Paycheck calculator
Enter your pay, see what you take home.
How is take-home pay calculated?
Gross pay minus pre-tax deductions, federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and any state or local tax. $60,000 a year, single, paid every two weeks: about $5,020 federal tax and $4,590 Social Security and Medicare leave $50,390 — $1,938.08 per paycheck.
How much are Social Security and Medicare?
You pay 6.2% for Social Security on wages up to $184,500 in 2026, and 1.45% for Medicare on all wages. Above $200,000 ($250,000 for joint returns), an extra 0.9% Medicare tax applies.
Why is this not exactly my paycheck?
Employers withhold by the W-4 and IRS tables; this calculator estimates your full-year tax and splits it evenly. Credits, benefits and state rules also change the result.
Do 401(k) contributions lower my taxes?
Traditional 401(k) contributions lower federal income tax but not Social Security and Medicare. Contributing $3,600 on $60,000 cuts the federal tax from $5,020 to $4,588.
What about state income tax?
States differ widely — some have none. Enter your state and local rate as a percent to include it.
What is the difference between gross pay and net pay?
Gross pay is what you earn before anything is taken out. Net pay, or take-home pay, is what lands in your account after income tax, Social Security, Medicare and any deductions you chose, such as retirement contributions or health premiums.
Why do bonuses seem to be taxed more heavily?
Employers may withhold federal tax on supplemental wages such as bonuses at a flat 22% rate instead of using the regular tables. That is withholding, not the final tax: the real tax is settled on your return, so a refund or balance due follows.
The steps behind the number
The calculator estimates your tax for the whole year and splits it evenly across pay periods. Start with gross pay, subtract pre-tax deductions, subtract the standard deduction ($16,100 for a single filer in 2026), and apply the tax brackets to what is left. Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) are figured on gross wages, not on the reduced amount, and Social Security stops at the $184,500 wage base. State tax, if you enter a rate, is taken from pay after the pre-tax deductions.
A worked example
On $60,000 a year for a single filer: taxable income is $43,900 after the standard deduction, which gives federal income tax of $5,020. Social Security is $3,720 and Medicare $870, so $4,590 in all. Net pay is $50,390 a year, or $1,938.08 per biweekly paycheck. If $6,000 of that salary goes into a traditional 401(k), federal tax falls to $4,300, FICA stays at $4,590, and take-home pay is $45,110 a year; the paycheck shrinks by less than the contribution because of the tax saved.
High earners and the Medicare surtax
Medicare has no wage cap, and wages above $200,000 for a single filer ($250,000 joint) owe an extra 0.9%. At $250,000 the Social Security part stops at $11,439, Medicare is $3,625 and the extra tax is $450. The thresholds are not adjusted for inflation.
Common mistakes
Comparing this estimate to a pay stub and expecting a match to the dollar is the main one: employers withhold from the W-4 and IRS withholding tables, which can differ from a full-year tax calculation, and benefits like health premiums, union dues or wage garnishments are not modeled here. Another is entering a monthly figure as annual salary, or an hourly rate with the wrong weekly hours; the hourly option multiplies by 52 weeks. Also remember that credits, such as the child tax credit, reduce tax but are not included.
Sources: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (2026 brackets and standard deduction), IRS Publication 15 (employer’s tax guide, including the flat supplemental wage rate), Social Security Administration (2026 wage base) and IRS Topic 560 (Additional Medicare Tax). Related: income tax calculator, salary calculator, bonus tax calculator and self-employment tax calculator.
An estimate for planning only — not tax advice. Credits, other taxes and special cases are not included; your tax return decides. How we check our calculators.