What this calculator does
Your salary is the number in your job offer. Your take-home pay is what is left after taxes and pre-tax deductions come out. This calculator estimates that second number. Enter your yearly gross pay, choose a filing status, add any retirement or health deductions, and you get an estimate of your federal income tax, Social Security tax, Medicare tax and your net pay for each paycheck.
It uses the federal rules for tax year 2026. You can also add a flat state income tax rate to get a rough picture of what a state with an income tax would take.
How to use it
- Enter your gross pay for the whole year, before anything is taken out.
- Choose Single or Married filing jointly. The married option assumes only your pay counts, which fits a household with one earner.
- Enter what you put into a 401(k) or traditional retirement plan each year. This lowers your income tax.
- Enter pre-tax health premiums or similar items. These lower both income tax and payroll tax.
- Enter a state tax rate if your state has an income tax. Leave it at 0 if not.
- Pick how you are paid. The main result switches between yearly, monthly, twice-a-month, every-two-weeks and weekly pay. In some years an every-two-weeks schedule has 27 pay dates, so each paycheck is a little smaller that year.
How the calculation works
There are three pieces of federal tax. Each one uses a different base amount.
Taxable income = gross pay - retirement contributions - pre-tax health premiums - standard deduction
Federal income tax = each slice of taxable income x the rate for that slice
Social Security = 6.2% x pay up to $184,500
Medicare = 1.45% x pay, plus 0.9% on pay above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married)
Take-home pay = gross pay - contributions - premiums - all taxes
The standard deduction for 2026 is $16,100 for a single filer and $32,200 for a married couple filing jointly, according to the IRS. Income tax is "progressive". That means only the part of your income inside a bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate. For a single filer in 2026, the first $12,400 of taxable income is taxed at 10%, income from $12,400 to $50,400 at 12%, and income from $50,400 to $105,700 at 22%. Higher brackets of 24%, 32%, 35% and 37% apply above that. The state estimate is a flat rate applied to gross pay minus retirement contributions and health premiums, with no state standard deduction. Moving into a higher bracket never lowers your pay for the income below it.
Social Security and Medicare are together called FICA. They are taken from your wages before any income tax deductions, so a 401(k) contribution does not reduce them. The Social Security Administration sets a yearly wage base, and for 2026 it is $184,500. Pay above that amount is not subject to the 6.2% tax. Medicare has no cap, and a higher-earner surcharge of 0.9% starts above the thresholds listed above.
Worked examples
These single-filer examples use no retirement contributions, no health premiums and no state tax. Each figure comes from the calculator.
| Gross pay | Federal income tax | Social Security + Medicare | Take-home pay per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,620.00 | $3,060.00 | $34,320.00 |
| $75,000 | $7,670.00 | $5,737.50 | $61,592.50 |
| $120,000 | $17,570.00 | $9,180.00 | $93,250.00 |
Here is the $75,000 case step by step. Taxable income is 75,000 - 16,100 = $58,900. Income tax is 10% of $12,400 ($1,240) plus 12% of the next $38,000 ($4,560) plus 22% of the remaining $8,500 ($1,870), which is $7,670. Social Security is 6.2% of $75,000 ($4,650) and Medicare is 1.45% ($1,087.50). That leaves $61,592.50 per year, or $2,368.94 per paycheck if you are paid every two weeks.
Now add $6,000 of 401(k) contributions and $1,200 of health premiums, with a 5% state rate. Federal income tax drops to $6,086, and your yearly take-home pay becomes $52,678.30, or $4,389.86 per month. The money in the 401(k) is not lost. It goes into your retirement account instead of your paycheck.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this the amount my employer will actually pay me?
- It is an estimate. Your employer withholds tax based on your Form W-4, and your final tax is settled when you file a return. A refund or a bill at tax time comes from the gap between the two.
- Why is my take-home pay lower than the result?
- Many paychecks include items this tool does not model, such as union dues, after-tax benefits, local taxes, state disability insurance or wage garnishments.
- Does a raise ever make me take home less?
- As far as tax brackets go, no. Because tax brackets are progressive, extra income is taxed at a higher rate, but your total pay still goes up. Only the added slice is taxed more.
- Does this include tax credits?
- No. Credits such as the child tax credit lower your tax directly, and they are not part of this estimate.
- What about head of household or married filing separately?
- This version covers single filers and married couples filing jointly. Other filing statuses have their own brackets.
Important notes
This calculator gives a general estimate and is not tax advice. It assumes one job, no other income, the standard deduction and no tax credits. Tax rules change, and the 2026 figures here come from the IRS and the Social Security Administration. For your own situation, check the current IRS guidance or ask a qualified tax professional.