Paycheck calculator
See what lands in your account each payday after federal tax, FICA, state tax and pre-tax benefits, using 2026 figures.
Your pay
Enter your gross pay before anything is taken out.
Taxes
A flat rate is a simplification. Most states use brackets and some cities add a local tax. Enter 0 if you live in a state with no wage income tax.
No income tax on wages in nine states
- Alaska
- Florida
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Washington
- Wyoming
Deductions
Leave anything you do not have at 0.
Warren provides educational information, not individualized financial, tax or legal advice. Read our disclaimers.
What comes out of a paycheck
- Federal income tax
- Progressive brackets from 10% to 37% applied to income above the standard deduction. Only the dollars inside each bracket are taxed at that rate, so a raise never lowers your take-home pay.
- Social Security and Medicare
- FICA takes 6.2% for Social Security on wages up to the annual wage base and 1.45% for Medicare on all wages, with 0.9% more above $200,000. Your employer pays a matching share.
- State and local tax
- Most states tax wages, from a flat rate to brackets above 10%. Nine states have no wage income tax, and some cities such as New York and Philadelphia add their own.
- Pre-tax benefits
- A traditional 401(k), an HSA or FSA, and employer health premiums are deducted before income tax is calculated. They shrink the deposit, but each dollar costs you less than a dollar of take-home pay.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is my take-home pay so much less than my salary?
- Three things come out before money reaches you: federal income tax, FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) and, in most states, state income tax. Pre-tax benefits like a 401(k) contribution, an HSA or FSA, and health premiums also reduce the deposit, although that money is still working for you.
- Does this calculator use the standard deduction?
- Yes. Federal taxable income is your gross pay minus pre-tax deductions and the 2026 standard deduction for your filing status. If you itemize or claim credits such as the child tax credit, your real withholding and your tax bill at filing time may be lower.
- Is withholding the same as the tax I owe?
- Not exactly. Your employer withholds an estimate based on your Form W-4. This calculator estimates the tax you would owe for the year and spreads it evenly across paychecks. If too much is withheld you get a refund in April, and if too little is withheld you owe the difference.
- How accurate is the flat state tax rate?
- It is a simplification. Most states with an income tax use brackets, and some cities add a local tax. Use your effective state rate from last year, or 0 if you live in one of the nine states without a wage income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
- How can I increase my take-home pay?
- Check your W-4 so you are not over-withholding, since a big refund is an interest-free loan to the government. Beyond that, be careful: cutting a 401(k) or HSA contribution raises the deposit today but gives up the tax break and the employer match. A raise or a lower-cost health plan are the cleaner levers.
Want to make every paycheck go further?
Warren AI reads your real income and spending to build a budget, tune your withholding and put the right amount into savings and retirement.