How to use this paycheck calculator
- Gross pay: enter your salary for the year, or switch to pay per paycheck and enter the amount before any deductions.
- Pay frequency: weekly (52 paychecks), bi-weekly (26), semi-monthly (24) or monthly (12).
- Filing status: single, married filing jointly or head of household.
- 401(k) contribution: the percentage of your gross pay you put into a traditional, pre-tax 401(k).
- Health insurance: the pre-tax premium taken out of each paycheck, as shown on your pay stub.
- State: choose your state to add state income tax and any state payroll taxes, or leave it on federal only.
The results show your take-home pay per paycheck and for the year, with every deduction listed in both columns.
Paycheck calculators by state
Each state page uses that state's official 2026 withholding tables and explains its own payroll taxes:
- California paycheck calculator: income tax plus 1.3% State Disability Insurance
- Texas paycheck calculator: no state income tax
- Florida paycheck calculator: no state income tax
- New York paycheck calculator: state tax, disability and Paid Family Leave, plus New York City or Yonkers tax
- Pennsylvania paycheck calculator: flat 3.07% tax and local earned income tax
- Illinois paycheck calculator: flat 4.95% tax
- Ohio paycheck calculator: Ohio's 2026 withholding formula
- Georgia paycheck calculator: flat 4.99% tax
How your paycheck is calculated
The calculator works out each amount for the whole year and divides it by the number of paychecks. That's how payroll withholding works too: your employer annualizes each paycheck to find the right bracket.
2026 standard deduction and tax brackets
The 2026 standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household. For a single filer, the brackets on taxable income are:
| Taxable income (single) | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $12,400 | 10% |
| $12,400 to $50,400 | 12% |
| $50,400 to $105,700 | 22% |
| $105,700 to $201,775 | 24% |
| $201,775 to $256,225 | 32% |
| $256,225 to $640,600 | 35% |
| Over $640,600 | 37% |
Only the income inside each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate, so moving into a higher bracket never lowers your take-home pay.
Worked example
Your state's income tax and payroll taxes would come out on top of this. Pick your state above to see the full picture.
Pre-tax deductions: why they matter
A traditional 401(k) contribution comes out before federal income tax, so every $100 you contribute costs you less than $100 of take-home pay. In the example, the $3,000 contribution is taxed at 12%, so it lowers federal income tax by $360 a year. It doesn't change Social Security or Medicare, which still apply to the money you put in your 401(k).
Health, dental and vision premiums paid through a cafeteria plan (Section 125) are usually pre-tax for income tax and for Social Security and Medicare. Check your pay stub: pre-tax deductions are normally listed separately from after-tax ones.
The 2026 limit on employee 401(k) contributions is $24,500, plus catch-up contributions from age 50. If your percentage would go over the limit, the calculator caps it and tells you.
Social Security wage base and Additional Medicare Tax
Social Security stops once your wages for the year reach $184,500. If you earn more, your paychecks get bigger later in the year when Social Security stops being withheld. The calculator spreads the yearly amount evenly, so it shows your average paycheck rather than that mid-year jump.
Medicare has no cap. Once your wages pass $200,000 in a year, your employer withholds an extra 0.9% on the amount above it, whatever your filing status. The tax you finally owe uses a threshold that depends on filing status, so married couples may get some back, or owe more, when they file.
Your W-4 and getting withholding right
Form W-4 tells your employer how much federal tax to withhold. If you have a second job, a working spouse, large deductions or credits for children, your withholding may be quite different from this estimate. The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator on irs.gov can help you fill in your W-4 so your withholding is close to what you'll owe.
Too much withholding means a refund but smaller paychecks during the year. Too little can mean a tax bill, and possibly a penalty, when you file.
What this calculator doesn't include
The estimate doesn't include tax credits, other income, extra withholding from your W-4, after-tax deductions, Roth contributions, HSA or FSA contributions, bonuses and overtime, or most local income taxes. State pages note which state and local taxes are included. Your actual pay stub is the final word on what's withheld.