Paycheck Calculator: Take-Home Pay After Taxes (2026)
Estimate take-home pay after federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare, 401(k) and state tax, using the IRS 2026 withholding method.
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How a US paycheck is worked out
Your take-home pay is your gross pay minus pre-tax deductions, federal income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare tax, state tax and any after-tax deductions. This calculator follows the 2026 IRS rules: federal withholding comes from IRS Publication 15-T (the percentage method for a Form W-4 from 2020 or later), and Social Security and Medicare use the 2026 rates and limits.
- Take out pre-tax deductions. Health premiums through a cafeteria plan reduce both income-tax wages and Social Security and Medicare wages. A traditional 401(k) deferral reduces income-tax wages only.
- Annualise the paycheck, add Form W-4 Step 4(a), subtract Step 4(b) and the standard amount ($8,600, or $12,900 if married filing jointly) unless the Step 2 box is checked, and look up the withholding in the IRS table.
- Divide by the pay periods in a year, subtract Step 3 credits per paycheck and add Step 4(c).
- Subtract Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500 of wages in 2026) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000).
Worked example: $65,000, single, paid every two weeks
Gross pay is $2,500.00. With no deductions in a state with no income tax, federal withholding is $216.15, Social Security is $155.00 and Medicare is $36.25, so take-home pay is $2,092.60, or 83.7% of gross. Putting 6% ($150.00) into a traditional 401(k) lowers federal withholding to $198.15 but leaves Social Security and Medicare unchanged, and take-home pay becomes $1,960.60. A $100.00 pre-tax health premium lowers withholding to $204.15 and Social Security to $148.80, and take-home pay becomes $2,012.25.
Take-home pay at different salaries (single, every two weeks, no deductions, no state tax)
| Salary | Gross per paycheck | Federal | Social Security + Medicare | Take-home | % of gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $1,153.85 | $54.62 | $88.27 | $1,010.96 | 87.6% |
| $50,000 | $1,923.08 | $146.92 | $147.12 | $1,629.04 | 84.7% |
| $65,000 | $2,500.00 | $216.15 | $191.25 | $2,092.60 | 83.7% |
| $80,000 | $3,076.92 | $337.31 | $235.38 | $2,504.23 | 81.4% |
| $100,000 | $3,846.15 | $506.54 | $294.23 | $3,045.38 | 79.2% |
| $150,000 | $5,769.23 | $951.31 | $441.35 | $4,376.58 | 75.9% |
Social Security and Medicare limits
Employees pay 6.2% Social Security tax on wages up to $184,500 in 2026 and 1.45% Medicare tax on all wages. Employers also withhold an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages over $200,000 in the year, whatever the filing status. High earners therefore see larger paychecks late in the year once the Social Security limit is reached.
State taxes
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming do not tax wages. In other states, enter an estimated state and local rate. State payroll programs such as disability or paid family leave insurance are not included, so a real paycheck can be a little lower in some states.
Why your actual paycheck may differ
Employers may round, and bonuses are often withheld at a flat supplemental rate. Your benefits, garnishments and year-to-date wages also change individual paychecks. For a raise or overtime see the hourly to salary calculator and the overtime pay calculator; for the income tax behind withholding see the federal tax bracket calculator, and for retirement saving the 401(k) calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- How is take-home pay calculated?
- Start with gross pay, take out pre-tax deductions, then federal income tax withholding, Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%), any state tax, and after-tax deductions. Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T for 2026. Example: single, paid $2,500 every two weeks ($65,000 a year), no deductions, in a state with no income tax. Federal withholding is $216.15, Social Security $155.00 and Medicare $36.25, so take-home pay is $2,092.60, which is 83.7% of gross.
- How does a 401(k) contribution change my paycheck?
- A traditional 401(k) deferral lowers the pay your federal income tax is based on, but not the pay Social Security and Medicare are based on. In the example above, deferring 6% ($150) cuts federal withholding by $18.00, from $216.15 to $198.15, while Social Security ($155.00) and Medicare ($36.25) stay the same. Take-home pay falls from $2,092.60 to $1,960.60, only $132.00 less for a $150 contribution.
- Do health insurance premiums reduce my taxes?
- Premiums paid through an employer's cafeteria (section 125) plan are exempt from federal income tax withholding and from Social Security and Medicare tax (IRS Publication 15-B). With a $100 premium per paycheck, the example paycheck has federal withholding of $204.15, Social Security of $148.80 and Medicare of $34.80, and take-home pay is $2,012.25, so the $100 premium costs $80.35 in net pay.
- What are the Social Security and Medicare withholding rates and limits?
- Employees pay 6.2% Social Security tax on wages up to $184,500 in 2026 and 1.45% Medicare tax on all wages. Employers must also withhold an Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% on wages over $200,000 in the year, whatever your filing status. Example: a $250,000 salary paid every two weeks reaches the Social Security limit in paycheck 20, for $11,439.00 of Social Security tax in the year, and the $450.00 of Additional Medicare Tax is withheld from paycheck 21 on. After paycheck 20 your paychecks get bigger.
- How do the Form W-4 steps change withholding?
- Step 3 credits are subtracted from your withholding spread over the year: $4,000 of credits lowers each biweekly paycheck's withholding by $153.85, from $216.15 to $62.31 in the example. Ticking the Step 2 box (two jobs, or a spouse who works) uses the higher withholding table: $383.35 instead of $216.15. Step 4(a) other income and 4(b) deductions raise or lower the amount of pay withholding is based on, and 4(c) adds a fixed extra amount to every paycheck.
- How are state taxes handled, and why might my real paycheck differ?
- Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming do not tax wages. For other states, enter your estimated state and local income tax rate; 5% on the example paycheck is $125.00 and take-home pay is $1,967.60. This calculator does not include state payroll programs such as disability or paid family leave insurance, bonuses taxed at the supplemental rate, or an employer's own rounding, so your real paycheck can differ a little.
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