Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your take-home pay per paycheck from your annual salary, accounting for income-tax withholding, FICA payroll tax, and pre- and post-tax deductions. Runs entirely in your browser.
Take-home per paycheck
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Show the math
Take-home is your gross paycheck less payroll tax, income tax, and deductions:
net = gross − pre-tax − income tax − FICA − post-tax
Gross per paycheck is your salary ÷ pay periods. FICA (Social Security + Medicare, about 7.65%) is charged on the full gross, while income tax applies after pre-tax deductions like a traditional 401(k). This is a planning estimate, real withholding depends on tax brackets, your W-4, and your state.
What this does
A paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay per paycheck from your annual salary, accounting for income-tax withholding, FICA payroll tax, and pre- and post-tax deductions.
How to use it
- Enter your annual salary and pay frequency.
- Enter a combined income-tax rate for withholding.
- Add any pre-tax and post-tax deductions.
- Read your estimated net pay per paycheck.
How it works
Gross per paycheck is your salary divided by pay periods. FICA (Social Security plus Medicare) applies to the full gross, income tax to the amount left after pre-tax deductions, and post-tax deductions come off last.
Understanding your result
Real withholding depends on tax brackets, your W-4, and your state, so treat this as a planning estimate rather than exact payroll. FICA still applies to traditional retirement deferrals.
Example
A $60,000 salary paid biweekly is about $2,308 gross; after roughly 7.65% FICA and a 12% income-tax estimate, take-home is around $1,850 before other deductions.
Sources & methodology
- IRS, Tax Withholding Estimator, Estimate federal income-tax withholding
- Social Security Administration, FICA & Payroll Taxes, Social Security and Medicare tax rates
Last updated .
Frequently asked questions
How is take-home pay estimated?
Your gross per paycheck is your annual salary divided by the number of pay periods. FICA (Social Security + Medicare) is applied to the full gross, income tax to the amount left after pre-tax deductions, and any post-tax deductions come off last.
Why isn’t this my exact paycheck?
Real withholding depends on tax brackets, your W-4 allowances, and your state, which vary widely. This tool uses a single combined tax rate you provide, so it is a planning estimate rather than exact payroll.
What goes in pre-tax vs post-tax deductions?
Pre-tax items (traditional 401(k), HSA, some insurance) reduce the income that is taxed. Post-tax items (Roth 401(k), garnishments) come out after tax. FICA still applies to retirement deferrals.
Do you store my salary?
No. Everything is calculated locally in your browser, nothing you enter is uploaded or saved.
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