US Paycheck Calculator
This paycheck calculator estimates your real US take-home pay after federal income tax, state income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare), based on your filing status, state and pay frequency. Enter your gross salary and see what actually lands in your bank account each payday — not just your headline salary number.
Your salary before any tax or deductions are taken out.
How you file your federal tax return — this changes your standard deduction and tax brackets.
State income tax varies widely — nine states have none at all.
How often you're paid — changes the per-paycheck figure, not the annual total.
Percent of salary contributed to a traditional 401(k) — reduces federal and state taxable income, but not FICA wages.
Take-home pay per paycheck
$2,017
What actually lands in your account each pay period, after federal tax, state tax, FICA and your 401(k) contribution.
How to use this paycheck calculator
- 1Annual gross salary: your salary before any deductions — the number on your offer letter.
- 2Filing status: single, married filing jointly, or head of household — this sets your standard deduction and federal tax brackets.
- 3State: pick where you're taxed. Nine states (including Texas, Florida and Washington) charge no state income tax at all.
- 4Pay frequency: how often you're actually paid — the annual totals stay the same, only the per-paycheck split changes.
- 5Pre-tax 401(k): optional — contributions lower your federal and state taxable income, though not your Social Security or Medicare wages.
Understanding your results
Take-home pay per paycheck is the headline number — what actually hits your bank account each pay period after every deduction below it. Federal and state income tax are calculated on your taxable income (gross salary minus your standard deduction and any pre-tax 401(k) contribution). FICA is different: it's charged on your gross wages directly, with no standard deduction, split into 6.2% Social Security (capped at an annual wage base) and 1.45% Medicare (plus an extra 0.9% on high earners).
The formula
Take-home = Gross − Federal tax − State tax − FICA − 401(k) contributionFederal tax is calculated using progressive brackets on your taxable income (gross minus your standard deduction and any 401(k) contribution) — each dollar is taxed at the rate for its own bracket, not your whole income at your top rate. State tax works the same way where the state has a progressive system, or as a flat percentage where it doesn't. FICA is a flat-rate payroll tax on gross wages: 6.2% Social Security up to the annual wage base, plus 1.45% Medicare on everything (with an extra 0.9% above a high-earner threshold) — it isn't reduced by your standard deduction or 401(k) contribution.
A worked example
A single filer earning $65,000 in California, paid biweekly, with no 401(k) contribution: taxable income is $50,000 after the $15,000 standard deduction. Federal tax comes to roughly $5,700, California state tax around $1,900, and FICA (6.2% + 1.45% on the full $65,000) about $4,970 — total deductions near $12,600, leaving about $52,400 take-home per year, or roughly $2,015 every two weeks. Moving the same salary to a no-income-tax state like Texas would raise take-home pay by the full state-tax amount.
Notes for the UK, US and India
This calculator models US federal, state and FICA payroll tax only — it's built for American paychecks specifically, unlike Finlaa's UK and India take-home-pay calculators which use each country's own tax system. It uses current published IRS brackets and a simplified state tax lookup, and does not include local/city income tax (New York City, Philadelphia and similar), itemized deductions, tax credits, or the Alternative Minimum Tax.
Frequently asked questions
Is this exact?+
No — treat it as a planning estimate. It uses current IRS federal brackets and a simplified state tax lookup, but doesn't include itemized deductions, tax credits, local/city income tax, or the Alternative Minimum Tax, all of which can change your real take-home pay. For a final figure, check your actual pay stub or a tax professional.
Why is FICA calculated on my gross pay instead of my taxable income?+
Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA) apply to your gross wages directly — they don't allow the standard deduction or pre-tax 401(k) contributions to reduce them, unlike federal and state income tax.
Why do some states show $0 state tax?+
Nine states — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming — charge no state income tax on wages at all.
Does a 401(k) contribution reduce my take-home pay?+
Yes, but by less than the contribution amount — because it also lowers your federal and state taxable income, part of what you 'lose' in take-home pay is tax you'd otherwise have paid anyway.
Does this include health insurance or other payroll deductions?+
No — this covers federal tax, state tax, FICA and an optional 401(k) contribution only. Pre-tax health insurance, HSA/FSA contributions and other benefits deductions will further reduce your actual take-home pay beyond what's shown here.
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