Paycheck Take-Home Calculator
Turn a salary into the real number that hits your account — 2026 federal tax, FICA and state, per paycheck.
—Take-home per paycheck
—Annual take-home
—Total tax + FICA
—Effective tax rate
Take-homeFederalFICAState
2026 tax year, federal estimate. Uses the 2026 IRS brackets and standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 joint) plus FICA at 7.65%. State tax is the flat rate you enter — real state taxes vary and many are bracketed, so treat it as an estimate. Pre-tax deductions (401(k), HSA) lower your federal tax and your cash take-home, but that money is still yours in those accounts. Excludes tax credits, local taxes, and the Social Security wage cap. Educational tool, not tax advice.
Why your paycheck is smaller than your salary
Between your salary and your bank account sit three bites: federal income tax (progressive — only the dollars in each band are taxed at that band's rate), FICA (7.65% for Social Security and Medicare), and any state tax. This shows the real number that lands in your account — the one to actually budget on.
Got your take-home? Put it to work with the 50/30/20 budget calculator — and remember pre-tax retirement contributions shrink your tax bill, as in how retirement accounts fit in.