Your gross salary, minus taxes.

How US Paycheck Deductions Work

Your gross salary is always higher than your actual take-home pay because several taxes and contributions are withheld from every paycheck. In the US, the main deductions are FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) and income taxes(federal plus state). This calculator estimates your 2026 monthly take-home pay using IRS-published figures.

FICA Taxes — Social Security & Medicare

FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) taxes fund Social Security and Medicare. They are calculated on gross wages before any income tax deductions:

• Social Security — 6.2% on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500. Once your earnings exceed the wage base in a calendar year, no further Social Security tax is withheld for that year.
• Medicare — 1.45% on all wages, with no wage-base cap. An additional 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies to wages above $200,000 (single) — employers are required to withhold this once wages cross that threshold.

Federal Income Tax (Estimate)

Federal income tax is progressive: higher income is taxed at higher marginal rates. The 2026 IRS brackets (adjusted for inflation under OBBBA) apply after subtracting the standard deduction — $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married filing jointly.

⚠ This is an estimate of annual federal tax liability divided by 12. Real paycheck withholding follows your W-4 elections and IRS percentage-method tables, which may differ. Tax credits (Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, etc.) and itemized deductions (mortgage interest, charitable contributions) are not applied — so the estimated tax shown may be higher than your actual tax bill.

State Income Tax

State income tax rates vary widely: nine states (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) have no state income tax on wages, while California reaches over 13% at the top marginal rate. This calculator lets you enter your own effective state tax rate on gross salary. Enter 0 if you live in a no-tax state.

⚠ State income tax is applied as your entered effective rate on gross salary.This is a simplification — actual state tax calculations involve their own brackets, standard deductions, and credits. Use it as a rough estimate and verify with your state's tax agency.

Filing Status and the Standard Deduction

Your federal filing status determines both your tax brackets and your standard deduction. Single filers use the single brackets ($16,100 standard deduction in 2026). Married filing jointly filers use wider brackets and double the standard deduction ($32,200), generally resulting in a lower effective federal tax rate on the same combined income. Choose the status that matches how you file your annual 1040.

Three take-home pay traps Americans hit constantly

1. FICA never goes away — 7.65% off the top, no exemptions

Every paycheck has FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) withheld: Social Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45% = 7.65% combined. Social Security caps at the annual wage base ($176,100 in 2026, indexed yearly); income above that point pays only the 1.45% Medicare portion plus a 0.9% Additional Medicare tax on wages over $200,000 (single) / $250,000 (married). Unlike federal income tax, FICA has no allowances, deductions, or standard deduction — it comes off gross pay before any other calculation. This calculator applies FICA first, then federal/state income tax, matching standard paystub order.

2. State income tax — eight states levy 0%, California tops out at 13.3%

State income tax can swing your take-home pay by $5,000–$20,000 a year on the same gross salary. No state income tax: AK, FL, NV, NH (interest/dividends taxed), SD, TN, TX, WA, WY. Flat-rate states (3–5% typical): CO, IL, IN, KY, MA, MI, NC, PA, UT. Progressive top brackets: CA 13.3%, HI 11%, NY 10.9%, NJ 10.75%. Moving from a 5% state to a 0% state on a $150,000 salary saves about $7,500/year — often the single biggest take-home swing besides 401(k). This tool's state-rate input takes a single effective rate; for multi-bracket precision, use your state's tax department withholding tables.

3. Pre-tax 401(k) and HSA — your real "salary" is bigger than your paycheck shows

Maxing 401(k) ($23,500 employee limit in 2026) and HSA ($4,300 individual / $8,550 family in 2026, if HDHP-enrolled) shifts that amount out of taxable income — saving roughly 22–32% federal tax + state. A $100,000 earner maxing 401(k) sees take-home drop by ~$17,000 rather than the full $23,500, because the IRS no longer counts that as taxable wages. Roth 401(k) contributions don't reduce taxable income but also aren't taxed on withdrawal. Set this calculator's pre-tax deduction input to your annual 401(k) + HSA contributions to see the true after-tax impact, not just gross-to-net withholding.

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