Take Home Pay Calculator – Find Your Net Pay After Taxes
Our take home pay calculator helps you quickly estimate your net paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state taxes, and other deductions. Whether you're a salaried employee or earn an hourly wage, simply enter your details to see exactly how much money you'll actually bring home. Use this tool to budget smarter, evaluate job offers, or understand where your paycheck dollars are going.
Choose whether you earn a fixed annual salary or an hourly wage.
Enter your annual salary or hourly wage depending on pay type selected.
Required if you selected Hourly Wage. Enter your typical weekly hours.
How often do you receive a paycheck?
Your IRS filing status affects your federal income tax bracket.
Enter your state's income tax rate. Use 0 if your state has no income tax.
Enter total pre-tax deductions per paycheck (e.g. 401k contributions, health insurance premiums).
Enter total post-tax deductions per paycheck (e.g. Roth 401k, wage garnishments).
Any extra federal tax you want withheld each paycheck (from W-4 Line 4c).
Your results will appear here
How to Use This Calculator
1. Select your pay type — choose Annual Salary if you receive a fixed yearly salary, or Hourly Wage if you're paid by the hour. 2. Enter your gross pay amount (your full salary or hourly rate before any deductions). 3. If you selected hourly, enter your average hours worked per week. 4. Choose how often you get paid: weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly. 5. Select your federal tax filing status (Single, Married Filing Jointly, or Head of Household). 6. Enter your state's income tax rate — you can find this on your state's revenue department website; enter 0 if you live in a state with no income tax. 7. Optionally enter pre-tax deductions per paycheck (such as 401k contributions or health insurance premiums) and post-tax deductions. 8. Click Calculate to instantly see your take home pay per paycheck, annual net income, and a full breakdown of every deduction.
How Take Home Pay Is Calculated
Your take home pay — also called net pay — is the amount left over after your employer withholds taxes and other deductions from your gross earnings. Understanding the components helps you plan your budget more accurately.
Gross Pay
Gross pay is your total earnings before any deductions. For salaried workers, this is your annual salary divided by the number of pay periods in the year. For hourly workers, it is your hourly rate multiplied by hours worked per week, then multiplied by 52 weeks, then divided by pay periods.
Pre-Tax Deductions
Pre-tax deductions reduce your taxable income before federal and state taxes are calculated. Common pre-tax deductions include:
- Traditional 401(k) or 403(b) contributions
- Health, dental, and vision insurance premiums (employer-sponsored)
- Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contributions
Federal Income Tax
The United States uses a progressive federal income tax system with seven brackets (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37% as of 2024). Your filing status determines both your standard deduction and the income ranges for each bracket. Only income above the standard deduction is subject to federal tax, and each bracket only applies to income within that range — not your entire income.
FICA Taxes: Social Security and Medicare
FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) taxes fund Social Security and Medicare programs. As an employee, you pay:
- Social Security: 6.2% on wages up to $168,600 (2024 wage base)
- Medicare: 1.45% on all wages, plus an additional 0.9% on wages exceeding $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married)
State Income Tax
State income tax rates vary widely. Some states like Florida, Texas, and Washington have no state income tax, while others like California and New Jersey have rates exceeding 10%. This calculator uses a flat effective rate for simplicity.
Post-Tax Deductions
Post-tax deductions are taken after all taxes have been calculated. Examples include Roth 401(k) contributions, life insurance premiums paid by the employee, and wage garnishments.
The Take Home Pay Formula
The simplified formula is:
Net Pay = Gross Pay − Pre-Tax Deductions − Federal Income Tax − Social Security Tax − Medicare Tax − State Income Tax − Post-Tax Deductions
Effective Tax Rate vs. Marginal Tax Rate
Your marginal tax rate is the rate applied to your last dollar of income — your top bracket. Your effective tax rate is the average rate across all your income, which is always lower than your marginal rate in a progressive system. For budgeting purposes, the effective rate gives you a more realistic picture of your tax burden.