Paycheck Calculator
Take-home pay after federal, state, and FICA taxes.
Take-home (annual)
$57,843
$2,225 per biweekly paycheck · $4,820/mo
👉 Want numbers tuned to where you live? Use the paycheck calculator by state — all 50 states and D.C., with each state's income tax built in. Or convert hourly pay to a yearly salary.
A paycheck calculator estimates your take-home (net) pay: the amount that actually lands in your account after federal income tax withholding, state tax, Social Security, Medicare, and any pretax deductions.
Enter your gross pay, pay frequency, filing status, and state, plus any pretax contributions like a 401(k) or health premium. The tool subtracts each item to estimate what you keep from each check.
Understanding the gap between gross and net helps with budgeting and with deciding how much to route into pretax accounts, which lower your taxable income and your tax bill.
How this calculator works
Take-home pay starts from gross wages and subtracts, in order: pretax deductions (401(k), traditional retirement, HSA, and many health premiums), federal income tax withholding, state and any local income tax, and FICA taxes. FICA is Social Security at 6.2% of wages up to the annual wage base, plus Medicare at 1.45% of all wages (with an extra 0.9% above high-income thresholds). Federal withholding is based on your filing status and the graduated tax brackets, applied to wages after pretax deductions. Because pretax contributions come out before income tax is figured, every dollar you contribute reduces both your taxable income and your withholding, so your take-home pay falls by less than the amount contributed.
What affects the number
- Filing status and dependents change your standard deduction and withholding, and therefore your net pay.
- State income tax varies widely; some states have none, while others take a meaningful share of each check.
- Pretax deductions (401(k), HSA, FSA, health premiums) lower taxable income, cutting the tax withheld from each paycheck.
- Social Security tax stops once wages pass the annual wage base, so high earners see net pay rise later in the year.
- Pay frequency (weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly) changes the per-check amount but not your annual totals.
- Post-tax deductions like Roth 401(k) contributions and wage garnishments reduce take-home without lowering taxable income.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between gross and net pay?
Gross pay is your total earnings before any deductions. Net pay, or take-home pay, is what remains after taxes and deductions are removed. The difference is usually 20% to 35% of gross for a typical worker, depending on income, state, and pretax contributions.
Why is my withholding different from my actual tax?
Withholding is an estimate your employer sends to the IRS based on your W-4 and pay. Your actual tax is settled on your annual return. If too much was withheld you get a refund; if too little, you owe. Updating your W-4 adjusts how much comes out of each check.
How do 401(k) contributions affect my paycheck?
Traditional 401(k) contributions are taken out before income tax is calculated, so they lower your taxable wages and the tax withheld. That means contributing, say, $200 reduces your take-home by less than $200, because part of it would have gone to taxes anyway.
What is FICA on my pay stub?
FICA is the combination of Social Security tax (6.2% up to the annual wage base) and Medicare tax (1.45% on all wages). Together they total 7.65% for most workers, matched by your employer. High earners pay an additional 0.9% Medicare tax above certain thresholds.
This calculator provides general estimates for educational purposes only and is not financial, medical, legal, or tax advice. Your actual results depend on your specific situation and current rates.