Formulas and 2026 figures checked & updated: July 2026
$3,462 gross per 2 weeks
$5,400/yr pre-tax
Health/dental premiums, FSA, HSA (annual)
0% for TX, FL, WA, etc.
Where Your Salary Goes
How to Use the Take-Home Paycheck Calculator
- Enter your gross annual salary and select your pay frequency — weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly.
- Choose your filing status: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, or head of household.
- Set your 401(k) contribution percentage — this reduces both your taxable income and your take-home pay.
- Add other pre-tax deductions, such as health insurance premiums, FSA, or HSA contributions.
- Enter your state income tax rate, or leave it at 0% if you live in a state with no income tax.
- Review your results: federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, state tax, and pre-tax deductions withheld, plus your net pay for the selected pay frequency.
- Compare your net pay across pay frequencies. Example: a $90,000 salary with a 6% 401(k) contribution and 5% state tax nets roughly $2,450–$2,600 per biweekly paycheck after all withholding.
What This Calculator Does
The Take-Home Paycheck Calculator converts your annual salary into the number that actually matters day to day: what lands in your bank account each pay period. It subtracts pre-tax deductions, federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state income tax from your gross pay, then divides the result by your pay frequency — weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly — to show your real net paycheck.
Your net pay is driven by five inputs: gross salary, filing status, your 401(k) contribution percentage, other pre-tax benefits (health insurance, FSA, HSA), and your state's income tax rate. As a general benchmark, most W-2 employees see 20-30% of gross pay withheld for federal tax and FICA alone, before state tax or benefits — so a paycheck is commonly 25-35% smaller than the gross figure in an offer letter. Employees in states with no income tax, such as Texas, Florida, and Washington, keep a noticeably larger share of each paycheck than those in high-tax states.
People reach for this calculator when comparing job offers with different salaries or state locations, when deciding how much to contribute to a 401(k) without shrinking take-home pay too much, or when building a monthly budget and needing a realistic net income figure rather than the gross number on an offer letter. It's also useful when negotiating a raise, since it shows how much of an increase actually reaches your bank account after taxes.
Formula
Net per check = (Salary − Federal − FICA − State − Pre-tax) ÷ Pay periodsPre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions and benefit premiums lower both your taxable income and the cash that leaves your paycheck before taxes are calculated, while FICA taxes are always charged on gross wages regardless of pre-tax elections.
- FICASocial Security (6.2%) + Medicare (1.45%)
- Pre-taxTraditional 401(k) + health/FSA premiums
- PeriodsPaychecks per year (52, 26, 24, or 12)
Examples
Example: $90,000 single, 6% 401(k), 5% state, biweekly
Pre-tax = $5,400 (401k) + $2,400 benefits. Gross biweekly ≈ $3,461.
After federal, Social Security, Medicare, and state tax, net take-home is roughly $2,450–$2,600 per biweekly check.
Example: raising 401(k) from 6% to 12%
Same $90,000 salary, doubling the pre-tax retirement contribution.
Your paycheck drops by less than the full contribution, because the higher pre-tax amount also lowers your income tax — the 'tax shield' of a traditional 401(k).
Example: comparing state tax rates on the same salary
$75,000 salary, single filer, no 401(k) contribution, comparing a 0% state tax rate against a 6% flat state tax rate.
The 6% state tax reduces net annual pay by about $4,500 compared to the no-tax scenario — roughly $375 less every month, even though gross salary and federal taxes are identical.
Key Terms Explained
- Marginal Tax Rate
- The tax rate applied to your last dollar of income — your top tax bracket. It's higher than your effective (average) rate.
- Effective Tax Rate
- Your total tax divided by your total income — the average rate you actually pay across all brackets.
- FICA Taxes
- Payroll taxes for Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) withheld from wages, separate from federal income tax.
- Standard Deduction
- A fixed amount you can subtract from income before tax instead of itemizing. Most filers take the standard deduction.
- Employer Match
- Money your employer adds to your 401(k) based on your own contributions — effectively free retirement savings, up to a limit.
