Estimate take-home pay from salary or gross paycheck amount, payroll taxes, federal withholding, state tax, and deductions.
Net pay per check
FICA payroll taxes
Pre-tax deductions
Annualized take-home pay
Paycheck result
Estimated take-home pay
Net pay per check$0
Enter pay details to estimate take-home pay.
Paycheck split
0% take-home
Take-home pay
$0
FICA payroll tax
$0
Federal withholding
$0
State/local tax
$0
Other deductions
$0
Gross pay per check
$0
Federal withholding
$0
State/local tax
$0
Social Security tax
$0
Medicare tax
$0
Additional Medicare tax
$0
Total deductions and tax
$0
Annual take-home estimate
$0
Monthly take-home equivalent
$0
Estimate only. For exact federal withholding, compare this with your paystub or the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator.
How this paycheck calculator works
The calculator annualizes your gross pay, subtracts the pre-tax deduction amount you enter, estimates employee payroll taxes, applies your federal and state withholding percentages, then subtracts post-tax deductions and extra withholding. The result is an estimated net paycheck and annual take-home pay.
It is intentionally transparent. Instead of hiding payroll-table assumptions, it lets you enter the withholding rates you see on a paystub, a W-4 estimate, or a planning scenario.
What taxes come out of a paycheck?
Most U.S. employee paychecks include federal income tax withholding, Social Security tax, Medicare tax, and any state or local wage taxes that apply. Benefits, retirement contributions, insurance premiums, and other deductions can also reduce take-home pay.
The IRS lists the employee Social Security rate as 6.2% and the employee Medicare rate as 1.45%. For 2026 earnings, the Social Security wage base limit is $184,500, while Medicare has no wage base limit.
Why your real paycheck may not match exactly
Payroll systems use Form W-4 elections, filing status, step 2 adjustments, credits, additional withholding, benefit rules, and employer-specific settings. Some pre-tax deductions reduce federal income tax wages but not Social Security or Medicare wages, while others may reduce more than one wage base.
Use this calculator to understand the moving parts and compare scenarios. Use your employer portal, paystub, or the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator when you need a precise withholding adjustment.
How to use the estimate for budgeting
If you are paid biweekly, do not treat two paychecks as the same thing as monthly income. Biweekly workers receive 26 checks per year, which means two months usually include a third paycheck. The monthly take-home equivalent in this calculator annualizes net pay and divides by 12, which is usually a cleaner budget number.
Pair this estimate with the Budget Calculator to plan monthly cash flow, or with the Savings Goal Calculator if you are deciding how much to save from each check.
Paycheck calculator FAQ
Should I use salary or gross pay per check? Use annual salary if you know your yearly pay. Use gross pay per paycheck if your hours, overtime, commission, or shift differential changes from check to check.
What should I enter for federal withholding? Start with the federal income tax percentage from your paystub if you have one. If not, use this as a planning estimate and compare it with an official withholding estimate later.
Does this replace payroll advice? No. It is a practical gross-to-net estimator, not tax advice or an official payroll calculator.
