How the take-home pay calculator works
Enter your salary or hourly wage, how often you're paid, your filing status, and your state. The calculator subtracts every tax and deduction a typical US paycheck has and shows what's left per paycheck, per month, and per year.
What comes out of your paycheck
- Pre-tax deductions: traditional 401(k) or 403(b), health, dental, and vision premiums, and HSA or FSA contributions.
- Federal income tax: based on your 2026 tax bracket after the standard deduction and credits like the child tax credit.
- FICA: Social Security at 6.2% and Medicare at 1.45%. Your employer pays the same amount again.
- State and local income tax: zero in nine states, a flat rate in fifteen, and graduated brackets in the rest.
- After-tax deductions: Roth 401(k), union dues, and similar.
Take-home pay by salary in 2026
Single filer, standard deduction, paid every two weeks, in a state with no income tax:
| Salary | Federal tax | Social Security & Medicare | Take-home per year | Per month | Per paycheck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,620 | $3,060 | $34,320 | $2,860 | $1,320 |
| $60,000 | $5,020 | $4,590 | $50,390 | $4,199 | $1,938 |
| $80,000 | $8,770 | $6,120 | $65,110 | $5,426 | $2,504 |
| $100,000 | $13,170 | $7,650 | $79,180 | $6,598 | $3,045 |
| $150,000 | $24,734 | $11,475 | $113,791 | $9,483 | $4,377 |
Take-home pay on $75,000 by state
The same single $75,000 salary, paid every two weeks, in different states. State tax includes California's 1.3% SDI.
| State | State tax per year | Take-home per month | Per paycheck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $0 | $5,133 | $2,369 |
| Florida | $0 | $5,133 | $2,369 |
| California | $3,763 | $4,819 | $2,224 |
| New York | $3,453 | $4,845 | $2,236 |
| Illinois | $3,568 | $4,835 | $2,232 |
| Pennsylvania | $2,303 | $4,941 | $2,280 |
| Ohio | $1,287 | $5,025 | $2,319 |
| Georgia | $3,270 | $4,860 | $2,243 |
| North Carolina | $2,484 | $4,926 | $2,273 |
| New Jersey | $2,596 | $4,916 | $2,269 |
| Virginia | $3,498 | $4,841 | $2,234 |
| Massachusetts | $3,530 | $4,839 | $2,233 |
| Arizona | $1,666 | $4,994 | $2,305 |
| Washington | $0 | $5,133 | $2,369 |
How a 401(k) changes your paycheck
At $75,000, putting 6% into a traditional 401(k) saves $173 every two weeks but lowers your paycheck by only about $135, because the contribution comes out before income tax. Many employers also match part of it, which is free money on top.
Ways to raise your take-home pay
- Check your W-4. If you get a big refund every year, you're over-withholding. The tax refund estimator shows how much per paycheck.
- Use pre-tax benefits such as an HSA or FSA for costs you'd pay anyway.
- Claim the new deductions for tips and overtime when you file; they're not reflected in most withholding.
Know your monthly take-home? Plan it with the budget calculator, or see what housing payment it supports with the mortgage calculator.
Sources: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (2026 brackets and deductions), IRS: 2026 401(k) limits, the Tax Foundation's State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026, and the California EDD's 2026 SDI rate.
Frequently asked questions
How is take-home pay calculated?
Start with gross pay, subtract pre-tax deductions such as a traditional 401(k) and health insurance, then subtract federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and any state and local income tax. Finally subtract after-tax deductions such as a Roth 401(k). What's left is your net, or take-home, pay.
How much is $60,000 a year after taxes?
For a single filer in a state with no income tax, about $50,390 a year, or $4,199 a month, in 2026. In a state with an income tax it's typically a few hundred to a few thousand dollars less; choose your state in the calculator to see the exact estimate.
What percentage of my paycheck goes to taxes?
For most workers, between about 15% and 30% of gross pay. Social Security and Medicare take a flat 7.65% up to the Social Security wage base, federal income tax depends on your bracket and credits, and state tax ranges from zero to around 10% or more of income at the top rates.
Does a 401(k) contribution lower my taxes?
A traditional 401(k) or 403(b) contribution is taken out before federal income tax and, in nearly every state, before state income tax, so it costs you less take-home pay than the amount you save. It doesn't reduce Social Security or Medicare tax. Roth contributions are taxed now and come out tax-free in retirement.
Why is my paycheck different from this estimate?
Employers withhold based on your W-4 and IRS withholding tables, which approximate your yearly tax per paycheck. Differences come from extra withholding on your W-4, bonuses withheld at a flat 22%, benefits not entered here, state disability or paid-leave payroll taxes, and local taxes.
What is the Social Security wage base for 2026?
Social Security tax of 6.2% applies to the first $184,500 of wages in 2026. Above that, only Medicare tax continues, at 1.45% plus an extra 0.9% on wages over $200,000.
This guide is for general education and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. See our disclaimer.