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CalculatorBuddy

Paycheck Calculator

Estimate take-home pay from salary or hourly wages using the 2026 IRS W-4 withholding method, FICA, deductions, and a state/local rate.

Maintained by CalculatorBuddy TeamEditorial methodology

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ExampleSample values — edit any field to see your result.

Pay type
$

Results update as you type.

Estimated take-home pay

$2,177.09

Estimated result

Gross pay
$3,000.00
Federal income tax
$287.38
Social Security
$176.70
Medicare
$41.33
State + local estimate
$142.50
Taxes + deductions
$822.91
Annualized take-home
$56,604.35
Take-home percentage
72.6%

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Where this paycheck goes

Take-home pay 73%, Federal + FICA 17%, State + local 5%, Deductions 6%
  • Take-home pay73%
  • Federal + FICA17%
  • State + local5%
  • Deductions6%

Compare scenarios

Keep a baseline, then change an assumption to see its effect side by side.

Paycheck breakdown

Paycheck itemPer paycheckAnnualized
Gross pay$3,000.00$78,000.00
Pre-tax deductions-$150.00-$3,900.00
Federal withholding-$287.38-$7,472.00
Social Security-$176.70-$4,594.20
Medicare-$41.33-$1,074.45
State + local estimate-$142.50-$3,705.00
Post-tax deductions-$25.00-$650.00
Net pay$2,177.09$56,604.35
Estimated take-home pay$2,177.09

Estimate one paycheck and annual take-home pay from an annual salary or hourly wage. The calculation includes the official 2026 federal percentage method, Social Security, Medicare, W-4 adjustments, payroll deductions, and an optional state/local withholding estimate.

Examples

Biweekly salary

An annual salary of $78,000 produces $3,000 gross pay over 26 biweekly checks. Change the W-4 and deduction fields to mirror the latest pay stub.

Hourly overtime

At $30/hour, 40 regular hours and five overtime hours at 1.5× produce $1,425 gross per week before taxes and deductions.

Formula

For salaried work, gross pay is annual salary divided by checks per year. Hourly pay includes regular hours plus overtime hours at the selected multiplier.

taxable paycheck = gross paycheck − pre-tax deductions
net paycheck = gross − taxes − pre-tax deductions − post-tax deductions

Federal withholding follows Worksheet 1A logic: annualize taxable wages, add W-4 Step 4(a), subtract Step 4(b) and the standard Worksheet 1A adjustment ($12,900 for married filing jointly or $8,600 otherwise, unless Step 2 is checked), apply the proper annual table, subtract Step 3 credits, divide by pay periods, and add Step 4(c).

This is a payroll estimate, not tax or legal advice. Compare it with your employer's payroll system and use the IRS withholding estimator when changing Form W-4.

Sources and limits

The state/local field applies one user-entered percentage. It does not reproduce a state payroll system, and the pre-tax field assumes the full entered deduction reduces the wage base used by this estimate. Year-to-date wages can also change Social Security and Additional Medicare withholding on an actual paycheck.

Frequently asked questions

How is federal withholding calculated?
The calculator annualizes taxable pay and applies the 2026 IRS Publication 15-T percentage-method schedule for your W-4 filing status. It then applies W-4 credits and additional withholding and converts the result back to one paycheck.
What is FICA?
Employee FICA includes 6.2% Social Security tax up to the 2026 wage base and 1.45% Medicare tax. Employers also withhold an extra 0.9% Medicare tax after wages paid to an employee exceed $200,000 in the calendar year.
Are state taxes exact?
No. Enter a combined state and local withholding rate for planning. State rules include brackets, allowances, credits, disability programs, and local taxes that cannot be represented accurately by one rate.
What counts as a pre-tax deduction?
Depending on the plan, health insurance, traditional 401(k), HSA, and FSA deductions may reduce some taxes. Confirm the treatment on your pay stub; this calculator treats the entered amount as reducing taxable pay generally.
Why might my real paycheck differ?
Payroll rounding, year-to-date wage limits, benefit tax treatment, bonuses, state rules, and the exact W-4 your employer has on file can all change withholding.

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