How to use the paycheck calculator
- Choose Annual salary, Hourly wage (with Hours per week) or Gross per paycheck, then enter the amount.
- Pick your Pay frequency, Filing status and the State you live and work in. Add a Local income tax rate if you pay one.
- Enter your Pre-tax 401(k) or 403(b) contribution, Health insurance and other pre-tax benefits and any After-tax deductions.
- Open Form W-4 details if you filled in Step 2, 3 or 4 on your W-4.
- Read your take-home pay in the breakdown.
How the 2026 numbers are worked out
Federal income tax follows the percentage method in IRS Publication 15-T (2026). Taxable wages are your pay minus 401(k) and Section 125 deductions. They are annualized, adjusted for W-4 Step 4, reduced by $8,600 ($12,900 if married filing jointly, nothing if the Step 2 box is checked), looked up in the annual table, divided by your pay periods, then reduced by Step 3 credits. That builds in the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly and $24,150 head of household.
Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, a maximum of $11,439, per the SSA. Medicare is 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000. Section 125 benefits lower both; 401(k) contributions do not.
State tax uses each state's 2026 rates, standard deduction and personal exemption from the Tax Foundation's 2026 tables. California follows the EDD withholding schedules and Oregon its Department of Revenue formula. California SDI (1.3%), Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Massachusetts paid leave (0.46%) are included.
Worked example
The default inputs are a $60,000 salary paid every two weeks, single, in Texas. Gross pay is $2,307.69 a paycheck. For federal tax, $60,000 minus $8,600 is $51,400, and the table gives $1,240 plus 12% of the amount over $19,900, or $5,020 a year, which is $193.08 a paycheck. Social Security takes $143.08 and Medicare $33.46. Texas has no wage tax, so take-home pay is $1,938.07 a paycheck, or $50,390.00 a year, about $4,199.17 a month. Switch the state to California and state tax of $1,803.48 plus $780.00 of SDI cut take-home pay to $1,838.71 a paycheck.
Limits and edge cases
- Once your year's pay passes $184,500, Social Security stops, so later paychecks are larger than the average shown.
- Bonuses are often withheld at a flat 22% federal rate, so a bonus check can look smaller than this estimate.
- State results are estimates that leave out dependent credits, unentered local taxes and small leave premiums in states such as New York.
- Withholding is not your final tax. Your Form 1040 settles the difference.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my paycheck different from this estimate?
Your employer withholds using your Form W-4, its pay dates, bonuses, benefit deductions and local rules. Check your latest pay stub against the breakdown and enter the deductions it shows.
Do 401(k) contributions lower my taxes?
Traditional 401(k) contributions lower federal income tax and, in most states, state income tax, but not Social Security or Medicare tax. The 2026 employee limit is $24,500, or $32,500 with the age 50 catch-up.
Which states have no tax on paychecks?
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming do not tax wages. Washington still charges WA Cares premiums.
Should I check the Step 2 box on my W-4?
Check it if you have two jobs or a working spouse. The withholding tables then assume the income is shared, which prevents a tax bill at filing time but withholds more from each check.
Want to compare pay? The hourly to salary calculator converts wages, the pay raise calculator shows what a raise adds, and the 401(k) calculator projects your savings.
Sources: IRS Publication 15-T (2026); IRS 2026 inflation adjustments; IRS 2026 401(k) limits; SSA contribution and benefit base; Tax Foundation state rates for 2026. Estimates only, not tax advice.