Paycheck calculator

Gross pay and take-home pay are rarely close, and the gap comes from more than one deduction. This calculator estimates what actually lands in your account per paycheck once federal tax, FICA, pre-tax contributions, and an optional flat state rate come out.

This calculator needs JavaScript. The short version by hand: start with gross annual pay, subtract 401(k) and other pre-tax deductions, apply a simplified standard deduction and tax brackets to estimate federal income tax, subtract a flat 7.65% for Social Security and Medicare, subtract any flat state tax rate, then divide by the number of pay periods in a year.

How the math works

This is a simplified single-filer estimate, not a paycheck stub. It uses simplified federal tax brackets and a standard deduction, a flat 7.65% for Social Security and Medicare combined, and - if you enter one - a flat state tax rate applied to income after pre-tax deductions. It does not account for tax credits, filing status other than single, local or city taxes, benefit premiums beyond what you enter, or the Social Security wage base cap. Your actual paycheck follows the withholding tables tied to your W-4 elections, which can differ from this estimate in either direction - use this tool to get a general sense of take-home pay, not an exact number for budgeting your next paycheck to the dollar.

What is take-home pay and how is it calculated walks through the same gross-to-net path this calculator estimates, and how does adjusting your W-4 affect your take-home pay explains why your real paycheck may not match this estimate exactly. How does FICA tax work on your paycheck covers the flat 7.65% this tool applies, and what is federal tax withholding and how does it work explains the bracket system behind the federal estimate.

The formula this calculator uses

gross per period = annual pay / number of periods
taxable          = gross - 401(k) contribution - other pre-tax deductions
Social Security  = taxable * 6.2%
Medicare         = taxable * 1.45%
state tax        = taxable * the rate you enter
shown            = taxable - Social Security - Medicare - state tax

What it assumes without asking

Social Security at 6.2% and Medicare at 1.45% are the employee shares set by statute. Social Security stops above an annual wage limit that changes each year and this tool does not apply that limit
Your state rate is whatever you enter, as a flat percentage
Pre-tax deductions reduce taxable wages before the payroll taxes above

One example, computed in full: $78,000 a year, paid every two weeks

Line	Amount
Gross per paycheck	$3,000.00
401(k) at 6%	-$180.00
Other pre-tax deductions	-$120.00
Taxable for payroll tax	$2,700.00
Social Security at 6.2%	-$167.40
Medicare at 1.45%	-$39.15
State tax at 4%	-$108.00
Shown by this tool	$2,385.45

What this calculator does not model

Federal income tax withholding, which is the largest deduction on most pay stubs. It depends on your W-4, your filing status and your whole year of income, and cannot be derived from one paycheck. Your real take-home is lower than the figure above
The Social Security wage limit, so high earners see too much withheld here late in the year
Post-tax deductions, garnishments and any local tax

The guide behind this tool

A number on its own does not tell you what to do with it. Gross pay against net pay walks a whole stub line by line at five income levels.

Sources & further reading

This tool is a general educational estimate, not financial, tax, or payroll advice, and it does not reflect your actual W-4 withholding. See our disclaimer.