Take-Home Pay Calculator

Estimate your net take-home pay after federal tax, state tax, FICA, 401k, and other deductions.

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Gross Pay Amount ($)

Pay Frequency

Federal Filing Status

Additional Federal Withholding ($)

Extra withheld per period beyond standard

State Tax Rate (%)

401(k) Contribution (%)

Health Insurance (per period $)

Other Pre-Tax Deductions ($)

HSA, FSA, transit, etc.

How Take-Home Pay Calculator Works

The calculator first subtracts pre-tax deductions — your 401(k) contribution, health insurance premium, and any other pre-tax items — from your gross pay, since these reduce the income that federal tax, state tax, and (in the case of 401(k) contributions) certain other calculations are based on. It then applies the current progressive federal tax brackets to your annualized taxable income, after subtracting the standard deduction for your filing status.

Social Security is withheld at 6.2% of taxable wages up to the annual wage base ($168,600 for 2024), and Medicare at 1.45% with no cap — together these make up FICA. State tax is applied as a flat percentage you specify, since actual state tax systems vary widely in structure.

Net take-home pay is your gross pay minus all pre-tax deductions, federal tax, state tax, FICA, and any post-tax deductions, and the calculator scales this per-period result up to annual and monthly figures based on your selected pay frequency.

Worked Example

See It In Action

A single filer earning $5,000/month gross ($60,000/year), contributing 6% to a 401(k) ($300/mo) and paying $150/mo for health insurance, with a 5% state tax rate: taxable pay after pre-tax deductions is $4,550/month. Federal income tax comes to about $380.67/mo, Social Security $282.10, Medicare $65.98, and state tax $227.50. Total deductions run $1,406.24/mo, leaving a net take-home pay of about $3,593.76/month (roughly $43,125 per year).

Real-World Use Cases

Who Uses Take-Home Pay Calculator and Why

Estimating your actual net paycheck before accepting a new job offer with a stated gross salary.
Seeing how increasing your 401(k) contribution percentage changes your take-home pay, not just your retirement balance.
Comparing take-home pay across different pay frequencies (weekly, biweekly, monthly) for budgeting purposes.
Estimating how a raise or bonus would actually change your net pay after federal tax, state tax, and FICA.

Common Mistakes

Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting that 401(k) contributions and other pre-tax deductions reduce your taxable income before federal (and often state) tax is calculated — entering your 401(k) percentage as if it were a post-tax deduction will overstate your tax bill and understate your true take-home pay.
Assuming Social Security tax applies to all your wages regardless of income — it only applies up to the annual wage base ($168,600 for 2024); withholding stops on income above that, while Medicare tax (1.45%) has no such cap.
Expecting this estimate to match your paystub exactly — actual withholding also depends on your W-4 elections, local or city taxes, specific benefit elections, and payroll rounding, none of which a general estimate using standard brackets and a flat state rate can fully replicate.

Pro Tips

Tips for Best Results

Use this calculator before increasing your 401(k) percentage to see the real, smaller-than-expected reduction in your take-home pay, since the contribution itself reduces the income federal tax is calculated on.
If you\'re comparing job offers with different pay frequencies, check the annual and monthly figures rather than just the per-paycheck number, since per-paycheck amounts aren\'t directly comparable across different pay schedules.

Troubleshooting

Fixing Common Problems

My estimated take-home pay differs from my actual paycheck. — This is expected to some degree — actual withholding also reflects your specific W-4 elections, any local/city taxes, and employer-specific benefit deductions that a general calculator using standard federal brackets and a flat state rate can\'t fully capture.

Glossary

Terms Explained

FICA: The combined Social Security (6.2%, capped at the annual wage base) and Medicare (1.45%, uncapped) payroll taxes.

Pre-tax deduction: A deduction, like a 401(k) contribution or health insurance premium, subtracted from gross pay before income tax is calculated.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my taxable income lower than my gross pay?

Pre-tax deductions — 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, HSA/FSA contributions — are subtracted from gross pay before federal (and often state) income tax is calculated, which is why they lower your taxable income and reduce your tax bill.

Does this calculator account for the standard deduction?

Yes — it applies the current federal standard deduction for your filing status (single, married filing jointly, or head of household) before calculating tax using the progressive bracket system.

Is there a cap on Social Security tax?

Yes — Social Security tax (6.2%) only applies up to an annual wage base ($168,600 for 2024). Once your year-to-date wages exceed that cap, Social Security withholding stops for the rest of the year, though Medicare tax (1.45%) has no cap.

Why would my actual paycheck differ from this estimate?

Actual withholding depends on your W-4 elections, local/city taxes, benefit elections, and payroll-specific rounding — this calculator provides a close estimate using standard federal brackets and a flat state rate, not your exact paystub.