Take-Home Pay Calculator
Your salary is not your paycheck. Enter your annual salary below to see what you actually keep in 2026 — after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax — per paycheck and per year. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
Calculate Your Take-Home Pay
⚡ 2026 Quick Facts
- FICA: 6.2% Social Security (on first $184,500) + 1.45% Medicare
- Extra Medicare: +0.9% on wages over $200,000 (single)
- Standard deduction: $16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly
- Federal brackets: 10% – 37% across 7 brackets
- Texas & Florida: no state income tax
How Take-Home Pay Works
Take-home pay — also called net pay — is the amount that actually lands in your bank account after every required deduction. The gap between your salary and your take-home pay surprises almost everyone the first time they see it: a $60,000 salary rarely means $5,000 a month in spending money.
The gap comes from three layers. First, federal income tax, calculated on marginal brackets from 10% to 37%. Before any bracket applies, the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 for single filers) is subtracted from your income, so a $60,000 salary is only taxed on $43,900 at the federal level. Second, FICA taxes — Social Security at 6.2% on the first $184,500 of wages, plus Medicare at 1.45% on all wages (with an extra 0.9% over $200,000 for single filers). Unlike federal income tax, FICA has no standard deduction: it applies from the first dollar.
Third, state income tax — and this is where geography gets expensive. California stacks its own brackets up to 13.3% on top of everything above, while Texas and Florida take nothing at all. Two people earning the same salary can differ by thousands of dollars a year in take-home pay purely because of their state. Try the calculator above with different states selected to feel the difference.
What's not in this number: employer benefit deductions such as health insurance premiums, 401(k) contributions, HSA contributions and union dues. Those come out of your paycheck too, but they depend on your personal elections. For a complete picture, subtract your per-paycheck benefit costs from the result above.
📝 Example: $60,000 salary in Florida, paid biweekly
Gross per paycheck: $60,000 ÷ 26 = $2,307.69
Federal tax ≈ $193.08 · Social Security ≈ $142.86 · Medicare ≈ $33.46 · State tax $0
Take-home ≈ $1,938.08 every two weeks ($50,390 per year, an effective tax rate of about 16%). Change the state to California above and watch several hundred dollars disappear per paycheck.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from a paycheck calculator?
This is the simpler version: it starts from your annual salary and estimates take-home pay per paycheck. A full paycheck calculator also accepts hourly wages and models more deduction details. If you just want the quick answer — "what do I actually keep?" — you're in the right place.
Why is my take-home pay lower than I expected?
Three things shrink it: federal income tax (10–37% marginal brackets), FICA taxes (7.65% from the first dollar, no deduction), and state income tax. On a mid-range salary, combined taxes commonly take 15–25% before any benefits come out.
Does this include my 401(k) and health insurance?
No. Those vary by employer and by your choices, so this calculator covers taxes only: federal, FICA and state. Subtract your per-paycheck premiums and retirement contributions from the result for your true net pay.
How does filing status change my take-home pay?
Married filing jointly doubles the standard deduction ($32,200 vs $16,100) and widens every federal bracket, which usually lowers federal tax on the same income. It doesn't change FICA taxes. Select each status above to compare.
Will this match my pay stub exactly?
Probably not to the dollar. Real withholding follows your W-4 elections, pre-tax benefit deductions and sometimes local taxes — all of which this estimate simplifies. Use it for planning and job-offer comparisons, not as a payroll audit.
Is this tax advice?
No. This is an educational estimate based on published 2026 figures. For decisions involving real money, confirm with a tax professional or your payroll department.
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Paycheck Calculator · Income Tax Calculator · Salary to Hourly · Hourly to Salary · California Paycheck Calculator