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Rough estimate using 2024 federal brackets + standard deduction. Doesn't account for withholding allowances, extra deductions, or local taxes.
Gross salary is the headline number on your offer letter; net pay is what actually hits your bank account. The gap between the two is usually 20-35% for US W-2 employees, depending on state, dependents, and benefit elections — large enough to derail a budget if you only plan around gross. Common reasons to run the numbers:
For 2026, the IRS published seven brackets per the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act rates, permanently extended by late-2025 tax legislation. The standard deduction is $16,100 (single) and $32,200 (married filing jointly). Verify at irs.gov for the authoritative current-year figures.
| Rate | Single (taxable income) | Married Filing Jointly |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 | $0 – $24,800 |
| 12% | $12,401 – $50,400 | $24,801 – $100,800 |
| 22% | $50,401 – $105,700 | $100,801 – $211,400 |
| 24% | $105,701 – $201,775 | $211,401 – $403,550 |
| 32% | $201,776 – $256,225 | $403,551 – $512,450 |
| 35% | $256,226 – $640,600 | $512,451 – $768,700 |
| 37% | $640,601+ | $768,701+ |
Brackets are marginal: a $120,000 single filer doesn't pay 24% on all income — they pay 10% on the first $12,400, 12% on the next $38,000, 22% on the next $55,300, and 24% only on the slice above $105,700.
FICA is a flat payroll tax separate from federal income tax. Employers match the employee portion dollar-for-dollar (except the 0.9% Additional Medicare surtax, which is employee-only).
| Component | Rate (employee) | Wage Base | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Security (OASDI) | 6.2% | First $184,500 in 2026 (verify at ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html) | Max employee SS tax 2026 ≈ $11,439 |
| Medicare (Hospital Insurance) | 1.45% | No cap | Applies to all wages |
| Additional Medicare | +0.9% | Wages over $200,000 | Employer withholds based on wages alone, regardless of filing status |
| Combined FICA (typical) | 7.65% | — | 15.3% if you're self-employed (SE tax) |
Because gross-to-net subtracts federal income tax withholding, 7.65% FICA, state income tax (in 41 states + DC), local tax (where applicable), and any pre-tax deductions (401(k), HSA, health premium, FSA). On a $78,000 salary paid biweekly, gross per check is $3,000 — but a single filer in a 5% state with a 6% 401(k) contribution and $200/month health premium nets closer to $2,150-$2,250. The "missing" $750-$850 isn't an error; it's withholding plus benefits. Pull your most recent pay stub and reconcile each line against the calculator's breakdown — totals should agree within a few dollars (rounding plus YTD true-ups).
No — traditional pre-tax 401(k) deferrals reduce federal and most state income tax wages, but they do not reduce Social Security or Medicare wages. You still owe the full 7.65% FICA on the contributed amount. This surprises people who assume "pre-tax = no tax" — pre-tax in the 401(k) context means pre-income-tax, not pre-payroll-tax. The same applies to Roth 401(k) contributions, which are post-income-tax and also subject to FICA. HSA contributions made via payroll deduction (cafeteria plan) do escape FICA, which makes a payroll-funded HSA more tax-efficient than a direct after-payroll contribution of the same dollar amount.
For people on an HSA-eligible high-deductible health plan, an HSA payroll deduction is the only common account that's triple tax-advantaged: pre-income-tax going in, tax-free growth, and tax-free out for qualifying medical expenses. It also escapes FICA (saving 7.65%) when contributed via cafeteria plan, which a 401(k) does not. 2026 HSA limits are $4,400 single / $8,750 family ($1,000 catch-up at 55+) versus the 401(k)'s $24,500 employee limit. Many planners suggest the priority order: 401(k) up to the full employer match first, then max the HSA, then back to the 401(k) for the rest. Your situation may differ — talk to a tax advisor.
Only if you owed zero federal income tax last year AND expect to owe zero this year. Most W-2 employees don't qualify. Claiming exempt when you don't qualify sets you up for a tax bill plus IRS underpayment penalty at filing. What people usually want is less withholding, not zero — adjust by reducing Step 4(c) extra withholding to $0, increasing Step 4(b) deductions, or (if married) checking Step 2(c) for two-earner couples where the default over-withholds the lower earner. The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator can dial it in.
If your employer treats it as supplemental wages, the default federal withholding is a flat 22% (or 37% on amounts over $1 million in the calendar year), plus 7.65% FICA, plus state. So on a $10,000 bonus, expect about $2,200 federal withholding + $765 FICA + state tax — net around $6,500-$7,000 in most states. Critically, the 22% is just withholding, not your final tax liability. If your actual marginal bracket is 32% or 35%, you'll owe the difference at filing; if it's 12% or 22%, you'll get the over-withholding back as a refund. RSU vesting is taxed identically: shares are valued at vest, withholding is taken (often via "sell-to-cover"), and the rest is yours.
Imputed income is the cash-equivalent value of non-cash benefits that the IRS considers taxable wages even though no money changed hands. Common examples: group term life insurance coverage above $50,000 (IRS Table I rates), domestic-partner health benefits for non-tax-dependent partners, employer-paid education above $5,250/year, and personal use of a company car. It shows up as a positive line in earnings, gets taxed (income + FICA), then is subtracted out so it doesn't actually pay you cash. If imputed income appears on your stub and you don't know why, ask payroll — most often it's the GTL over-$50K calculation.
A few common reasons: (1) state withholding is based on a separate state W-4-equivalent form (CA DE 4, NY IT-2104, etc.) that may default to a different allowance count than your federal W-4; (2) some states use a flat rate (Colorado 4.40%, Illinois 4.95%, Indiana 3.00%, Kentucky 4.0%, Michigan 4.05%, North Carolina 4.25%, Pennsylvania 3.07%, Utah 4.55%) regardless of income — total tax can still be low; (3) pre-tax deductions like 401(k) and HSA also reduce state taxable wages in most states. If your state withholding looks materially off, refile the state withholding form. Pennsylvania and Indiana additionally impose local wage taxes that can add 1-3.5%.
This calculator is built for W-2 employee paychecks. For 1099/self-employed pay, the math is different in three ways: (1) you owe self-employment tax of 15.3% (both halves of FICA), with a deduction for half against income tax; (2) there's no withholding — you make quarterly estimated payments via IRS Form 1040-ES; (3) the QBI deduction (up to 20% of qualified business income, subject to phase-outs) is available in many cases. Use the calculator's gross-to-net math as a sanity check for what would be withheld if the same income came through W-2 payroll, then layer SE tax and estimated-payment scheduling on top for 1099 work.
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser — every keystroke recomputes locally with no network call, no analytics tied to the figures, and no account required. Refreshing the page clears all values. Safe to use for offer-letter comparisons, sensitive salary modeling, or sharing a screen with a partner to plan benefits enrollment without the numbers ever leaving your device.