Take-Home Pay Calculator

Your salary is the number on your offer letter. Your take-home pay is the number that actually hits your bank account — and the gap between the two surprises nearly everyone. Understanding exactly where your money goes is essential for building a real budget and making smart financial decisions.

Every American worker pays two categories of federal taxes: income tax and FICA taxes. Federal income tax is progressive, meaning you pay different rates on different portions of your income. The first dollars you earn are taxed at just 10%, while higher income is taxed at 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, or 37%. Before any of that applies, you subtract your standard deduction — $16,100 for single filers in 2026, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly. This deduction alone can make a significant difference in your effective tax rate.

FICA taxes are separate from income tax and fund Social Security and Medicare. Social Security takes 6.2% of your wages up to the annual wage base ($184,500 in 2026). Medicare takes 1.45% of all wages with no cap — and high earners pay an additional 0.9% on wages above $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). These are not voluntary. Every dollar of W-2 income is subject to FICA.

State income taxes add another layer, and the variation across states is dramatic. Nine states — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming — have no state income tax on wages at all. If you live in one of these states, your take-home pay is noticeably higher than a neighbor earning the same salary in California or New York. The highest state income tax rates reach 13.3% in California and 10.9% in New York, which is why location is one of the most underestimated factors in your effective compensation.

Your filing status matters more than most people realize. "Married filing jointly" widens every tax bracket and doubles the standard deduction, which typically results in significantly lower federal taxes compared to filing as single. Head of household status provides intermediate benefits for unmarried taxpayers who support a dependent.

Pay period selection doesn't change your annual tax burden — it only changes how you see the numbers. Whether you're paid annually, monthly, biweekly, or weekly, the total deducted over the year is the same. However, seeing your actual biweekly paycheck amount is often more useful for budgeting than the annual figure.

One important note: this calculator computes your federal and state income taxes plus FICA. It does not account for pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, HSA contributions, or flexible spending accounts. Those deductions reduce your taxable income and can substantially increase your take-home pay. If you contribute to a 401(k), your actual net pay will be higher than this calculator shows for the tax portion, though your cash in hand is reduced by the contribution itself.