Paycheck calculator: what actually lands in your account
Type a salary or hourly rate, pick your state, and see the take-home pay on every check after federal, state and local tax, Social Security, Medicare and your benefits.
Take-home pay, every two weeks
$2,092.60
$54,408 a year · $4,534 a month · 16.3% of gross goes to tax
- Take-home 83.7%
- Federal 8.6%
- FICA 7.6%
| Item | Per check | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,500.00 | $65,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$216.15 | −$5,620 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$155.00 | −$4,030 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$36.25 | −$943 |
| Net pay | $2,092.60 | $54,408 |
Federal bracket 12% · 2026 rules
Ask about your result
The calculator gives you the numbers. For the “so what does that mean for me” part, ask a question and an AI model answers using the paycheck shown above.
AI answers can be wrong. The calculator numbers above don’t depend on AI.
Where each dollar of a paycheck goes
A paycheck is gross pay minus two kinds of deduction. Taxes are the ones you can’t opt out of: federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% of wages up to $184,500 in 2026), Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% above $200,000), state income tax in 41 states and DC, and city or county taxes in places like New York City, Philadelphia, Ohio, Maryland and Indiana. Pre-tax deductions are money you still keep, just not in your checking account: 401(k) savings, HSA deposits and health premiums. They come out first, which is why they shrink your tax bill.
Federal income tax is the piece people misjudge most, because it’s progressive: the first slice of taxable income is taxed at 10%, the next at 12%, and so on. Your “bracket” is only the rate on your last dollars. Drag the salary below to watch it happen.
First, the $16,100 standard deduction comes off the top, leaving $68,900 of taxable income. Then each dollar drops into the lowest bucket that still has room:
Federal income tax$9,870
Your bracket (top rate)22%
Average rate on salary11.6%
Tax on a $1,000 raise$220
Moving into a higher bracket never shrinks your paycheck: only the dollars above the line pay the higher rate. A $1,000 raise costs you $220 in federal income tax, not a higher rate on everything you earn. (2026 brackets, federal only, before credits.)
Using it for a job offer
Salary is a headline; take-home is what pays rent. A $95,000 offer in Seattle and a $100,000 offer in Portland are closer than they look, because Washington has no income tax while Oregon’s rate reaches 9.9%. Run both through the calculator, or line them up side by side in the job offer comparison. Paid by the hour? The hourly paycheck calculator handles overtime, and the salary to hourly converter shows what an offer is worth per hour worked.
Paycheck calculator by state
Each state page explains that state’s brackets, local taxes and payroll programs, with the calculator preset. The figure is the top income tax rate.
- Alabama 5%
- Alaska no tax
- Arizona 2.5%
- Arkansas 3.9%
- California 13.3%
- Colorado 4.4%
- Connecticut 6.99%
- Delaware 6.6%
- District of Columbia 10.75%
- Florida no tax
- Georgia 5.19%
- Hawaii 11%
- Idaho 5.3%
- Illinois 4.95%
- Indiana 3%
- Iowa 3.8%
- Kansas 5.58%
- Kentucky 4%
- Louisiana 3%
- Maine 7.15%
- Maryland 6.5%
- Massachusetts 9%
- Michigan 4.25%
- Minnesota 9.85%
- Mississippi 4.4%
- Missouri 4.7%
- Montana 5.9%
- Nebraska 5.2%
- Nevada no tax
- New Hampshire no tax
- New Jersey 10.75%
- New Mexico 5.9%
- New York 10.9%
- North Carolina 4.25%
- North Dakota 2.5%
- Ohio 3.125%
- Oklahoma 4.75%
- Oregon 9.9%
- Pennsylvania 3.07%
- Rhode Island 5.99%
- South Carolina 6.2%
- South Dakota no tax
- Tennessee no tax
- Texas no tax
- Utah 4.5%
- Vermont 8.75%
- Virginia 5.75%
- Washington no tax
- West Virginia 4.82%
- Wisconsin 7.65%
- Wyoming no tax
Questions people ask
How is take-home pay calculated?
Start with gross pay, subtract pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions and health premiums, then subtract federal income tax (from the IRS brackets after the standard deduction), Social Security at 6.2% up to the wage base, Medicare at 1.45%, and any state and local income taxes and state payroll programs. What remains is net, or take-home, pay.
How much tax comes out of a paycheck?
For a single filer earning $65,000 in a state with no income tax, roughly 17% of gross goes to federal income tax and FICA combined. In a high-tax state such as California or New York, add another 4–7% for state tax and payroll programs. The calculator above shows your exact split.
Why is my real paycheck a little different from this estimate?
Employers withhold using IRS Publication 15-T and your W-4, which spreads tax evenly across pay periods and can differ slightly from your final annual tax. Benefit deductions, post-tax items like Roth 401(k) or union dues, and local taxes not listed here also change the number.
What is the difference between bi-weekly and semi-monthly pay?
Bi-weekly means every two weeks, 26 paychecks a year, and two months each year have three paydays. Semi-monthly means twice a month, usually the 15th and the last day, 24 paychecks a year. The yearly take-home is the same; each semi-monthly check is about 8% larger.
Do pre-tax deductions lower my taxes?
Yes. Traditional 401(k) contributions reduce federal and most state income tax but not Social Security or Medicare. Health, dental and HSA premiums taken through a Section 125 cafeteria plan also skip FICA. Pennsylvania is the notable exception that taxes 401(k) contributions at the state level.
Is my salary data saved anywhere?
Every calculation runs in your browser. Your last inputs and any results you save are stored in this browser’s local storage so they are there next time, and you can wipe them with one click. Only if you use the optional AI question box is your question and the calculator summary sent to an AI model to answer it.
Sources: IRS Revenue Procedures 2024-40 and 2025-32 (brackets and standard deductions, including One Big Beautiful Bill Act changes), Social Security Administration wage base announcements, and each state’s department of revenue. Estimates assume one job and no other income.