Free Paycheck Calculator — Federal & State Tax Estimator

Paycheck Calculator is a free, browser-based tool that lets you estimate your take-home pay after federal and state taxes — with zero signup, zero installation. Your data never leaves your browser. Part of 138+ free developer and business tools at wowhow.cloud, built and maintained by a team with 14+ years of hands-on development experience.

TOOLPaycheck Calculator

Your Pay Details

Pay Type

Annual Salary ($)

$75,000.00 per year

Pay Frequency

Filing Status

State

Your Take-Home Pay

Enter your salary or hourly rate to see results

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About Paycheck Calculator

Your gross salary and your take-home pay can differ by 25-40% — understanding exactly what gets deducted and why is the foundation of personal finance. This paycheck calculator applies 2026 federal tax brackets, state income tax rates for all 50 states, Social Security, Medicare, and common pre-tax deductions to give you an accurate per-paycheck and annual take-home estimate before you accept a job offer or negotiate a raise.

How It Works

The calculation runs in four sequential layers. First, gross pay is determined: for salaried employees, annual salary ÷ pay periods (52 weekly, 26 bi-weekly, 24 semi-monthly, 12 monthly). For hourly workers, hourly rate × hours per period, with overtime at 1.5× for hours above 40/week.

Second, pre-tax deductions (401k, FSA, health insurance) are subtracted from gross pay to get federal taxable income. Federal income tax is then applied using 2026 marginal brackets — 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 37% — based on filing status (single, married filing jointly, head of household). FICA is applied separately: 6.2% Social Security up to $176,100 wage base and 1.45% Medicare on all wages (plus 0.9% surtax above $200,000).

Third, state income tax is applied using simplified effective rate calculations for each state. States with progressive brackets (CA, NY, NJ) are modeled with simplified approximations; flat-tax states (PA at 3.07%, IL at 4.95%) are exact. No-income-tax states (TX, FL, WA, etc.) contribute zero. Finally, post-tax deductions (Roth 401k, after-tax benefits) are subtracted to get net take-home pay.

Who Is This For

A software engineer in California with a $145,000 salary wants to see their bi-weekly take-home after maxing out 401k ($23,000/year), health insurance ($350/month), and accounting for CA's 9.3% state tax bracket.

A Texas resident with a $75,000 salary compares a job offer in New York at $90,000 — the calculator shows the NY take-home is actually lower after 6.85% state tax and NYC's 3.876% city tax.

An hourly worker earning $22/hour (40 hours/week) wants their annual take-home estimate and how it changes if they work 45 hours/week (overtime adds ~$3,000+ annually after taxes).

A married couple deciding whether to file jointly or separately uses the calculator to compare take-home under both scenarios — filing separately only benefits high-income couples with significantly different incomes.

A new graduate with a $65,000 offer wants to negotiate the right salary to hit a $50,000 take-home target after taxes — the calculator back-calculates that $73,000 gross achieves this in Colorado.

Scope note: State tax rates are simplified effective rates, not full progressive bracket calculations for all states. Local income taxes (New York City at 3.876%, Philadelphia at 3.79%, etc.) are not included and can significantly reduce take-home. The calculator does not model the Social Security wage base mid-year adjustment if you change jobs. Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) is not calculated. Actual paychecks may differ based on employer-specific withholding elections and your W-4 setup.

Disclaimer: This calculator is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Results are estimates based on publicly available tax slabs and formulas. Consult a qualified Chartered Accountant, tax professional, or financial advisor for guidance specific to your situation. Built and maintained by the WOWHOW Team with 14+ years of software development experience.

How to Use

1

Enter your annual salary or hourly rate

2

Select your pay frequency — weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly

3

Choose your filing status and state of residence

4

Optionally add pre-tax deductions like 401(k) and health insurance

5

See your take-home pay breakdown instantly per pay period and annually

Frequently Asked Questions

This calculator uses projected 2026 federal tax brackets and simplified state tax rates for all 50 states plus D.C. It provides a close estimate for planning purposes. Actual paycheck amounts may vary based on local taxes, additional deductions, and employer-specific withholding.

FICA stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It includes Social Security tax (6.2% on wages up to $168,600) and Medicare tax (1.45% on all wages, plus an additional 0.9% on wages over $200,000). Your employer pays a matching amount.

Gross pay is your total earnings before any deductions. Net pay (take-home pay) is what you actually receive after federal tax, state tax, FICA, and any pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions are subtracted.

Pre-tax deductions reduce your taxable income before federal and state taxes are calculated. For example, contributing $10,000 to a 401(k) means you pay income tax on $10,000 less, potentially saving you $2,200-$3,700 in taxes depending on your bracket.

Nine states have no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Residents of these states keep more of their paycheck since only federal taxes and FICA apply.

The W-4 determines how much federal tax your employer withholds from each paycheck. Claiming more allowances (or adjusting Step 3-4 on the updated W-4) reduces withholding, increasing take-home pay. But under-withholding by more than $1,000 leads to underpayment penalties at tax time. Use this calculator alongside an IRS withholding estimator to find the right balance.

The Additional Medicare Tax is 0.9% on wages above $200,000 for single filers ($250,000 for married filing jointly). This is in addition to the standard 1.45% Medicare tax, bringing the total to 2.35% on income above the threshold. Employers only withhold the base 1.45% — the surtax is reconciled at tax time via Form 8959.

Employer-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance premiums deducted pre-tax under a Section 125 cafeteria plan reduce both federal income tax and FICA tax bases. A $400/month health premium saves roughly $100-$160/month in taxes depending on your bracket — making employer benefits significantly more valuable than equivalent cash compensation.