Take-Home Pay Calculator

Every W-2 employee pays FICA taxes totaling 7.65% of gross wages, split between 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare. Your employer matches this amount, bringing the combined rate to 15.3%. FICA is withheld from each paycheck before you receive your net pay.

The Social Security wage base for 2026 is $176,100. Earnings above this cap are exempt from the 6.2% Social Security tax but still owe Medicare. High earners face an Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% on wages exceeding $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly). On a $250,000 salary for a single filer, the additional Medicare tax adds $450 to your annual withholding.

Unlike federal income tax, FICA has no standard deduction or brackets. It applies to every dollar of wages from the first paycheck of the year. For a $75,000 salary, FICA withholding is $5,737.50 per year ($4,650 Social Security + $1,087.50 Medicare). Use the paycheck calculator for a detailed per-period FICA breakdown.

State income tax varies dramatically across the U.S. and directly impacts your take-home pay. Nine states charge no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire (dividends and interest only through 2026), South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Moving from California (top rate 13.3%) to Texas saves a $100,000 earner roughly $6,000–$9,000 per year in state taxes alone.

States use different tax structures. Flat-tax states like Illinois (4.95%), Colorado (4.4%), and Pennsylvania (3.07%) apply one rate to all taxable income. Progressive-tax states like California, New York, and New Jersey use graduated brackets similar to the federal system. New Jersey's top rate reaches 10.75% on income above $1 million.

When comparing job offers across states, factor in the full tax picture. A $90,000 salary in Florida yields roughly $3,500–$4,500 more in annual take-home pay than the same salary in New York, depending on filing status and deductions. Use the federal income tax calculator alongside this tool to see the combined federal and state burden.

Pre-tax deductions reduce your taxable income before federal and state taxes are calculated, directly increasing your take-home pay. The most common pre-tax deductions include 401(k) contributions (up to $23,500 in 2026, plus $7,500 catch-up for ages 50+), Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions ($4,300 individual / $8,550 family in 2026), and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contributions ($3,300 in 2026).

Contributing $10,000 to a traditional 401(k) on a $75,000 salary reduces your federal taxable income to $65,000. At the 22% marginal bracket, that saves $2,200 in federal income tax annually. HSA contributions offer a triple tax advantage: tax-deductible going in, tax-free growth, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses.

Your W-4 form controls how much federal tax your employer withholds each pay period. The 2020 redesign removed allowances in favor of a simpler system with fields for additional income, deductions, and extra withholding. Claiming more deductions on your W-4 reduces withholding and increases your per-paycheck take-home, but may result in a tax bill at filing. Use the tax withholding calculator to fine-tune your W-4.

Pay frequency affects each paycheck amount but not your annual tax liability. A $75,000 salary paid biweekly (26 periods) produces 26 smaller checks, while semi-monthly pay (24 periods) yields 24 slightly larger checks. Weekly pay (52 periods) has the smallest per-check amount. Convert between salary and hourly rates with the salary to hourly calculator.