Take-home paycheck estimator

Net pay after taxes and deductions.

"Required" indicates required fields

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Filing status
Your own contribution; the match is not pay.
Your share of premiums, HSA, FSA, commuter benefits.
Flat estimate of your state's effective rate. 0 in Texas, Florida, Washington and six others; 4–6% is common; up to 9–13% in California, New York and Oregon.
An estimate on 2025 federal brackets with the standard deduction and no credits. Your W-4 choices move the withholding, not the tax.
6.2% to the wage base plus 1.45%, and 0.9% above $200,000.
All three taxes as a share of gross pay.

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How it's calculated

Pre-tax deductions come off first: your 401(k) percentage and health premiums reduce the pay that is taxed. Federal income tax then applies the 2025 brackets to what is left after the standard deduction ($15,750 single, $31,500 married): 10% on the first slice, 12% on the next, and so on up to 37%, each rate only on the income inside its bracket. Social Security takes 6.2% up to the wage base and Medicare 1.45% of everything, plus 0.9% on high earners. State tax is a flat estimate on the same pre-tax income. What remains, divided by the number of paychecks, is take-home. Credits, dependants, itemized deductions and local taxes are not included.

Taxable = max(0, Gross − pre-tax − deduction) Federal = Σ rate × max(0, min(Taxable, top) − bottom) FICA = min(Gross, 176,100) × 6.2% + Gross × 1.45% Net = Gross − pre-tax − Federal − FICA − State
Why is my paycheck smaller than this?

Local or city income tax, state disability or family-leave insurance, a higher health premium, union dues, after-tax deductions like Roth 401(k) or garnishments, or extra withholding you set on your W-4. Withholding is also only an estimate of tax: a refund in April means too much was taken, a bill means too little.

What is the difference between marginal and effective tax rate?

Marginal is the rate on your next dollar, the bracket you are in: 22% for a single filer with $52,000 of taxable income. Effective is total tax divided by total income, always lower because the first slices were taxed at 10% and 12%. The total tax rate shown here is effective and includes payroll and state tax, which is why it is the number that matches your pay stub.

Does a 401(k) contribution really cost less than its face value?

Yes. Every pre-tax dollar you put in reduces taxable income by a dollar, so at a 22% marginal federal rate and 5% state, a $100 contribution lowers take-home by about $73. Raise the percentage here and watch the paycheck fall by less than the contribution rises.

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Results are estimates for informational purposes only and are not financial, medical or legal advice.