Paycheck Calculator – Take-Home Pay After Taxes (2026)
Estimate your 2026 take-home pay per paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state income tax and pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) and health insurance. Uses the official 2026 IRS tax brackets, the $16,100 / $32,200 standard deduction and the $184,500 Social Security wage base.
Paycheck Calculator (2026)
Gross pay, filing status, state and deductions
Estimate for 2026 (tax year 2026 brackets, standard deduction and FICA limits). State tax uses your state's flat rate or, for states with graduated brackets, an estimated effective rate you can edit; local/city taxes, SDI and credits are not included. Not tax advice.
Paycheck calculator by state (2026)
State income tax is the biggest difference between paychecks in different states. Pick your state for a take-home pay calculator with that state’s 2026 tax rates, brackets and local taxes:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington DC
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
No state income tax on wages: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Want to compare state income tax side by side? Use the State Income Tax Calculator for all 50 states.
How take-home pay is calculated in 2026
Your paycheck starts with gross pay. Pre-tax deductions such as a traditional 401(k) contribution and employer health premiums come off first and lower your taxable wages. Federal income tax is then figured on your wages minus the 2026 standard deduction – $16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $32,200 for married filing jointly and $24,150 for head of household – using the seven 2026 brackets of 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. Social Security takes 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500 (a maximum of $11,439), and Medicare takes 1.45% of all wages plus an extra 0.9% above $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers). State income tax comes last, and nine states (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming) have none on wages.
2026 federal income tax brackets
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 | $0 – $24,800 | $0 – $17,700 |
| 12% | $12,400 – $50,400 | $24,800 – $100,800 | $17,700 – $67,450 |
| 22% | $50,400 – $105,700 | $100,800 – $211,400 | $67,450 – $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,700 – $201,775 | $211,400 – $403,550 | $105,700 – $201,750 |
| 32% | $201,775 – $256,225 | $403,550 – $512,450 | $201,750 – $256,200 |
| 35% | $256,225 – $640,600 | $512,450 – $768,700 | $256,200 – $640,600 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 | Over $640,600 |
Brackets are marginal: only the dollars inside each band are taxed at that rate, which is why your effective rate is always lower than your top bracket.
Example: $65,000 salary, single, Texas
With 5% going to a 401(k) ($3,250) and $150 per bi-weekly paycheck for health insurance ($3,900 a year), taxable income is $65,000 − $3,250 − $3,900 − $16,100 = $41,750. Federal tax is 10% of the first $12,400 ($1,240) plus 12% of the next $29,350 ($3,522) = $4,762. Social Security is 6.2% of $61,100 = $3,788 and Medicare 1.45% = $886. Texas has no income tax. Take-home is about $48,414 a year, or roughly $1,862 per bi-weekly paycheck.
Why your real paycheck may differ
Your employer withholds federal tax using the IRS W-4 tables, which are designed to match your annual bill but can run higher or lower depending on how you filled out the form, bonuses and second jobs. This calculator also leaves out tax credits (child tax credit, earned income credit), itemized deductions, local and city income taxes (New York City, Philadelphia, many Ohio and Pennsylvania municipalities, Maryland counties), state disability or paid-leave insurance (California, New Jersey, New York, Washington and others) and Roth 401(k) contributions, which are taken after tax. For states with graduated brackets the calculator uses an estimated effective rate; type in your own rate if you know it.
How to increase your take-home pay
Raise pre-tax contributions only if you want to save more – they lower taxes but also lower cash in hand. Review your W-4 if you got a very large refund last year, since that means too much was withheld each paycheck. Use a health savings account or flexible spending account for medical costs with pre-tax dollars. If you moved to a no-income-tax state or your marital status changed, update your W-4 so withholding matches.
Frequently asked questions
How much of my paycheck goes to taxes? For a typical single worker earning $50,000–$80,000, federal income tax plus FICA takes about 18–23% of gross pay, and state tax adds 0–6% more. What is the 2026 401(k) limit? $24,500 for employee contributions, with an extra $8,000 catch-up for ages 50 and over. What is the Social Security wage base for 2026? $184,500; wages above that are not subject to the 6.2% tax. How many paychecks are there in a year? 52 weekly, 26 bi-weekly, 24 semi-monthly or 12 monthly.
Sources
IRS – 2026 inflation adjustments (Rev. Proc. 2025-32) via PennyCalc bracket tables · US Tax Tools – Social Security wage base 2026 · IRS – 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026 · Tax Foundation – State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026. Figures are for tax year 2026.
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