United States · 2026
Paycheck calculator (US 2026)
See your real take-home pay for 2026. Enter your salary, filing status and state, and this works out federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare (FICA), and state income tax, then shows what actually lands in your account. Your paycheck is built in layers: the federal government taxes your income above the standard deduction using graduated brackets, FICA takes a fixed percentage for Social Security and Medicare, and your state adds its own income tax, or none at all. Because each layer follows different rules, two people on the same salary in different states can take home noticeably different amounts. Use this to check a job offer across state lines, plan around a raise, or understand why your net pay sits well below your gross.
How it works
- Federal income tax applies to your salary after the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married), using the federal brackets from 10% to 37%.
- The federal brackets are marginal, so each rate applies only to the income inside its band. Your top bracket is not the rate you pay on the whole salary, and your effective rate is lower.
- FICA is Social Security at 6.2% (up to the $184,500 wage base) plus Medicare at 1.45% on all wages.
- State income tax depends on where you live: nine states have none, some charge a single flat rate, and others use their own graduated brackets layered on top of the federal tax.
- Take-home pay is your salary minus federal tax, FICA and state tax, and dividing the total tax by your salary gives the combined effective rate.
Frequently asked questions
What does filing status change?+
Married filing jointly uses a larger standard deduction and wider brackets than single, so the same salary usually keeps more. The wider brackets mean a couple can earn more before each higher rate starts to bite, which is why status is one of the biggest single factors in the result.
Does this include city or local taxes?+
No. It covers federal tax, FICA and state income tax. Some cities (such as New York City) add a local income tax that is not included here.
What about 401(k) or health premiums?+
This assumes no pre-tax deductions. Contributing to a 401(k) or paying pre-tax premiums lowers taxable pay and changes the result, since those amounts come out before income tax is figured. That is why raising a retirement contribution can shrink your tax bill as well as your take-home line.
Why is my actual paycheck different?+
Employers withhold based on your W-4, benefits and pay frequency, which can differ from this annual estimate. Over or under-withholding is squared up when you file your return, so a large refund or a balance due usually signals that your W-4 settings did not match your real situation.
Does a no-income-tax state mean I keep the most?+
On income tax alone, yes, but those states often raise more through sales or property taxes, which a paycheck figure does not capture. Compare the whole cost of living, not just the take-home line, before you move.
Why does take-home not rise as fast as my raise?+
Each extra dollar is taxed at your marginal bracket plus FICA and any state tax, so the top slice of a raise is kept at a lower share than your average pay. You still come out ahead, just by less than the headline increase.
Sources
Last updated: 2026 tax year
This is an estimate for general guidance, not financial or tax advice. 2026 federal and FICA figures. Federal + FICA + state income tax only; excludes local taxes, pre-tax deductions and credits. State married-jointly figures are an approximation: the state single standard deduction and bracket thresholds are doubled, which matches conforming states but may differ where a state sets its own joint schedule. Confirm with the official sources before making decisions.
Built and maintained by Vikas Dulgunde, a software engineer building money and tax tools. Figures come from the official sources above; see our editorial standards.