Paycheck BookU.S. take-home estimates

Paycheck Book

Paycheck Calculator

This site exists so you can see, in ordinary numbers, how a U.S. paycheck might split into net pay, FICA, and the income-tax rates you already know from a stub. It is a literacy tool, not a payroll product and not a substitute for a W-2.

  1. Enter pay Use an annual salary or the amount on one paycheck.
  2. Add a tax rate Use a federal percentage from a stub, or leave that field empty.
  3. Read the split See take-home, FICA, and the percentages you entered on one page.

Your pay

Start with a sample if you want to see a result first. You can change every number afterward. The estimate updates as you type.

Enter the amount before taxes, in U.S. dollars.
The calculator does not change FICA or the tax percentages because of this choice.
Enter a percentage from a recent stub, or leave empty to omit this line. The calculator multiplies; it does not use IRS withholding tables.
Enter your state rate if you have one. The calculator does not look up 50 state tables.
Use the same basis as gross pay (annual or per paycheck). This is for a traditional 401(k)-style deferral. It lowers the income-tax base and does not lower FICA here.

Estimated take-home

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    How the calculator figures the estimate

    The calculator first turns your entry into annual gross pay. If you enter a per-paycheck amount, that amount is multiplied by 52, 26, 24, or 12 according to the frequency you select. If you enter an annual salary, that figure is already the yearly gross.

    FICA is then taken from annual gross pay. For tax year 2026, Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to $184,500, Medicare is 1.45% of all wages, and Additional Medicare Tax is 0.9% of wages above $200,000. Those rates and the Social Security wage base come from IRS Publication 15 (2026) and the Social Security Administration wage base for 2026. A traditional 401(k)-style pre-tax amount is not subtracted before FICA in this model, because elective deferrals of that kind generally still face Social Security and Medicare.

    Federal income tax is the percentage you enter, multiplied by annual gross pay minus the pre-tax amount. State income tax uses the optional percentage in the same way, or zero if you leave that field empty. Estimated annual take-home is annual gross pay minus the pre-tax amount, minus FICA, minus those two income-tax figures. The per-paycheck result is that annual take-home divided evenly by the number of pay periods.

    Other tools on this site

    Each tool uses the same tax model. The difference is only the way you enter pay.

    Hourly to salary Convert an hourly rate and weekly hours into paycheck and yearly figures. Overtime Separate regular pay from overtime pay, then estimate take-home. Annual take-home Start from a yearly or monthly salary and see one paycheck. Compare salaries Put a current amount next to a new offer, on each check and over a year. Bonus Estimate what remains from a bonus after FICA and the tax percentages you enter. Needed salary Work backward from a take-home target to an estimated gross salary.

    Learn and plan

    These pages are for staying a little longer: a pay raise, the next payday, and a stub you can click line by line.

    Pay raise See extra take-home from a percentage raise or a new salary. Payday calendar List the next dates from the last check you already received. Pay stub Click each line on a teaching stub and read what it means.

    Common questions

    What is the difference between biweekly and semimonthly?

    Biweekly pay is every two weeks, which is 26 paychecks in a year. Semimonthly pay is twice a month, usually on fixed dates, which is 24 paychecks in a year. The same annual salary produces a larger biweekly check than a semimonthly check, because the year is split into fewer pieces on the semimonthly schedule.

    Why is this not my pay stub?

    A stub applies federal withholding tables, a W-4, year-to-date wages, employer benefits, local taxes, and sometimes garnishments. This calculator applies published FICA rates and the income-tax percentages you type. The result is a teaching estimate so you can see the shape of a check, not a replacement for payroll.

    What is FICA versus income tax?

    FICA is Social Security plus Medicare, including Additional Medicare Tax when wages pass the $200,000 withholding threshold. Those rates are set in federal law and are computed here from 2026 publications. Income tax is the federal and, if you enter one, state percentage applied to pay after the pre-tax amount. FICA and income tax are separate lines.

    Why do I enter a federal tax percentage?

    Full federal withholding depends on Publication 15-T, filing status, and a W-4 from 2020 or later. This site does not pretend to reproduce that system. You enter a percentage you already see on a stub, or a rate you consider typical, and the calculator multiplies. If you leave the field empty, federal income tax in the estimate is $0.00 and the result says so.

    Does a 401(k) contribution lower FICA?

    A traditional 401(k) elective deferral usually lowers federal and state income tax, and it usually does not lower Social Security or Medicare. This calculator follows that split. Some cafeteria-plan health premiums can lower FICA; that is a different rule, so those amounts are not treated as FICA-reducing here.

    Can I use this estimate on a tax return?

    No. The estimate is for planning conversations about a job or a raise. Filing uses Forms W-2 and the return instructions, not this page.