate selector (estimate ranges). AI Calculator Tax: State tax rates (2026)
SmartAsset – Paycheck Calculator (competitor example) Competitor feature reference (UI/inputs and expectations for a paycheck estimator). SmartAsset Paycheck Calculator
Calculator.net – Take-Home Pay Calculator (comparison reference) Output comparison reference used during QA checks (NY example comparison). Calculator.net Take-Home Pay Calculator