Paycheck Calculator

A paycheck calculator turns gross pay into take-home pay by subtracting pre-tax deductions, federal income tax withholding, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%) and state tax. For example, a $65,000 salary paid every two weeks to a single filer who puts 5% in a 401(k), pays $120 for health insurance and owes a 4% state tax takes home $1,795.98 per paycheck in 2026.

How are you paid?

2026 tax year · IRS Pub. 15-T

Form W-4 steps, local tax and 401(k) limit
Copy Steps 3 and 4 from your Form W-4; leave them blank if you did not fill them in. Step 3 is the yearly total of your credits (for example, the child tax credit you expect). If you checked the Step 2 box for two jobs, this estimate will be too low: use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator instead. 2026 401(k) limits: $24,500 under age 50, $32,500 at 50 or older, $35,750 at ages 60 to 63.
Take-home pay per paycheck
$1,795.98Biweekly · 26 paychecks
On a $65,000 salary paid every two weeks, filing single, you take home about $1,795.98 per paycheck, or $46,695.48 for 2026.

Gross pay$2,500.00
Federal income tax$186.75
Social Security + Medicare$182.07
State + local tax$90.20
Take-home per year$46,695.48
Taxes, % of gross18.4%
Formula
Take-home = gross pay − pre-tax deductions − taxes − after-tax deductions
= $2,500.00 − $245.00 − $459.02 − $0.00 = $1,795.98
Show steps
  1. Gross pay per paycheck: $65,000.00 ÷ 26 paychecks = $2,500.00.
  2. Pre-tax deductions come out first: 401(k): 5% × $2,500.00 = $125.00; health, HSA or FSA: $120.00. Federal taxable wages = $2,500.00 − $125.00 − $120.00 = $2,255.00.
  3. Annualize (IRS Worksheet 1A): $2,255.00 × 26 = $58,630.00, minus the $8,600 adjustment for this filing status = adjusted annual wage $50,030.00.
  4. Find the row in the 2026 Single or married filing separately table: $50,030.00 is in the 12% row ($19,900 to $57,900). Tentative yearly withholding = $1,240 + 12% × ($50,030.00 − $19,900) = $4,855.60.
  5. Per paycheck: $4,855.60 ÷ 26 ≈ $186.75. Federal income tax withheld = $186.75.
  6. Social Security: 6.2% × $2,380.00 = $147.56. Social Security and Medicare are figured on gross pay minus health/HSA/FSA deductions; the 401(k) part is still taxed here.
  7. Medicare: 1.45% × $2,380.00 = $34.51. The extra 0.9% Additional Medicare tax only applies to pay above $200,000 in a year, so it is $0 here.
  8. State and local tax at the flat rate you entered, on federal taxable wages: state 4% × $2,255.00 = $90.20.
  9. Take-home pay = $2,500.00 − $245.00 pre-tax − $186.75 federal − $182.07 Social Security and Medicare − $90.20 state/local = $1,795.98.
Federal withholding is what your employer holds back, not your final tax bill. Your actual 2026 tax is settled when you file your return, where credits and deductions such as the new overtime deduction are applied.
Picture it
Where your paycheck goes (full year)
Take-home pay: $46,695.48 (71.8%)Federal income tax: $4,855.50 (7.5%)Social Security and Medicare: $4,733.82 (7.3%)State and local tax: $2,345.20 (3.6%)401(k) and pre-tax health: $6,370.00 (9.8%)You keep72%
Take-home pay71.8% of gross pay$46,695.48
Federal income tax7.5% of gross pay$4,855.50
Social Security and Medicare7.3% of gross pay$4,733.82
State and local tax3.6% of gross pay$2,345.20
401(k) and pre-tax health9.8% of gross pay$6,370.00
Annual breakdown
Per paycheck and per year
Per paycheck Per year % of gross
Gross pay $2,500.00 $65,000.00 100.0%
401(k) $125.00 $3,250.00 5.0%
Health, HSA, FSA $120.00 $3,120.00 4.8%
Federal income tax $186.75 $4,855.50 7.5%
Social Security (6.2%) $147.56 $3,836.56 5.9%
Medicare (1.45%) $34.51 $897.26 1.4%
State income tax $90.20 $2,345.20 3.6%
Take-home pay $1,795.98 $46,695.48 71.8%
All taxes together $459.02 $11,934.52 18.4%

Per year adds up all 26 paychecks, so it already reflects the Social Security wage limit, the 401(k) limit and the Additional Medicare threshold.

Compare pay schedules
Same yearly pay, different pay frequency
Schedule Checks Gross per check Take-home per check Take-home per year
Weekly 52 $1,250.00 $897.98 $46,694.96
Biweekly (yours) 26 $2,500.00 $1,795.98 $46,695.48
Semimonthly 24 $2,708.33 $1,945.62 $46,694.88
Monthly 12 $5,416.67 $3,891.30 $46,695.60

Per-paycheck deductions are scaled so the yearly totals stay the same. Yearly take-home is almost identical; only the size of each check changes.

