Take-Home Pay Calculator: Your Paycheck After Taxes

For the 2026 tax year, take-home pay is your gross salary minus federal income tax (10% to 37%), your state's income tax if it has one, 6.2% Social Security on wages up to $184,500 and 1.45% Medicare. Pick your state below for an exact estimate.

Updated for the 2026 tax year (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32) Last reviewed 2026-09-14

New this year: what changed for the 2026 tax year.

Choose your state

24 states live today, with more added regularly.

2025 vs 2026: what changed

Compared with the 2025 tax year, the main 2026 changes for take-home pay are a higher standard deduction and a higher Social Security wage base (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32; SSA, Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations).

2025 and 2026 federal figures for take-home pay, with the primary source for each row.
Item	2025	2026	Change	Source
Standard deduction, single	$15,750	$16,100	+$350 (+2.2%)	IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32
Standard deduction, married filing jointly	$31,500	$32,200	+$700 (+2.2%)	IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32
Social Security (OASDI) wage base	$176,100	$184,500	+$8,400 (+4.8%)	SSA, Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations
Top of the 12% bracket, single	$48,475	$50,400	+$1,925 (+4.0%)	IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32
Top of the 22% bracket, single	$103,350	$105,700	+$2,350 (+2.3%)	IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32

How to calculate your take-home pay after taxes

Your take-home pay (also called net pay) is what is left from your gross salary after four layers of US payroll tax are removed: federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare. Pre-tax deductions come out before tax is calculated, but they do not all work the same way: a 401(k) contribution lowers the income that income tax applies to, while Section 125 benefits such as health, dental and vision premiums and a health FSA lower your income tax and your FICA wages.

1. Federal income tax

Federal tax uses progressive brackets from 10% to 37% on the 2026 IRS schedule (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32). Only the income inside each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate, so your effective rate is always lower than your top marginal rate. See the full breakdown in the federal income tax calculator.

2. State income tax

41 states levy a personal income tax; nine — including Texas and Florida — do not. This is the single biggest reason two people earning the same salary can have very different take-home pay. Pick your state above to apply the correct brackets.

3. Social Security and Medicare (FICA)

FICA is flat: 6.2% Social Security on wages up to the 2026 cap of $184,500, plus 1.45% Medicare on all wages. Earnings above $200,000 carry an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax. FICA uses a wider base than income tax: money you defer into a traditional 401(k) is still taxed for Social Security and Medicare. Only Section 125 cafeteria plan benefits reduce your FICA wages. A payroll HSA is excluded from FICA too, but not every state follows the federal HSA rules (California adds the contribution back to state income), so the calculator leaves HSAs out rather than overstate your refund.

Prefer to think in hourly terms? Convert any salary with the salary-to-hourly calculator, or estimate self-employment tax with the 1099 tax calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate my take-home pay after taxes?+

Start with your gross salary, then subtract federal income tax (2026 IRS brackets), your state income tax if your state has one, and FICA: 6.2% Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base plus 1.45% Medicare. Subtract any 401(k) contributions first, since they lower the income that gets taxed, though not your FICA wages. Pick your state above and the calculator runs every step for you.

How much of my paycheck do I actually keep after taxes?+

Most US workers keep roughly 70%–80% of gross pay after taxes, depending on income and state. On a $75,000 salary you typically take home about $55,000–$62,000 a year — higher in no-income-tax states like Texas and Florida, lower in high-tax states like California and New York. Use your state's calculator above for an exact figure.

What taxes are deducted from a paycheck?+

Four taxes come out of a typical US paycheck: federal income tax, state income tax (levied in 41 states), Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%). High earners also pay a 0.9% additional Medicare surtax on wages above $200,000. Nine states — including Texas and Florida — have no state income tax at all.

Why is my take-home pay different from state to state?+

Federal income tax and FICA are the same everywhere, but state income tax is not. The same $100,000 salary can leave you with several thousand dollars more per year in Texas or Florida (no state tax) than in California or New York (progressive state tax up to roughly 10–13%). Compare any state using the calculators above.

How accurate is this take-home pay estimate?+

Federal calculations use the IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 brackets for the 2026 tax year, last reviewed 2026-09-14, and each state's numbers come from that state's published tax tables. The result is a close estimate of your net annual, monthly, and biweekly pay. Your actual paycheck can differ slightly based on local taxes, benefit elections, and W-4 withholding choices.

Do 401(k) contributions reduce Social Security and Medicare tax?+

No. A traditional 401(k) contribution lowers the income that federal and most state income taxes apply to, but it is still wages for FICA, so you pay the full 6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare on it. Only Section 125 cafeteria plan benefits cut both your income tax and your FICA: health, dental, and vision premiums and a health FSA. An HSA funded through payroll is excluded federally too, but not every state follows that rule: California does not, and adds HSA contributions back to state income. The calculator leaves HSAs out for that reason.