Estimate your take-home pay per paycheck — federal income tax, FICA, state tax, and pre-tax deductions, itemized.
Federal tax: annualized gross minus 401(k), health, and the 2026 standard deduction, taxed with simplified 2026 brackets, minus a flat $2,000 credit per dependent. FICA: 6.2% Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base + 1.45% Medicare + 0.9% over $200,000. 401(k) deferrals reduce income tax but not FICA; pre-tax health reduces both. All figures are simplified estimates.
A salary of $65,000.00 paid biweekly (26), single filing status.
Estimate only, not tax advice. This tool uses simplified 2026 brackets (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32), the 2026 standard deduction, and flat per-dependent credits. It ignores W-4 specifics, itemized deductions, local taxes, and state-specific rules. Consult the IRS estimator or a tax professional for exact withholding.
To estimate take-home pay: enter gross pay, pay frequency, filing status, and deductions — the calculator subtracts simplified federal tax, FICA (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare), state tax, and pre-tax 401(k) and health premiums.
FreeToolHub Paycheck Calculator is a free browser-based tool that estimates US take-home pay per paycheck with federal tax, FICA, state tax, and pre-tax deductions, no signup.
Estimate take-home pay with 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, FICA, pre-tax 401(k) and premiums, plus state tax. A simplified estimate, not tax advice.
This calculator estimates what a salary actually pays per paycheck after deductions. It applies simplified 2026 federal income tax brackets and the standard deduction, FICA payroll taxes, optional pre-tax 401(k) contributions and health premiums, and a state tax setting that includes no-income-tax states and a custom percentage. The result is the net pay you can expect to see deposited each period. It is deliberately simplified — a planning estimate, not a substitute for your employer's payroll system or a tax professional.
Job seekers comparing offers use it to convert gross salaries into the number that matters — what lands in the bank each week or month. New graduates budgeting their first salary see why $55,000 does not mean $4,583 a month. Employees deciding on a 401(k) rate can raise the contribution and watch net pay drop by less than the contribution, because of the tax shield. Hourly workers moving to salary, people relocating between states, and anyone doing a W-4 sanity check all get a fast ballpark without wading through IRS withholding tables.
(1) Enter annual salary and pay frequency. (2) Add pre-tax deductions: traditional 401(k) percentage and monthly health premiums. (3) Pick your state — states with no wage income tax show zero state tax, or enter a custom rate. (4) The calculator annualizes pay, removes the pre-tax amounts, applies 2026 federal brackets after the standard deduction, adds FICA, and divides by the number of checks. It also respects the Social Security wage cap so high earners are not overcharged on the 6.2% portion.
Federal income tax uses the 2026 brackets with the standard deduction and a flat $2,000 simplified credit per dependent, skipping itemized deductions and credit phase-outs. FICA is exact in structure: 6.2% Social Security on wages up to the $184,500 2026 wage base, 1.45% Medicare on all wages, plus the extra 0.9% Medicare tax above $200,000. Pre-tax 401(k) dollars are removed before income tax but not before FICA, while health premiums skip both, which matches real payroll rules. What it does not model: state-specific credits, local city taxes such as NYC or Philadelphia, state disability insurance, and Roth contributions.
Traditional 401(k) contributions are exempt from federal income tax now — every dollar contributed reduces taxable income at your marginal rate, so a $5,000 contribution saves $1,100 in the 22% bracket. They are not exempt from FICA: Social Security and Medicare are still withheld on 401(k) dollars. Health premiums through an employer plan skip both. This is why raising your 401(k) rate by $100 per check usually cuts net pay by only about $78 in a 22% bracket — the other $22 was federal tax you were never going to keep. Roth contributions are the mirror image: full hit to net pay now, tax-free withdrawals later.
It is a close approximation using simplified 2026 federal brackets, the standard deduction, a $2,000 per-dependent credit, and standard FICA rules. Real paychecks differ where employers apply actual W-4 settings, itemized deductions, local taxes, or state-specific items. Expect results within a few percent for straightforward W-2 situations, and use it for planning rather than exact payroll.
6.2% for Social Security on wages up to the $184,500 wage base in 2026, and 1.45% for Medicare with no cap — 7.65% total, matched by your employer. High earners pay an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on wages above $200,000 ($250,000 married filing jointly), withheld once wages cross the threshold.
Traditional 401(k) deferrals are exempt from federal income tax but explicitly remain subject to FICA under IRS rules. The contribution lowers the income tax withheld, not the 7.65% payroll tax. Employer health premiums are different — those escape FICA too, which is why the calculator removes them before both taxes.
Weekly pays 52, biweekly 26, semimonthly 24, monthly 12. Biweekly and semimonthly differ: biweekly means two months a year have three paychecks, while semimonthly checks are slightly larger. The calculator divides your annual net by the correct count for the frequency you choose.
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming, and Washington tax no wage income, and New Hampshire completed its phase-out of the interest and dividends tax in 2025. Living in one raises take-home pay meaningfully at high salaries, though property and sales taxes partly offset it.
No. It is a simplified planning estimate that skips itemized deductions, credit phase-outs, local wage taxes, and state-specific adjustments, and it does not model multiple jobs or two-earner withholding interactions. Use it to compare offers and budget, and confirm actual withholding with your payroll department or a CPA.
What do you call a nosy pepper?
No signups, no data sold. Every tool is free to use — the free tier allows 5 downloads or saves per day, and the optional Pro plan ($7/mo, $59/yr) adds unlimited downloads, batch processing, white-label exports and an ad-free experience.
☕Support me on Ko-fi— support the free tier100% of proceeds go towards hosting & building more free tools.