Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your take-home pay after federal taxes, state taxes, FICA, and deductions. Calculate net pay for any pay frequency.
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Net Pay (Take-home)
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Federal Income Tax —
State Income Tax —
FICA (SS + Medicare) —
Total Deductions —
Effective Tax Rate —
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter your Gross Pay per pay period (before any deductions).
- Select your Pay Frequency — bi-weekly is most common in the US.
- Enter your Federal Tax Rate — use your marginal bracket (22% for $44k–$95k single filers).
- Enter your State Tax Rate — use 0% if you live in a no-income-tax state.
- Expand More Options to add pre-tax and post-tax deductions for accuracy.
Formula
Net Pay = Gross Pay − Pre-tax Deductions − Federal Tax − State Tax − FICA − Post-tax Deductions
- Federal Tax = (Gross − Pre-tax) × Federal Rate
- State Tax = (Gross − Pre-tax) × State Rate
- FICA = Social Security (6.2%) + Medicare (1.45%)
Example
Example: $3,000 bi-weekly gross, 22% federal, 5% state, $300 pre-tax 401(k).
- Taxable Income: $2,700
- Federal Tax: $594.00
- State Tax: $135.00
- FICA: $229.50
- Net Pay: $1,741.50
Frequently Asked Questions
- FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) consists of Social Security tax (6.2% of wages up to $168,600 in 2024) and Medicare tax (1.45% of all wages). Your employer pays a matching amount.
- Pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, and FSA contributions are taken from your paycheck before taxes are calculated. This reduces your taxable income and your total tax bill.
- Your marginal rate is the highest rate you pay on the last dollar of income. Your effective rate is the average rate across all income. A person in the 22% bracket typically has an effective rate of 13–15%.
- Nine states have no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire (on wages), South Dakota, Tennessee (on wages), Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Enter 0% for the state tax rate if you live in these states.
- You can increase take-home pay by contributing to pre-tax accounts (401k, HSA), claiming more allowances on your W-4, or moving to a lower-tax state. Note that pre-tax contributions reduce current pay but build long-term wealth.