Take Home Pay Calculator USA (Estimate Your Net Salary After Taxes)
See Your Exact Paycheck After Taxes & Deductions
Enter your salary or hourly wage, pick your state, and get a full breakdown of federal tax, FICA, state tax, and every deduction — per paycheck and annually.
How Take-Home Pay Is Calculated
Your starting point. For salaried workers, this is your annual salary divided by your pay periods. For hourly workers, it's your rate multiplied by hours worked per period.
Contributions to 401(k), HSA, FSA, and health insurance premiums are subtracted from gross pay before taxes are calculated. This reduces your taxable income.
Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) and Medicare (1.45% on all wages) are withheld from your gross pay — not your reduced taxable income. These totals are fixed for most workers.
The IRS uses progressive tax brackets. The 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly) is subtracted first. Then your taxable income is taxed at rates from 10% to 37%, bracket by bracket. Use our federal tax calculator for a deeper breakdown.
Nine states have no income tax. All others apply their own rates and brackets. California, Oregon, and Minnesota have the highest top rates. This calculator estimates state tax based on published 2025/2026 state rates.
Roth 401(k) or Roth IRA contributions and other voluntary deductions come out after taxes. They do not reduce your tax liability but still reduce your net paycheck.
What remains after all deductions and taxes is your net pay — the amount deposited into your bank account each pay period.
Key Tax Information for 2026
2026 Federal Tax Brackets (Single)
| Rate | Taxable Income |
|---|---|
| 10% | Up to $12,400 |
| 12% | $12,401 to $50,400 |
| 22% | $50,401 to $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,701 to $201,775 |
| 32% | $201,776 to $256,225 |
| 35% | $256,226 to $640,600 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 |
2026 Federal Tax Brackets (Married Filing Jointly)
| Rate | Taxable Income |
|---|---|
| 10% | Up to $24,800 |
| 12% | $24,801 to $100,800 |
| 22% | $100,801 to $211,400 |
| 24% | $211,401 to $403,550 |
| 32% | $403,551 to $512,450 |
| 35% | $512,451 to $768,700 |
| 37% | Over $768,700 |
2026 Standard Deductions
| Filing Status | Standard Deduction |
|---|---|
| Single | $16,100 |
| Married Filing Jointly | $32,200 |
| Married Filing Separately | $16,100 |
| Head of Household | $24,150 |
2026 FICA Tax Rates
| Tax | Rate | Wage Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security | 6.2% | $184,500 |
| Medicare | 1.45% | No limit |
| Add'l Medicare | 0.9% | Over $200,000 |
The additional 0.9% Medicare surtax applies to wages over $200,000 for single filers and $250,000 for married filing jointly.
The 2026 standard deduction increased from $15,750 (2025) to $16,100 for single filers — a $350 increase. Married couples filing jointly see an increase from $31,500 to $32,200. These adjustments reduce taxable income slightly compared to 2025. If you want to understand your gross earnings first, try the gross pay calculator or compare options using the gross to net calculator.
Real Calculation Examples
These examples use 2026 IRS brackets and FICA rates with the standard deduction. State tax is estimated. Actual results may vary based on your specific deductions and withholding elections.
These are estimates for illustration purposes. Use the calculator above for your exact figures. For hourly workers, also check the hourly to salary calculator to convert your rate to an annual equivalent first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Take-home pay is the amount left on your paycheck after all taxes and deductions are withheld. This includes federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state income tax, and any pre-tax or post-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions or health insurance premiums. It is the same as "net pay."
For 2026, the IRS uses seven brackets: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%. For single filers, the 10% bracket covers taxable income up to $12,400. The 37% bracket applies to income over $640,600. For married couples filing jointly, the 37% bracket starts at $768,700. These are marginal rates — only the income within each bracket is taxed at that rate.
FICA totals 7.65% for most workers: 6.2% Social Security tax on the first $184,500 of wages and 1.45% Medicare tax on all wages. An extra 0.9% Medicare surtax applies to wages above $200,000 for single filers and $250,000 for married filing jointly. Your employer matches the 6.2% and 1.45% portions but not the surtax.
Yes. This tool estimates state income tax for all 50 states and Washington DC based on published state tax rates. Nine states have no income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Note that local or city income taxes (like in New York City or Philadelphia) are not included in these estimates.
Common pre-tax deductions include traditional 401(k) contributions (up to $23,500 in 2026 if under age 50), HSA contributions, FSA contributions, and employer-sponsored health insurance premiums. These reduce your federally taxable income before tax brackets are applied. If you want to model deductions more granularly, try the pre-tax deduction calculator.
Your marginal tax rate is the rate that applies to your last dollar of income — it is the bracket you fall into. Your effective tax rate is your total federal income tax divided by your gross income. Most workers pay a much lower effective rate than their marginal rate because only the income above each threshold is taxed at the higher rate.
You can increase net pay by increasing pre-tax deductions (lowering taxable income), adjusting your W-4 withholding allowances, or contributing to tax-advantaged accounts. You cannot legally reduce FICA taxes unless you are self-employed or working under a specific exclusion. See the W-4 calculator for help adjusting federal withholding and the paycheck after 401(k) calculator to see the impact of retirement contributions.
This tool is designed for W-2 employees. Self-employed individuals and 1099 contractors pay self-employment tax (15.3% FICA) instead of the employee portion, plus estimated quarterly income taxes. For contractors, use the self-employment tax calculator or the 1099 paycheck calculator.
Data Sources
This calculator uses only official government data for tax rates and thresholds. No estimates or third-party assumptions are used for federal calculations.
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 — 2026 Tax Year Inflation Adjustments (Tax Brackets & Standard Deductions)
- IRS Topic 751 — Social Security and Medicare Withholding Rates
- Social Security Administration — 2026 Social Security Wage Base ($184,500)
- US Department of Labor — Wage and Hour Standards
- State income tax rates sourced from individual state revenue department publications (2025/2026 tax year rates). Rates are estimates and may not reflect the most recent legislative changes for all states.
Disclaimer: This tool provides estimates for informational purposes only. It does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax situations vary based on individual circumstances. Consult a qualified tax professional for advice specific to your situation.
This calculator runs entirely in your browser. Your salary, income, and deduction data are never sent to any server, stored in any database, or shared with any third party. No account or login is required.
This tool was developed and reviewed for accuracy and usability by Eman Ali Mughal. All federal tax rates, FICA thresholds, and standard deduction figures are sourced directly from official IRS publications for the 2026 tax year.