How to use the take-home paycheck calculator
Enter your yearly salary, how often you are paid and your filing status, then your dependents, any other income and the pre-tax deductions taken from your pay, such as 401(k) contributions and health insurance. Add your state and city income tax rates and any deductions you claim on your return. The calculator shows each paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state and local taxes, and the numbers to enter on Form W-4 so the right amount is withheld.
What comes out of a paycheck
- Federal income tax, withheld according to the Form W-4 you give your employer.
- Social Security tax: 6.2% of wages, up to $176,100 in 2025 and $184,500 in 2026 of wages.
- Medicare tax: 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000.
- State and local income tax, in most states.
- Pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions and health insurance, which lower the income tax.
Take-home pay formula
Take-home pay = gross pay − federal income tax − Social Security − Medicare − state and local tax − pre-tax deductions. Divide the yearly amounts by the number of paychecks: 52 for weekly pay, 26 for bi-weekly, 24 for semi-monthly and 12 for monthly.
Paycheck calculator example
A single person earning $80,000 a year, paid every two weeks, with $6,000 a year of 401(k) contributions and no state income tax, has a gross paycheck of $3,076.92 in 2026. About $286.54 goes to federal income tax, $190.77 to Social Security, $44.62 to Medicare and $230.77 to the 401(k), leaving $2,324.23, or $60,430 a year. Taxes take 17% of the gross pay. These are the default inputs of the calculator.
Take-home pay by salary in 2026
| Salary | Federal income tax | Social Security and Medicare | Take-home a year | Bi-weekly paycheck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,620 | $3,060 | $34,320 | $1,320.00 |
| $60,000 | $5,020 | $4,590 | $50,390 | $1,938.08 |
| $80,000 | $8,770 | $6,120 | $65,110 | $2,504.23 |
| $100,000 | $13,170 | $7,650 | $79,180 | $3,045.38 |
| $150,000 | $24,734 | $11,475 | $113,791 | $4,376.58 |
| $200,000 | $36,734 | $14,339 | $148,927 | $5,727.96 |
For a single filer with no pre-tax deductions, dependents or state income tax.
Paychecks by pay frequency
| Pay frequency | Paychecks a year | Gross paycheck | Take-home paycheck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 52 | $1,538.46 | $1,162.12 |
| Bi-weekly | 26 | $3,076.92 | $2,324.23 |
| Semi-monthly | 24 | $3,333.33 | $2,517.92 |
| Monthly | 12 | $6,666.67 | $5,035.83 |
For the example above: the yearly pay stays the same, only the size of each check changes.
State and local income tax
Nine states don't tax wages: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. The other states and Washington, D.C. tax wages at flat or graduated rates, and some cities and counties add their own income tax. Enter your state and city rates to include them; the calculator applies them to your pay after pre-tax deductions.
Filling in Form W-4
The W-4 tells your employer how much federal tax to withhold. The calculator figures your whole-year tax and suggests the numbers for Step 3 (credits for dependents) and Step 4 (other income, extra deductions and extra withholding), so the tax withheld comes close to the tax you owe and you get neither a big refund nor a bill. With a second job, the extra withholding goes on the W-4 of the highest-paying job.
Paycheck taxes in Excel
With the yearly salary in B1, =MIN(B1,184500)*6.2%+B1*1.45% gives the Social Security and Medicare tax for 2026 on wages up to $200,000: for $80,000 it returns $6,120.00. Divide any yearly amount by the number of paychecks, for example =B1/26 for a bi-weekly check.
Related calculators
For your full return, with every deduction and credit and the expected refund, use the income tax calculator. The salary calculator converts an hourly rate into yearly pay before tax, and the 401(k) calculator shows how the pre-tax savings taken from your paycheck grow. Newly married couples can check the effect on their tax with the marriage tax calculator.