Paycheck Calculator
See exactly what your paycheck will look like — federal tax, FICA, state tax, and pre-tax deductions — for any pay period.
Interactive Paycheck Calculator
Result
Use this free paycheck calculator to see exactly what your take-home pay will be — federal tax, FICA, state tax, and pre-tax deductions — for any pay frequency.
How to use this paycheck calculator
Enter your annual gross salary, pay frequency, and filing status. The calculator returns gross pay per period, federal tax, FICA, state tax (if applicable), pre-tax deductions, and net pay. Open the advanced settings to add 401(k), health insurance, HSA, and a state tax rate.
Worked example: $60,000 single, biweekly, 6% 401(k)
A single filer earning $60,000/year on biweekly pay with a 6% 401(k) contribution:
- Gross per period: $2,308
- Pre-tax 401(k): $138 per period (reduces taxable income)
- Taxable income: $57,700 (annual, after 401(k))
- Federal tax per period: $202
- FICA per period: $177
- Net per period: $1,929
- Annual net: $50,150
- Effective tax rate: 16.4%
The 6% 401(k) contribution reduces federal tax by about $360/year vs. taking the same amount as cash. The net pay drop is only $3,237 instead of the full $3,600 contribution.
Worked example: $100,000 married filing jointly
A married couple earning $100,000 combined, single-earner household, $500/month health insurance, 8% 401(k):
- Gross annual: $100,000
- Pre-tax 401(k): $8,000
- Pre-tax health insurance: $6,000
- Taxable income: $86,000
- Federal tax (MFJ): ~$7,800
- FICA: $7,650
- Net annual: $77,550
- Net monthly: $6,463
MFJ saves substantially vs. MFS for single-earner couples with disparate incomes. The standard deduction for MFJ in 2026 is $28,200, double the single amount.
Pre-tax vs. post-tax deductions
Pre-tax deductions reduce your taxable income before federal tax is calculated. Common pre-tax items:
- 401(k) traditional: Reduces federal, state, and FICA taxable income
- Traditional IRA: Reduces federal taxable income (if eligible)
- Health insurance premiums (employer plan): Reduces federal and state taxable income
- HSA contributions: Reduces federal, state, and FICA taxable income
- FSA contributions: Reduces federal and state taxable income
A $1,000 pre-tax deduction saves roughly $220-370 in taxes depending on your federal bracket and state. The calculator models each pre-tax item explicitly.
Tips for managing your paycheck
- Max out pre-tax deductions. 401(k) match is the easiest 50-100% return available; HSA adds tax-free growth.
- Adjust W-4 after major life changes. Marriage, divorce, new baby, or job change all warrant a W-4 review.
- Don’t over-withhold. A large refund feels nice but is essentially an interest-free loan to the government. Aim for a small refund or small balance due.
- Direct deposit splits. Split your paycheck into multiple accounts (checking, savings, investments) to automate wealth-building.
- Verify paystubs monthly. Especially early in a job or after a raise. Errors are common and can compound over months.
Common mistakes
- Confusing gross with net in negotiations. A $100K offer is roughly $5,800-6,300/month take-home depending on state and deductions, not the gross.
- Forgetting about pre-tax deduction limits. 401(k) max in 2026 is $23,500 ($31,000 if 50+). HSA max is $4,300 single / $8,550 family.
- Withholding too much or too little. Aim for less than $1,000 refund or balance due; both extremes signal incorrect withholding.
- Not updating W-4 after raises. A 10% raise without a W-4 adjustment can push you into a higher bracket but withholdings may not catch up.
Related Tools
- Salary Calculator – Convert between hourly, weekly, monthly, and annual pay.
- Tax Calculator – Estimate federal income tax for the 2026 tax year.
- Budget Calculator – Build a 50/30/20 budget from your take-home pay.
- Retirement Calculator – Model 401(k) growth with employer match specifically.
- Percentage Calculator – Quick percentage math for any scenario.
| Pay period | Gross | Federal tax | FICA | Net pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $60,000 | $5,260 | $4,590 | $50,150 |
| Monthly | $5,000 | $438 | $383 | $4,179 |
| Biweekly | $2,308 | $202 | $177 | $1,929 |
| Weekly | $1,154 | $101 | $88 | $965 |
| Semi-monthly | $2,500 | $219 | $191 | $2,090 |
Compare your options
Two methods, three minutes. The honest trade-off table.
This paycheck calculator
- + 2026 federal tax brackets with FICA and major state taxes.
- + Pre-tax deductions modeled (401(k), health, HSA).
- + Any pay frequency — weekly to annual.
- − Does not pull actual W-2 or paystub data.
ADP paycheck calculator
- + Industry-standard accuracy used by payroll providers.
- + Updated annually for tax changes.
- − Designed for payroll administrators, not employees.
- − Limited to W-2 scenarios with simple deductions.
SmartAsset / PaycheckCity
- + All 50 states modeled with detailed local taxes.
- + Includes detailed W-4 fields and deduction breakdowns.
- − Ad-heavy with extensive financial product upsells.
- − Often requires an account to save calculations.
Who actually uses Paycheck Calculator?
Five concrete situations pulled from real sessions, with the exact inputs people paste in.
Confirm withholdings match expectations.
Enter your gross salary, pay frequency, filing status, and pre-tax deductions. The calculator returns federal tax, FICA, and net pay per pay period — useful when comparing your actual paystub to expected amounts.
A realistic estimate of take-home pay.
Enter the offered salary and the calculator shows monthly and per-period take-home. Useful for budgeting before the first paycheck arrives.
Compare take-home pay across offers.
Run each offer through the calculator with consistent deductions. The output shows the actual cash difference between offers — often larger than the gross difference suggests.
Know how to adjust to hit a target refund or break-even.
Run the calculator at different allowances or extra withholdings. The output shows projected annual tax, which informs the W-4 adjustment.
Compare take-home across state tax regimes.
Run the calculator at your current state's tax rate and at the new state's rate. The output shows the dollar impact of moving — useful for relocation decisions.
A paycheck calculator that shows every line — federal tax, FICA, state tax, deductions
Most paycheck calculators return a single number — net pay — without showing the math. This tool breaks out federal tax, FICA, state tax, and pre-tax deductions, so you see exactly where each dollar goes. Useful for verifying your actual paystub, planning around a job change, or adjusting your W-4 to hit a target refund or break-even.
Every line item shown
Gross pay, federal tax, FICA, state tax, pre-tax deductions, and net pay are all displayed. You see exactly what your employer is withholding and why.
401(k), HSA, and health insurance reduce taxable income
Pre-tax deductions are subtracted before federal tax is applied, lowering the taxable base. The calculator models this correctly rather than treating deductions as a flat reduction in net pay.
Weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly, or annual
Choose any pay frequency and the calculator divides correctly. Useful for budgeting based on monthly take-home while still seeing weekly and biweekly figures.
No account, no data storage
All inputs stay in your browser. Run as many scenarios as you want.
What you only get here: a free paycheck calculator that breaks out every line of a paystub — without linking your employer's payroll or saving your W-4 details.