Free tool
Salary paycheck calculator
Estimate your take-home pay after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state tax, and pre-tax deductions like a 401(k) or health insurance. 2026 estimate.
How your take-home pay is calculated
Your salary is the headline number, but it isn't what lands in your account. Four things come out of every paycheck before you see a cent: federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and — in most states — state income tax. Pre-tax benefits like a 401(k) or health premium come out too, lowering the pay that gets taxed.
Federal income tax isn't a flat percentage. The calculator annualizes your pay, subtracts the standard deduction and any W-4 adjustments, runs the result through the graduated brackets, then spreads the year's tax evenly across your paychecks — the same percentage method the IRS uses for withholding.
FICA is simpler: Social Security takes 6.2% up to an annual wage cap, and Medicare takes 1.45% of everything (with a small surtax on high earners). A traditional 401(k) lowers your income tax but not FICA; pre-tax health, HSA, and FSA contributions lower both.
Whatever survives all of that is your net pay — the number worth budgeting around. That's the figure Even Cents starts each pay period from.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my take-home so much less than my salary?
Your gross salary is taxed before you ever see it. Federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), any state tax, and pre-tax deductions like a 401(k) or health premium all come out first. What's left — your net pay — is usually 20–30% smaller than gross.
How accurate is this estimate?
It uses the current federal tax brackets, standard deduction, and FICA rates, and follows the IRS percentage method for withholding. It's a close estimate for most salaried workers, but your real paycheck depends on your full W-4 and your state's specific rules, so treat it as a guide rather than gospel.
Does contributing to a 401(k) lower my taxes?
Yes — a traditional 401(k) contribution comes out before income tax is calculated, so it shrinks your taxable pay and your federal/state withholding. It does not reduce Social Security or Medicare, though, since those are figured on your full wages. Pre-tax health, HSA, and FSA contributions lower income tax and FICA.
What does the 'multiple jobs' checkbox do?
It mirrors Step 2(c) of the W-4. If you hold more than one job, or you and a spouse both work, checking it withholds more from this paycheck so you don't come up short at tax time — the calculator halves your standard deduction and brackets for the estimate, the same way the W-4 instructions do.
Why does the calculator ask for a state tax rate?
State income tax varies enormously — nine states have none, and the rest each set their own rules. Rather than guess, the calculator lets you enter the flat withholding rate from your state form, which keeps the estimate honest. Leave it blank if your state has no income tax.
Which tax year do these numbers use?
The federal brackets, standard deduction, and Social Security wage base are for the 2026 tax year. Tax figures change every year, so the estimate is only as current as the year shown.