Paycheck Calculator
Paycheck Calculator — find your take-home pay after federal tax, FICA, and state tax. Salary or hourly. 2024 tax brackets. Free, no signup.
About Paycheck Calculator
The Paycheck Calculator works out your take-home pay after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and any state income tax. Enter your salary or hourly rate, choose your pay frequency, and get a full per-period breakdown of every deduction.
What gets deducted from your paycheck
Every US paycheck has three mandatory federal deductions:
Federal income tax is the biggest variable. It depends on your gross pay, filing status, and how much of the standard deduction applies. The 2024 standard deduction is $14,600 for single filers and $29,200 for married filing jointly. Your income above that amount is taxed at graduated rates from 10% up to 37%. The calculator applies the correct 2024 brackets and shows your effective federal rate alongside the dollar amount.
Social Security (6.2%) applies to all wages up to $168,600 in 2024. Above that wage base, no further Social Security is withheld — which is why high earners see their take-home pay increase partway through the year.
Medicare (1.45%) applies to all wages with no cap. High earners (above $200,000 single / $250,000 married) also pay an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax, which this calculator does not include — run the numbers with your tax adviser if you’re near those thresholds.
State income tax varies from 0% (nine states have none) to 13.3% (California’s top rate). Enter your state’s marginal rate in the State income tax field for an accurate all-in picture.
Pre-tax deductions
Contributions to a 401(k), 403(b), health insurance premiums, FSA, or HSA reduce your gross pay before federal (and usually state) income tax is calculated. This means they cost you less in take-home pay than their face value — a $500/month 401(k) contribution in a 22% federal bracket only reduces your take-home by about $390.
Enter your total per-period pre-tax deductions in the Pre-tax deductions field. The calculation applies them before tax, which correctly reflects how payroll systems work.
Salary vs hourly
In Salary mode, enter your annual salary. In Hourly mode, enter your hourly rate and weekly hours — the calculator annualises your pay to determine the right tax brackets, then divides back to a per-period amount.
All calculations happen in your browser. No income, tax, or personal data leaves your device. Free, no signup.
Frequently asked questions
It uses 2024 US federal income tax brackets and the standard deduction ($14,600 single / $29,200 married), which is what most employees claim. The result is a solid estimate — within a few dollars of your actual withholding for straightforward situations. It does not account for additional withholding, multiple jobs, itemised deductions, or investment income.
The main deductions are: federal income tax (based on your bracket and filing status), Social Security (6.2% up to the 2024 wage base of $168,600), and Medicare (1.45% with no wage cap). If your state has income tax, that's deducted too. Pre-tax benefits like 401(k) contributions and health insurance reduce your taxable income before federal tax is applied.
FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) covers Social Security and Medicare taxes. In 2024, employees pay 6.2% for Social Security (up to $168,600 in wages) and 1.45% for Medicare on all wages. Your employer pays an identical amount on your behalf — those don't appear on your paycheck but are part of your total employment cost.
The standard deduction reduces your taxable income before federal tax is applied — $14,600 for single filers and $29,200 for married filing jointly in 2024. About 90% of taxpayers take the standard deduction rather than itemising. This calculator uses it by default, which is correct for most people.