Take-Home Pay Calculator
Enter your salary and state — see your estimated paycheck after 2026 federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax.
Estimates use 2026 federal tables, the standard deduction and no credits; actual withholding varies with your W-4.
What comes out of a U.S. paycheck
Every American paycheck faces the same three layers — and one of them depends entirely on where you live:
| Layer | 2026 rules | Roughly costs |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | Seven brackets, 10%–37%, after the $16,100/$32,200 standard deduction | 8–18% of gross for most salaries |
| FICA | Social Security 6.2% (to $184,500) + Medicare 1.45%+ | 7.65% flat for most people |
| State (& local) income tax | $0 in nine states → 13%+ in California; some cities add more | 0–10%+ |
State pages with full detail
The state picker above computes five states so far — each also has a dedicated page with that state’s bracket table and quirks: Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, California and New York. More states are being added weekly; the “no state income tax” option covers Alaska, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington and Wyoming exactly, since they tax no wages at all.
Worked example
A single filer earning $65,000 in a no-income-tax state: federal tax ≈ $5,620, FICA $4,972.50 — take-home about $54,408/year ($2,092.60 per biweekly check), an effective total tax of ~16.3%. The same salary in California nets roughly $2,820 less per year once state tax and SDI join in.
How this estimate is calculated
- Federal income tax: 2026 IRS brackets with the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly), no credits or itemizing.
- FICA: Social Security 6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base + Medicare 1.45% (plus 0.9% additional above $200k single / $250k married).
- Pre-tax deductions (401(k), traditional retirement) reduce federal taxable income but not FICA wages.
- Results estimate your annual tax liability spread across paychecks — real per-check withholding depends on your W-4 and settles at tax time.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my actual paycheck different from this estimate?
Withholding follows your W-4 (allowances, extra withholding, second jobs) and includes benefit premiums this calculator doesn’t know about. The estimate here is your annual tax liability spread evenly — a truer picture of what the year costs you, with differences reconciling in your refund or balance due.
Which states have no income tax in 2026?
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming tax no wage income; New Hampshire taxes no wages either (its interest & dividends tax has been repealed). Washington applies a capital-gains tax that doesn’t touch paychecks.
Does 401(k) contribution reduce all my taxes?
Traditional 401(k) deferrals reduce federal (and most states’) taxable income, but never FICA — Social Security and Medicare are computed on gross wages. Pennsylvania is a notable exception on the state side: it taxes 401(k) contributions going in.
Is the standard deduction automatic?
Yes — about 90% of filers take it rather than itemizing, which is why this calculator builds it in ($16,100 single / $32,200 married for 2026). If you itemize heavily, your real federal tax will be lower than shown.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-24 · Report an issue