Salary Paycheck Calculator

Take-home pay is your gross pay minus federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, any applicable state and local taxes, and your deductions (like 401(k) contributions). This calculator runs your inputs through SalaryHow's 2026 paycheck engine, which follows IRS Publication 15-T and each state's official withholding rules.

Federal income tax withholding, Social Security (6.2% up to the annual wage base), and Medicare (1.45%, plus an Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% above $200,000) apply to nearly every paycheck. Depending on your state, state income tax, local tax, and state-specific payroll taxes (like disability or paid-leave insurance) may also apply.

Gross pay is your total earnings before any taxes or deductions. Net pay (take-home pay) is what's left after taxes, deductions, and garnishments are subtracted.

Pay frequency changes how your annual salary is divided into paychecks — weekly (52/year), biweekly (26/year), semi-monthly (24/year), or monthly (12/year) — and how tax withholding tables are applied per period. Your annual take-home pay is the same regardless of frequency; only the per-paycheck amount changes.

FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, and refers to Social Security and Medicare taxes together. Employees pay 6.2% for Social Security (up to the annual wage base) and 1.45% for Medicare, both withheld automatically from every paycheck.

Yes. This calculator supports 2026 state withholding for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including states with no individual income tax. Some states also have additional employee-paid payroll taxes, which are shown as separate line items.

Social Security tax stops applying once your wages for the year reach the annual wage base, and an Additional Medicare Tax applies once your wages cross $200,000. Entering accurate year-to-date wages helps this calculator apply those limits correctly instead of assuming you're starting the year from zero.

This calculator uses official 2026 federal and state withholding rules to produce a close estimate. Your actual paycheck may differ based on your employer's payroll system, benefit elections, local taxes, and individual circumstances — see our methodology page for full details on sources and assumptions.