How to Use the Take-Home Pay Calculator
What This Tool Estimates
This calculator estimates your take-home (net) pay after the three most common mandatory deductions from US wages:
- Federal income tax — calculated using the 2026 IRS progressive brackets from Rev. Proc. 2025-32
- FICA — Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500 wage base) and Medicare (1.45% on all wages)
- State income tax — using the verified flat rate or your estimated effective rate by state
It does not model pre-tax deductions (401k contributions, health insurance premiums), local or city income taxes, or employer-paid benefits. It is a rough estimator for planning purposes — not a substitute for your employer's payroll system or a tax professional.
How to Enter Your Values
- Pay Type — select Annual salary if you know your yearly gross. Select Hourly wage to enter your rate and hours per week; the calculator multiplies (rate × hours × 52) automatically.
- Gross Salary / Hourly Wage — enter your pre-tax income. For salary, this is the annual amount before any deductions. Do not enter your net or take-home pay.
- Filing Status — your IRS tax filing status determines which federal brackets and standard deduction apply. Single, Married Filing Jointly, and Head of Household are supported.
- State — select your state. Texas and Florida show $0 state tax (no income tax, verified). Pennsylvania and Illinois apply their verified flat rates automatically. For California, New York, Ohio, and other states, you enter an estimated effective rate.
- State Effective Tax Rate — appears for states with progressive brackets or complex rules. Enter the percentage you estimate you'll pay effectively. Use the linked official state revenue agency to look up your bracket.
- Show results per — toggle between annual, monthly, biweekly, or weekly display of all figures.
Reading the Results
The results panel shows four deduction categories and your estimated take-home:
- Gross Pay — your input, shown per the selected period
- Federal Tax — calculated using 2026 progressive brackets after standard deduction
- FICA — combined Social Security + Medicare employee share
- State Tax — state income tax; $0 for TX and FL
- Take-Home Pay — Gross − Federal − FICA − State
The Breakdown Table
The Annual Pay Breakdown table shows each deduction as both a dollar amount and a percentage of gross pay. This lets you see at a glance how your income splits between taxes and take-home. The total deductions row and the take-home row are highlighted for quick reference.
How the Federal Tax Formula Works
Federal income tax uses progressive marginal brackets — you do not pay the highest rate on all your income, only on the portion that falls in each bracket. For example, a single filer earning $60,000 pays:
- 10% on the first $12,400 of taxable income = $1,240
- 12% on $12,401–$50,400 = $4,560
- 22% on $50,401–$43,900 (the remaining taxable income after the $16,100 standard deduction reduces $60,000 to $43,900) = $1,430
- Total federal tax: approximately $7,230
All bracket thresholds are from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax year adjustments).
Verified State Tax Data
- Texas, Florida: no state income tax — verified via Tax Foundation 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index and state constitutional provisions
- Pennsylvania: flat 3.07% on gross wages — verified at pa.gov/agencies/revenue (2026 REV-413I)
- Illinois: flat 4.95% on net income, $2,925 personal exemption (2026) — verified at tax.illinois.gov (FY 2026-15 bulletin)
- California, New York, Ohio, other states: user enters estimated effective rate with link to official rate schedule
Limitations
This tool does not account for:
- Pre-tax deductions: 401(k) contributions, HSA/FSA contributions, health/dental/vision premiums, commuter benefits
- Local or city income taxes (NYC, Philadelphia, Columbus, etc.)
- Additional Medicare Tax (0.9% on wages over $200,000 for single filers)
- State-specific credits, itemized deductions, or filing-status-specific rules
- Self-employment tax (SE tax is double FICA for self-employed workers)
For these situations, use your employer's payroll system, a payroll service, or a qualified tax professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
See the FAQ section on the home page or browse state-specific FAQ sections on each state's calculator page.