quik-calc

Quik-Calc Finance Tool

Finance

Salary & Paycheck Calculator

Estimate paycheck deductions, taxes, and take-home pay using salary or hourly income, filing status, state taxes, and custom deductions.

01 / Inputs

Income & Tax Inputs

Medical FSA salary-reduction contributions are limited to $3,400 for 2026 (carryover $680); health premiums have no annual cap. Amounts entered here are exempt from federal, state (except noted), and FICA taxes.

02 / Your estimate

Paycheck Results

Complete your inputs and calculate to unlock personalized results.

Convert an hourly wage to annual

Planning around an hourly rate instead? These guides convert common hourly wages to annual pay before taxes:

$18 an hour is how much a year→$22 an hour is how much a year→$25 an hour is how much a year→
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Home / Finance / Salary Calculator · Data last verified: 2026-09-09

How to use this calculator for a real decision

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 (New York is computed with its actual 2026 published tax-rate schedule (the official IT-2105-I page-10 table) and $8,000/$16,050 standard deduction; all other states use simplified flat-rate estimates, not exact state tax-return calculations — a single flat effective rate applied to your taxable income after pre-tax deductions and the standard deduction); Social Security takes 6.2% of your gross wages up to the annual wage base of $184,500; Social Security and Medicare apply to gross wages minus Section 125 (cafeteria plan) health/FSA premiums — 401(k) deferrals remain FICA-taxable, health premium contributions do not; and Medicare takes 1.45% of all wages with no cap, plus an additional 0.9% on wages above $200,000 (single or head of household) or $250,000 (married filing jointly) — the IRS liability threshold for your filing status.

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.

Worked example: comparing two job offers

Sarah is a marketing manager with two offers: one in Rochester, New York 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 $9,870/year (after standard deduction of $16,100)
- Social Security (6.2%): $5,270/year
- Medicare (1.45%): $1,232.50/year
- New York state tax (2026 published IT-2105-I schedule): $3,993.40/year
- Total deductions: $20,365.90/year
- Net annual pay: $64,634.10
- Per biweekly paycheck: $2,485.93

Austin, Texas ($82,000, single, biweekly):
- Federal income tax: approximately $9,210/year
- Social Security (6.2%): $5,084/year
- Medicare (1.45%): $1,189/year
- Texas state tax: $0 (no state income tax)
- Total deductions: $15,483/year
- Net annual pay: $66,517
- Per biweekly paycheck: ~$2,558

Despite the Texas offer being $3,000 lower in gross salary, Sarah actually takes home $1,882.90 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.

Common mistakes to avoid

Key terminology

Gross incomeYour total salary or wages before any taxes, deductions, or benefits are subtracted. This is the starting point for all tax calculations.
Net income (take-home pay)The amount that actually lands in your bank account after federal tax, state tax, FICA, and all deductions have been withheld. This is the number you budget with.
FICAFederal Insurance Contributions Act tax, which funds Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) and Medicare (1.45% on all wages). Your employer matches these amounts. Self-employed workers pay both halves (15.3%).
Marginal tax rateThe tax rate applied to your last (highest) dollar of income, not the rate on your total income. For example, a single filer earning $50,000 has a marginal rate of 22% but an effective rate closer to 12-13%.
Effective tax rateYour total tax divided by your total gross income. This is the actual percentage of your income that goes to taxes, which is always lower than or equal to your marginal rate.
Standard deductionA fixed dollar amount that reduces your taxable income. For 2026 it is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household (IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32). This calculator automatically applies it.
WithholdingAmounts your employer deducts from each paycheck for federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and any benefits you enroll in. Your W-4 form tells your employer how much federal tax to withhold.
W-4IRS Form W-4 is the Employee's Withholding Certificate. You fill this out when you start a new job to tell your employer how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck, based on your filing status, dependents, and other adjustments.
Pre-tax deductionMoney subtracted from your gross pay before taxes are calculated. Common examples include traditional 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, HSA contributions, and commuter benefits. Pre-tax deductions lower your taxable income and therefore reduce your tax bill.
Pay frequencyHow often you receive a paycheck. Weekly (52/year), biweekly (26/year), semimonthly (24/year), and monthly (12/year) are the most common. The total annual amount is the same regardless of frequency, but per-check amounts differ.

Methodology and sources

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 simplified flat-rate estimates, not exact state tax-return calculations: every state except New York applies a single effective rate derived from published state tax schedules (a blended effective rate for a mid-range income earner in states with graduated brackets), while New York uses its actual 2026 progressive schedule. For New York AGI above $107,650, the calculator applies New York's supplemental-tax/benefit-recapture computation (NY DTF IT-2105-I worksheets). Recapture rates and constants follow the official 2026 Form IT-2105-I tax-computation worksheets (NY DTF). The 2026 health-FSA salary-reduction limit ($3,400) is not enforced in the calculator — employer plans prevent over-election; premiums (the typical case) have no such cap. 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. These figures are planning estimates, not individualized tax advice; verify important decisions with a qualified tax professional. 2026 tax data last verified September 9, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much tax comes out of a $100,000 salary?

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.

What is the difference between salary and hourly pay?

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.

How do pre-tax deductions affect take-home pay?

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 and state income taxes are calculated — but they are not all equal for FICA purposes. Contributing 6% of a $75,000 salary ($4,500/year) to a traditional 401(k) saves federal and state income tax only, roughly $1,000-1,500 per year: 401(k) deferrals remain subject to Social Security and Medicare. Health and FSA premiums paid through a Section 125 cafeteria plan deliver the full triple tax savings — federal income tax, state income tax, and Social Security/Medicare tax. The calculator lets you enter exact 401(k) and Section 125 premium amounts to see your personalized after-tax result.

Are 401(k) contributions taxed for Social Security?

Yes. Traditional 401(k)/457 deferrals are exempt from federal and state income tax but still subject to Social Security and Medicare. Section 125 health and FSA premiums are exempt from both.

Are state taxes included in this calculator?

Yes — all 50 states plus Washington DC are modeled; see Methodology above for the exact mechanics. The short version: no-income-tax states (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) show zero withholding, other states use a flat effective-rate estimate, and New York uses its actual 2026 progressive brackets with the official IT-2105-I supplemental-tax computation above $107,650 AGI. Local taxes (NYC, Yonkers, San Francisco payroll) are not included.

How do pay frequency and filing status affect my results?

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.

What is the difference between marginal and effective tax rate?

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.