Estimate for the 2026 tax year. Federal income tax uses the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method for a 2020-or-later Form W-4 (Worksheet 1A, standard withholding); Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% over $200,000) use 2026 IRS and SSA figures. State and local tax use the flat rate you enter, but real state rules differ. Your employer’s figures can differ because of other benefits, year-to-date amounts and rounding. This is not tax or financial advice.

How to use the paycheck calculator

  1. Choose Salary or Hourly. For hourly pay, enter your rate, regular hours a week and any overtime hours (paid at 1.5 times or 2 times your rate).
  2. Pick how often you are paid and the filing status from your Form W-4.
  3. Enter your 401(k) percentage, pre-tax health, HSA or FSA deductions per paycheck, and your state income tax rate.
  4. If your W-4 has amounts in Steps 3 or 4, open Form W-4 steps and copy them in. You can also add a local tax rate there.
  5. Read your take-home pay, then open Show steps to see every tax worked out, or check the yearly table and the donut chart to see where each dollar goes.

How take-home pay is calculated

Every paycheck follows the same order: start with gross pay, take out pre-tax deductions, figure the taxes on what is left, then take out any after-tax deductions.

Take-home pay = gross pay − pre-tax deductions − federal income tax − Social Security − Medicare − state and local tax − after-tax deductions

The tricky part is that not every deduction lowers every tax. A traditional 401(k) contribution is not subject to federal income tax withholding, but it is still counted as wages for Social Security and Medicare. Health insurance premiums paid through a section 125 cafeteria plan are generally free of income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare.

Deduction Lowers federal income tax? Lowers Social Security and Medicare?
Traditional 401(k) Yes No
Health, HSA or FSA through a cafeteria plan Yes Yes
After-tax deductions (Roth 401(k), union dues) No No

2026 payroll tax rates and limits

These are the yearly figures the calculator uses, each taken from the IRS or the Social Security Administration (see Sources).

Item 2026 figure
Social Security tax (employee share) 6.2% of wages up to $184,500
Medicare tax (employee share) 1.45% of all wages
Additional Medicare tax 0.9% of wages above $200,000 in a year, withheld regardless of filing status
401(k) employee contribution limit $24,500 ($32,500 at age 50 or older; $35,750 at ages 60 to 63)
Standard deduction $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household

How federal income tax withholding works

Employers figure federal withholding with IRS Publication 15-T. The calculator uses its percentage method for a 2020-or-later Form W-4 (Worksheet 1A, standard withholding):

  1. Multiply your taxable wages for one paycheck by the number of paychecks in a year.
  2. Add any Step 4(a) other income, subtract any Step 4(b) deductions, then subtract $12,900 if you file jointly or $8,600 otherwise. The result is your adjusted annual wage.
  3. Find the row of the yearly table that holds that wage and work out the tentative yearly withholding.
  4. Divide by the number of paychecks, subtract your Step 3 credits (also divided by the number of paychecks) and add any Step 4(c) extra.

Here is the 2026 table for single filers and married people filing separately. It is the 2026 tax brackets shifted up by $7,500, which is the $16,100 standard deduction minus the $8,600 adjustment.

Adjusted annual wage Tentative yearly withholding
$0 to $7,500 $0
$7,500 to $19,900 10% of the amount over $7,500
$19,900 to $57,900 $1,240 + 12% of the amount over $19,900
$57,900 to $113,200 $5,800 + 22% of the amount over $57,900
$113,200 to $209,275 $17,966 + 24% of the amount over $113,200
$209,275 to $263,725 $41,024 + 32% of the amount over $209,275
$263,725 to $648,100 $58,448 + 35% of the amount over $263,725
Over $648,100 $192,979.25 + 37% of the amount over $648,100

The married filing jointly table starts at $19,300 and the head of household table at $15,550; the calculator has all three.

Worked example: $65,000 salary paid biweekly

Single filer, 26 paychecks, 5% to a 401(k), $120 health premium per paycheck, 4% state tax.

  1. Gross pay: $65,000 ÷ 26 = $2,500.00.
  2. 401(k): 5% × $2,500.00 = $125.00. Federal taxable wages: $2,500.00 − $125.00 − $120.00 = $2,255.00.
  3. Adjusted annual wage: $2,255.00 × 26 = $58,630.00, minus $8,600 = $50,030.00.
  4. That falls in the 12% row: $1,240 + 12% × ($50,030.00 − $19,900) = $4,855.60 a year, or $4,855.60 ÷ 26 ≈ $186.75 per paycheck.
  5. Social Security: 6.2% × ($2,500.00 − $120.00) = 6.2% × $2,380.00 = $147.56. Medicare: 1.45% × $2,380.00 = $34.51.
  6. State tax: 4% × $2,255.00 = $90.20.
  7. Take-home: $2,500.00 − $245.00 − $186.75 − $147.56 − $34.51 − $90.20 = $1,795.98, or $46,695.48 for the year.

Worked example: hourly pay with overtime

$25 an hour, 40 regular hours and 5 overtime hours a week at time and a half, paid biweekly, with the same deductions.

