What this paycheck calculator does
You enter your gross pay for one pay period, or your hourly rate and hours. The calculator then subtracts federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, a state rate you type in, and any deductions you list. The result is your estimated net pay, or take-home pay.
This is an estimate. Your employer's payroll system is the record. Real pay stubs can differ because of your W-4 entries, uneven hours, or local taxes.
How the maths works
The calculator annualises your pay first. Weekly pay is multiplied by 52, biweekly by 26, semimonthly by 24, and monthly by 12. Then it subtracts pre-tax deductions and the standard deduction for your filing status. It applies the 2026 federal brackets to what is left. Finally, it divides by the number of paychecks per year.
This mirrors the IRS percentage method for a 2020 or later Form W-4 with nothing in steps 2 to 4. If your W-4 has extra withholding or credits, your stub will not match.
Federal income tax
The 2026 standard deduction is $16,100 for single, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household. After that, the brackets apply in layers. For a single filer, the first $12,400 of taxable income is taxed at 10 percent. The next layer up to $50,400 is taxed at 12 percent, and so on.
Social Security and Medicare
Social Security takes 6.2 percent of wages up to $184,500 in 2026. Medicare takes 1.45 percent of all wages. If your wages pass $200,000 as a single filer or head of household, or $250,000 married filing jointly, an extra 0.9 percent applies to the amount over that line.
State tax and deductions
State income tax rules differ by state. Nine states have no tax on wage income. The calculator does not hold state tables. You type a flat percentage, and it removes that from your pay after pre-tax deductions. Local city or county taxes are not included. Tax credits and itemised deductions are not included either.
Pre-tax deductions like a traditional 401(k), health premiums under a cafeteria plan, or an HSA lower your federal taxable wages. The calculator also removes them before the state rate. It treats them as still subject to Social Security and Medicare. That is right for a 401(k). It is a simplification for health premiums, which are often exempt from those taxes too.
Worked example: $2,000 biweekly, single, no deductions
Gross pay is $2,000 every two weeks. Annual pay is $2,000 times 26, which is $52,000. Subtract the single standard deduction of $16,100. Taxable income is $35,900.
Federal income tax: 10 percent of the first $12,400 is $1,240. Then 12 percent of the remaining $23,500 is $2,820. Total federal income tax is $4,060 a year, or $156.15 per paycheck.
Social Security is 6.2 percent of $2,000, which is $124.00. Medicare is 1.45 percent of $2,000, which is $29.00.
Net pay before state tax: $2,000 minus $156.15 minus $124.00 minus $29.00 equals $1,690.85.
What this estimate leaves out
- Local city or county income taxes.
- Tax credits, like the child tax credit or earned income credit.
- Itemised deductions.
- W-4 entries in steps 2 to 4, such as a second job or extra withholding.
- Uneven income across the year, which can change your real bracket.
Use the result as a planning number, not a promise. Check your state's rules for state tax. Check your employer's policy for deduction details.
Related calculators
If you track hours first, start with the hours calculator or the time card. To turn a salary into an hourly figure, use the salary calculator. For extra hours, try the overtime calculator. To see how a raise changes your check, use the pay raise calculator. For paid time off, see the PTO accrual calculator. You can read the full method on the how we calculate page.