Paycheck Calculator
Your salary is not what lands in your bank account. This free paycheck calculator works as a take home pay calculator and a salary paycheck calculator in one: enter your annual gross salary, filing status and pay frequency, and it estimates your federal income tax using 2025 brackets and standard deductions, plus Social Security, Medicare, state tax and pre-tax deductions — so you can see your net pay per paycheck and per year before payday arrives.
Estimate only — not tax advice. Federal figures use 2025 brackets and standard deductions (single $15,000 / married filing jointly $30,000). The state rate and pre-tax percentage are your own user-editable estimates; this calculator does not look up your state rate for you.
Frequently asked questions
How is take-home pay calculated?
Start with gross pay, subtract pre-tax deductions (such as 401(k) or HSA contributions), then subtract federal income tax — worked out from your taxable income after the standard deduction, using progressive brackets — plus Social Security at 6.2% up to the 2025 wage base of $176,100, Medicare at 1.45%, and any state income tax. What is left is your net, or take-home, pay. A weekly or biweekly take home pay calculator simply divides those annual figures by the number of paychecks you receive each year.
Why is my paycheck less than my salary?
Because your salary is quoted before deductions. Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare (together called FICA or payroll taxes) are withheld from every paycheck, and most states withhold state income tax too. Pre-tax contributions to a retirement plan or health premiums, and after-tax items such as garnishments or union dues, reduce it further. If you are asking how much tax is taken out of my paycheck each pay period, enter your salary above to see an itemized estimate.
Does this paycheck calculator include state taxes?
Yes — as a user-editable estimate. State rules vary widely: some states have no income tax, some use a flat rate, and others use their own brackets and deductions. Enter your own estimated state income tax rate in the state rate field and the calculator applies that percentage to your gross pay. Check your state tax authority or a recent pay stub if you are unsure what rate to enter.
Related tools: convert your pay both ways with our salary to hourly calculator, or if you are hiring, work out what staff really cost with our employee cost calculator.