Methodology
Federal tax uses current IRS brackets and the standard deduction. Social Security is withheld at 6.2% up to the annual wage base, and Medicare at 1.45% plus a 0.9% surtax above $200,000. Pre-tax 401(k) contributions and benefits reduce taxable income. Net cash equals salary minus taxes minus pre-tax deductions, divided by the number of pay periods; individual withholding allowances (Form W-4 settings) are not modeled.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is take-home pay calculated?+
Gross salary minus pre-tax deductions (401k, health premiums), then federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to the wage base), Medicare (1.45% + 0.9% above $200k), and state tax. The result is divided by your number of pay periods.
Gross pay vs. net pay?+
Gross is total earnings before deductions (the offer-letter figure). Net (take-home) is what hits your account after taxes and deductions — often 25-35% less.
Do 401(k) contributions cut my taxes?+
Traditional 401(k) is pre-tax, lowering income tax but not Social Security/Medicare (those use gross wages). Roth 401(k) is after-tax and doesn't reduce current taxes.
Why is my check smaller than salary ÷ periods?+
Taxes and deductions are withheld first. A $90,000 salary grosses ~$3,461 biweekly but may take home closer to $2,500 after withholding.
How much of my paycheck goes to taxes?+
For most employees, federal income tax plus FICA (Social Security and Medicare) typically withholds 20-30% of gross pay, depending on income and filing status. Add state income tax where applicable, and total withholding commonly reaches 25-35% of gross salary — meaning take-home pay is usually 65-75% of the figure stated in an offer letter.
Why does my paycheck change if my salary didn't?+
Common reasons include a change in your 401(k) contribution percentage, new benefits elections during open enrollment, hitting an annual wage base cap (like the Social Security limit) partway through the year, or moving into a new tax bracket after a raise or bonus. Switching pay frequency also changes the per-check amount without changing annual pay.
Does this calculator account for pre-tax vs. Roth 401(k) contributions?+
This calculator treats 401(k) contributions as pre-tax (traditional), which is the more common default and lowers taxable income today. Roth 401(k) contributions are made with after-tax dollars and don't reduce current paycheck withholding, though qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free.
Can I save my results?+
Yes. Use “Save results” to store a snapshot. Without an account it remains in this browser. If you log in, saved scenarios sync securely to your SmartRates account so they are available on your other devices.
How do I share my calculation?+
Click “Share” in the toolbar to copy a link (or open your device’s share sheet). The link encodes your exact inputs, so whoever opens it sees the calculator pre-filled with the same numbers and the same result.
Can I email my calculator results?+
Yes. Click “Email results” to open your default email application with the current inputs, results, and calculator link already included. Review the message and choose the recipient before sending.
Can I export or print my results as a PDF?+
Yes. Click “Export PDF” to open a clean, printable summary of your inputs and results that you can save as a PDF or print. It includes a timestamp and a link back to the calculator.
How accurate are the calculator results?+
The arithmetic follows the formula and assumptions documented on this page. The result is still an estimate because actual rates, fees, taxes, timing conventions, eligibility rules, and provider calculations can differ. Use figures from your official quote, statement, contract, or tax form before making a financial decision.
Which inputs have the biggest effect on the result?+
Rate, time, starting balance, recurring payments or contributions, and fees usually have the largest effects. Change one input at a time to create a conservative, expected, and optimistic scenario instead of relying on a single forecast.
Are taxes, fees, and inflation included?+
Only when they appear as an input or are explicitly described in the methodology. Do not assume an omitted cost is zero. Review the formula and methodology sections to see exactly what is included before comparing the result with an outside quote.
Can this calculator predict future rates or returns?+
No. A calculator projects the assumptions entered; it cannot predict market returns, inflation, variable interest rates, tax-law changes, or provider decisions. Rerun the calculation with several assumptions to understand the range of possible outcomes.
Why might my lender, bank, broker, or tax software show a different result?+
Professional systems may use daily timing, transaction dates, compounding conventions, rounding rules, account-specific fees, credits, eligibility details, or regulations that a general-purpose calculator cannot know. A small difference can be rounding; a large difference usually means an assumption or included cost is different.
Disclaimer: Calculations are for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional financial advice. Please consult with a certified professional before making financial decisions.