  1. Weekly pay: 40 × $25 = $1,000.00, plus overtime 5 × $25 × 1.5 = $187.50, for $1,187.50. Biweekly gross: $1,187.50 × 52 ÷ 26 = $2,375.00.
  2. 401(k): 5% × $2,375.00 = $118.75. Federal taxable wages: $2,375.00 − $118.75 − $120.00 = $2,136.25.
  3. Adjusted annual wage: $2,136.25 × 26 − $8,600 = $46,942.50. Withholding: $1,240 + 12% × $27,042.50 = $4,485.10 a year, about $172.50 per paycheck.
  4. Social Security $139.81, Medicare $32.70, state tax $85.45.
  5. Take-home: $1,705.79 per paycheck.

Why paychecks change during the year

Three limits can change a paycheck partway through the year. Take a single filer earning $250,000, paid twice a month ($10,416.67 per paycheck), saving 10% in a 401(k):

  • Social Security is $645.83 per paycheck until year-to-date pay reaches $184,500. Paycheck 18 is taxed on only $7,416.61, and from paycheck 19 Social Security is $0.
  • The 0.9% Additional Medicare tax starts with paycheck 20, once year-to-date pay passes $200,000: $75.00 on that check, then $93.75 on each later one.
  • The 401(k) contribution of $1,041.67 drops to $541.59 on paycheck 24, when the $24,500 limit is reached.

The calculator runs every paycheck of the year, so its yearly column already includes these changes and a note tells you when they happen.

State and local income tax

States tax wages very differently: some have no income tax on wages, some use one flat rate, and many use brackets with their own deductions and credits. Some cities and counties add a local tax. Rather than guess at 50 sets of rules, the calculator applies the rate you enter to your federal taxable wages. Your state revenue department’s withholding tables, or your last pay stub (state tax ÷ taxable wages), give a good rate to enter.

Common paycheck mistakes

  • Dividing salary by 24 for biweekly pay. Biweekly means 26 paychecks, so each one is smaller than a twice-a-month check.
  • Taking 401(k) money out before Social Security and Medicare. Those two taxes still apply to your 401(k) contribution.
  • Treating withholding as your final tax. Withholding is an estimate; credits and deductions such as the qualified overtime deduction are settled on your tax return.
  • Using your top bracket for all pay. Only the part of your adjusted wage inside a row is taxed at that row’s rate.

This page gives estimates for the 2026 tax year, not tax or financial advice. Your employer’s payroll system may round differently or include benefits not listed here.

Sources

All figures checked November 2026.

Paycheck and payroll tax practice quiz: 10 questions

Test yourself with 10 multiple-choice questions. Choose an answer and press Submit to see if you are right and why. Your score appears at the end.

Question 1 of 10
1. How many paychecks does a worker paid biweekly get in a year?

Found a mistake? Let us know!

2. A $78,000 salary is paid semimonthly (twice a month). What is the gross pay per paycheck?

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3. How much Social Security tax is withheld from a $2,000 paycheck with no pre-tax health deductions?

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4. How much Medicare tax is withheld from a $3,000 paycheck if year-to-date pay is well under $200,000?

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5. You earn $20 an hour and work 40 regular hours plus 6 overtime hours paid at time and a half. What is your weekly gross pay?

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6. A paycheck is $2,500 and you put 6% into a traditional 401(k). With no other deductions, what wages are used for federal income tax withholding?

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7. Same $2,500 paycheck with a 6% traditional 401(k) contribution. What wages are used for Social Security tax?

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8. A single filer has $2,000 of taxable wages per biweekly paycheck and nothing in W-4 Steps 3 or 4. Using the 2026 Pub. 15-T Worksheet 1A, what is the adjusted annual wage?

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9. In the 2026 single table, an adjusted annual wage of $43,400 falls in the row ‘$1,240 plus 12% of the amount over $19,900’. What is the tentative yearly withholding?

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10. Your wages for the year are $230,000. How much Additional Medicare tax does your employer withhold?

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Frequently asked questions

How much tax comes out of a $1,000 weekly paycheck?

For a single filer with no deductions and no state tax in 2026, about $154.58: $78.08 federal withholding, $62.00 Social Security and $14.50 Medicare, leaving $845.42. Filing jointly, federal withholding drops to $38.08 and take-home rises to $885.42.

Is biweekly the same as twice a month?

No. Biweekly pay comes every two weeks, which is 26 paychecks a year. Semimonthly pay comes twice a month, which is 24. The yearly total is the same, but each semimonthly check is larger.

Does a 401(k) lower my Social Security tax?

No. A traditional 401(k) contribution lowers the wages used for federal income tax withholding, but Social Security and Medicare are still charged on it. Pre-tax health insurance through a cafeteria plan lowers both.

Does the calculator include the new deduction for overtime pay?

Not automatically. The qualified overtime deduction (up to $12,500, or $25,000 for joint filers, for 2025 through 2028) is claimed on your tax return. If you expect it, you can add it to Step 4(b) on your Form W-4 and enter the same amount in the calculator so withholding reflects it.

How can I change how much federal tax comes out of my paycheck?

Give your employer a new Form W-4. Step 3 credits and Step 4(b) deductions lower withholding; Step 4(a) other income and Step 4(c) extra withholding raise it. Try the amounts in the calculator first to see the effect on each paycheck.

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