Your salary isn't what lands in your bank account. Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state tax and pre-tax deductions all come out first. This calculator uses the 2026 IRS tax brackets and standard deduction to estimate what you actually take home each paycheck.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your yearly gross salary and filing status.
- Choose how often you're paid.
- Add pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions, HSA or health insurance premiums.
- If your state has an income tax, enter its approximate rate. Leave it at 0 for states with no wage tax.
How it's calculated
Take-home pay = gross pay − pre-tax deductions − federal income tax − Social Security − Medicare − state tax.
- Federal income tax: taxable income is wages minus pre-tax deductions minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household), taxed through the seven brackets from 10% to 37%.
- Social Security: 6.2% of wages up to $184,500 in 2026.
- Medicare: 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% above $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples).
Example: a single filer earning $65,000 has $48,900 of taxable income after the standard deduction, which comes to about $5,620 of federal income tax. Add $4,973 for Social Security and Medicare, and take-home pay is roughly $54,400 a year, or about $2,093 every two weeks.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Why is my paycheck different from this estimate?
Your actual withholding depends on the W-4 you filed, local taxes, benefits deductions and credits such as the child tax credit. This calculator gives a close estimate for a typical employee using the standard deduction.
Do 401(k) contributions lower my taxes?
Traditional 401(k) contributions reduce your federal and most state taxable income, so each dollar you save costs less than a dollar of take-home pay. They don't reduce Social Security and Medicare taxes. Roth contributions don't lower your taxes now.
Which states have no income tax?
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming don't tax wages. Washington taxes some capital gains, but not salaries.
What's the difference between marginal and effective tax rate?
Your marginal rate is the bracket your last dollar falls in. Your effective rate is your total tax divided by your income, which is always lower because the first portion of income is taxed at lower rates.
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Estimates for general information only, not financial advice. See how we calculate.