Paycheck Take-Home Pay Calculator (USA)
Calculate your net take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA, state tax, 401(k), and health insurance deductions. 2026 IRS brackets included.
See step-by-step calculation
When to use this calculator
- Compare take-home pay before accepting a job offer in a different state
- Estimate how a 401(k) contribution increase affects your net paycheck
- Plan a budget after switching from salary to hourly or changing pay frequency
- Understand the difference between gross salary and actual spendable income
- Check how Additional Medicare Tax applies above $200,000 in wages
- See how health insurance premiums lower your federal and state taxable income
2026 Key Payroll Tax Rates & Thresholds (USA)
| Component | Rate / Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Standard Deduction — Single / MFS | $15,000 | Reduces federal taxable income |
| Federal Standard Deduction — Married Filing Jointly | $30,000 | Reduces federal taxable income |
| Federal Standard Deduction — Head of Household | $22,500 | Reduces federal taxable income |
| Federal Income Tax — Bracket 1 | 10% on $0 – $11,925 | Single filers |
| Federal Income Tax — Bracket 2 | 12% on $11,926 – $48,475 | Single filers |
| Federal Income Tax — Bracket 3 | 22% on $48,476 – $103,350 | Single filers |
| Federal Income Tax — Bracket 4 | 24% on $103,351 – $197,300 | Single filers |
| Federal Income Tax — Bracket 5 | 32% on $197,301 – $250,525 | Single filers |
| Federal Income Tax — Bracket 6 | 35% on $250,526 – $626,350 | Single filers |
| Federal Income Tax — Bracket 7 | 37% on income over $626,350 | Single filers |
| Social Security (OASDI) — Employee Rate | 6.2% | Applied to gross pay |
| Social Security Wage Base Cap | $176,100 | SS tax stops above this annual wage |
| Medicare — Employee Rate | 1.45% | Applied to all gross wages, no cap |
| Additional Medicare Tax | 0.9% | On wages above $200,000 (annual) |
| State Income Tax — Texas | 0% | No state income tax |
| State Income Tax — Florida | 0% | No state income tax |
| State Income Tax — California | Progressive (up to ~13.3%) | Simplified model; see CA FTB schedules |
| State Income Tax — New York | Progressive (up to ~10.9%) | Simplified model; see NY withholding tables |
Fuente: IRS Publication 15-T (2026), IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-28, Social Security Administration (2025), California FTB (2026), NY Dept. of Taxation and Finance (2026)
How it works
What is take-home pay?
Take-home pay is the net amount of money you receive after all deductions—federal income tax, FICA (Social Security 6.2% and Medicare 1.45%), state taxes, and pre-tax contributions like 401(k) or health insurance—are subtracted from your gross salary. For example, a $75,000 annual salary typically yields roughly $54,000 in take-home pay.
How It Works
This calculator converts your gross pay into estimated net pay using four layers of deductions:
1. Pre-tax deductions (401k, health insurance) reduce the base before income tax is calculated.
2. Federal income tax is computed from 2026 IRS Publication 15-T annualized brackets.
3. FICA taxes (Social Security + Medicare) are applied to gross pay (not reduced by 401k or health insurance for this purpose — standard payroll treatment).
4. State income tax is applied using a simplified progressive model for CA and NY; TX and FL have no state income tax.
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Formula
// Step 1 — Annualize gross pay
annual_gross = gross_pay × periods_per_year
// Step 2 — Pre-tax deductions (reduce federal & state taxable income)
pretax_total = retirement_deduction + health_insurance
annual_taxable = annual_gross − (pretax_total × periods_per_year)
// Step 3 — Federal standard deduction (2026)
// Single/MFS: $15,000 | MFJ: $30,000 | HOH: $22,500
federal_taxable = max(0, annual_taxable − standard_deduction)
// Step 4 — Federal income tax (2026 brackets)
annual_federal_tax = bracket_tax(federal_taxable, filing_status)
per_period_federal = annual_federal_tax / periods_per_year + extra_withholding
// Step 5 — FICA (applied to gross, capped)
ss_wage = min(gross_pay × periods_per_year, 176100)
ss_tax_annual = ss_wage × 0.062
medicare_tax_annual = gross_annual × 0.0145
+ max(0, gross_annual − 200000) × 0.009 // Additional Medicare Tax
// Step 6 — State tax (CA / NY progressive, TX / FL = 0)
state_tax_annual = state_bracket_tax(annual_taxable, state, filing_status)
// Step 7 — Net pay per period
net_pay = gross_pay
− per_period_federal
− (ss_tax_annual / periods)
− (medicare_tax_annual / periods)
− (state_tax_annual / periods)
− pretax_total---
2026 Federal Brackets (Single)
| Taxable Income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $11,925 | 10% |
| $11,926 – $48,475 | 12% |
| $48,476 – $103,350 | 22% |
| $103,351 – $197,300 | 24% |
| $197,301 – $250,525 | 32% |
| $250,526 – $626,350 | 35% |
| Over $626,350 | 37% |
MFJ brackets are approximately double; HOH brackets are intermediate.
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Worked Example
Gross: $5,000 bi-weekly | Single | CA | 6% 401k | $150 health insurance
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Limitations
Frequently asked questions
What is the Social Security wage base for 2026?
What is the Additional Medicare Tax and who pays it?
Does a 401(k) contribution actually reduce my taxes?
Why does Texas show lower taxes than California on the same salary?
What is the 2026 federal standard deduction?
How do I enter the W-4 'extra withholding' field?
Is this calculator accurate for hourly workers?
Why doesn't the calculator include New York City tax?
What if I'm self-employed or a 1099 contractor?
How often are federal tax brackets updated?
Sources & references
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026): Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service (2026)
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-28: 2026 Tax Inflation Adjustments — Internal Revenue Service (2025)
- Social Security Administration: 2026 Wage Base Announcement — Social Security Administration (2025)
- California Franchise Tax Board: 2026 Withholding Schedules — California Franchise Tax Board (2026)
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance: 2026 Withholding Tables — NY State Dept. of Taxation and Finance (2026)
Methodology & trust
Calculadora de finanzas revisada por el equipo editorial de Hacé Cuentas, contrastada con IRS Publication 15-T (2026): Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods, según nuestra política editorial y metodología.
Última revisión: June 20, 2026. Los parámetros se verifican periódicamente con las fuentes citadas.
Calculations run 100% in your browser. We do not store or transmit your data.
Indicative results. For critical decisions, consult a professional.
Rodríguez, M. (2026). Paycheck Take-Home Pay Calculator (USA). Hacé Cuentas. https://hacecuentas.com/paycheck-take-home-pay-calculator-usa
Contenido bajo licencia CC-BY 4.0 — reutilizable citando la fuente con enlace a Hacé Cuentas.