Quik-Calc Finance Tool
Estimate paycheck deductions, taxes, and take-home pay using salary or hourly income, filing status, state taxes, and custom deductions.
Complete your inputs and calculate to unlock personalized results.
Home / Finance / Salary Calculator · Last updated June 4, 2026 · Expert reviewed
Enter your annual salary (or hourly rate plus weekly hours) into the calculator above, then select your filing status, your state of residence, your pay frequency, and any pre-tax or post-tax deductions you expect. The calculator instantly shows how much tax the federal government, your state, and FICA (Social Security and Medicare) will take from each paycheck, along with your final take-home or net pay.
The detailed breakdown shows exactly where each dollar goes: federal income tax is computed using the 2026 progressive tax brackets and your filing status; state income tax applies the flat effective rate for your selected state; Social Security takes 6.2% of your gross wages up to the annual wage base of $168,600; and Medicare takes 1.45% of all wages with no cap (plus an additional 0.9% for high earners over $200,000).
Use this tool to compare job offers in different states — a $90,000 offer in Texas (no state tax) may actually net more than a $100,000 offer in California. You can also compare salary versus hourly roles, evaluate the tax impact of increasing your 401(k) contributions, or budget your monthly spending based on your real after-tax paycheck rather than misleading gross salary numbers.
Sarah is a marketing manager with two offers: one in New York City at $85,000/year as a salaried employee paid biweekly, and another in Austin, Texas at $82,000/year with the same pay schedule. She is single, has no pre-tax deductions, and will use the standard deduction. Here is how the calculator breaks down each scenario.
New York ($85,000, single, biweekly):
- Federal income tax: approximately $10,700/year (after standard deduction of ~$15,000)
- Social Security (6.2%): $5,270/year
- Medicare (1.45%): $1,233/year
- New York state tax (6.4%): approximately $5,440/year
- Total deductions: $22,643/year
- Net annual pay: $62,357
- Per biweekly paycheck: ~$2,398
Austin, Texas ($82,000, single, biweekly):
- Federal income tax: approximately $9,940/year
- Social Security (6.2%): $5,084/year
- Medicare (1.45%): $1,189/year
- Texas state tax: $0 (no state income tax)
- Total deductions: $16,213/year
- Net annual pay: $65,787
- Per biweekly paycheck: ~$2,530
Despite the Texas offer being $3,000 lower in gross salary, Sarah actually takes home $3,430 more per year in Austin purely because of the difference in state income tax. This is the kind of real-world decision this calculator is designed to illuminate.
The calculator uses the 2026 federal income tax brackets published by the IRS, adjusted for inflation. Standard deduction amounts reflect 2026 inflation-adjusted figures. FICA rates (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare) are set by federal law and do not change annually. State income tax rates are flat effective approximations for each state based on published state tax schedules; states with graduated rates are modeled using a blended effective rate for a mid-range income earner. This calculator does not account for itemized deductions, tax credits (EITC, Child Tax Credit, education credits), local/city taxes, or the Alternative Minimum Tax. Results are estimates — your actual withholding depends on your specific W-4 settings, employer payroll practices, benefit elections, and any additional withholding you request.
For a single filer in a state with no income tax, federal income tax is approximately $14,800 and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) is approximately $7,650, totaling about $22,450 or 22.5% of gross income. In a high-tax state like California or New York, state tax adds another $6,000-9,000, pushing the total tax burden to 28-32%. Adding pre-tax 401(k) contributions reduces all of these numbers, since every pre-tax dollar avoids federal, state, and FICA taxes. Use the calculator with your specific state and deductions for a precise figure.
A salaried employee receives a fixed annual amount divided evenly across pay periods regardless of hours worked. An hourly employee is paid for each hour worked and may receive overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours beyond 40 in a week. Hourly workers typically have more variable weekly pay due to schedule changes, holidays, and overtime opportunities. The calculator supports both modes: enter your annual salary directly, or switch to hourly mode and input your hourly rate and average weekly hours for an equivalent annual estimate.
Pre-tax deductions — such as traditional 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, HSA and FSA contributions, and commuter benefits — reduce your taxable income before federal, state, and FICA taxes are calculated. This creates a triple tax savings: you avoid federal income tax, state income tax, and Social Security/Medicare tax on the deducted amount. For example, contributing 6% of a $75,000 salary ($4,500/year) to a 401(k) saves roughly $1,000-1,500 per year in combined taxes while building retirement savings. The calculator lets you enter exact pre-tax deduction amounts to see your personalized after-tax result.
Yes — the calculator models state income tax for all 50 states plus Washington DC using their effective tax rates. States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) show zero state withholding. States with graduated brackets are approximated using a flat effective rate suitable for typical mid-range incomes. Local or city taxes (such as New York City's additional income tax or San Francisco payroll tax) are not included. Select your state from the dropdown to see how state taxes affect your take-home pay.
Pay frequency (weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly) changes only the per-paycheck breakdown, not the annual totals. Filing status (Single, Married Filing Jointly, Head of Household) directly affects your federal tax bracket thresholds and standard deduction amounts, so choosing the correct status is crucial for an accurate estimate. Married Filing Jointly offers the widest tax brackets, meaning a married couple earning $150,000 combined will pay less federal tax than a single individual earning the same amount.
Your marginal tax rate is the rate applied to your last (highest) dollar of income — it determines how much tax you pay on a raise or bonus. Your effective tax rate is your total tax divided by your total income — it tells you the actual percentage of your income that goes to taxes. For example, a single filer earning $75,000 has a marginal rate of 22% but an effective rate of roughly 13-14% because much of their income is taxed at the 10% and 12% brackets. Never confuse the two: effective rate is what you actually pay, marginal rate is what you pay on the next dollar.