Paycheck Calculator

A paycheck calculator estimates your net (take-home) pay after all taxes and deductions are withheld from your gross earnings. It accounts for federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security, Medicare (FICA), and any pre-tax or post-tax deductions you specify. The result shows exactly how much money you'll receive each pay period.

Federal income tax is calculated using IRS progressive tax brackets applied to your taxable income (gross pay minus pre-tax deductions). Social Security tax is 6.2% and Medicare is 1.45% of your gross wages, up to the Social Security wage base ($168,600 in 2024). State income tax varies by state — some states have no income tax, while others use flat or progressive rates.

Gross pay is your total earnings before any withholdings — your full salary or hourly wages multiplied by hours worked. Net pay (take-home pay) is what remains after federal taxes, state taxes, FICA contributions, and any deductions are subtracted. The gap between gross and net pay is typically 20–35% for most workers.

Pre-tax deductions — like 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, and HSA deposits — are subtracted from your gross pay before taxes are calculated. This lowers your taxable income, which reduces how much federal and state income tax you owe. For example, contributing $200 per paycheck to your 401(k) doesn't cost you the full $200 in take-home pay because it also reduces your tax bill.

Divide your annual salary by the total number of hours worked per year. For a standard full-time schedule, that's 40 hours/week × 52 weeks = 2,080 hours. So a $75,000 annual salary equals approximately $36.06 per hour. This calculator handles the conversion automatically when you select the hourly pay type.

Yes, significantly. Your filing status (Single, Married Filing Jointly, Head of Household, etc.) determines which tax brackets and standard deduction amounts apply to you. Married filing jointly generally results in lower withholding because the brackets are wider. If you claim the wrong filing status, you may end up owing taxes or getting a large refund at year-end.

Yes. Enter your 401(k) contribution amount in the Pre-Tax Deductions field. The calculator will reduce your taxable income accordingly, showing you the actual reduction to your net pay — which will be less than the contribution amount because of the tax savings. For example, a $300 pre-tax contribution might only reduce your take-home pay by $210 if you're in the 28% combined tax bracket.

FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act and covers Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) taxes. These are withheld from every paycheck up to the Social Security wage base ($168,600 for 2024 — no cap on Medicare). Your employer matches these amounts, meaning the total FICA contribution per employee is 15.3% of wages. High earners pay an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax on earnings above $200,000.