Take-Home Pay Calculator
See exactly what lands in your paycheck after federal tax, state tax, FICA, 401(k), and health insurance — by pay period.
Pre-tax — the offer letter number
CA ~9%, NY ~6.85%, TX/FL/NV 0%. Flat-rate approximation.
Pre-tax % of gross — reduces federal taxable income
Your share of the premium, pre-tax
Combined annual for HSA, FSA, transit, etc.
Your take-home pay
Each biweekly paycheck
$1,980
$51,486/yr · 68.6% of gross lands in your account
Where each gross dollar goes
Annual take-home
$51,486
68.6% of gross
Federal + state + FICA
$15,415
Total tax burden
Pre-tax deductions
$8,100
401k + insurance + other
| Pay period | Net per paycheck |
|---|---|
| Weekly | $990 |
| Biweekly | $1,980 |
| Semi-monthly | $2,145 |
| Monthly | $4,290 |
State tax is a flat-rate approximation. Most states have progressive brackets like the federal system; the single-rate input is a simplification that lands within a few hundred dollars for most incomes. For exact state numbers, check your state revenue agency or use a state-specific paycheck calculator.
Want the full federal-tax breakdown? This calculator focuses on your paycheck. For the full federal-tax view (brackets, marginal vs effective rate, deductions and credits in detail), use the Income Tax Calculator.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your gross annual salary — the offer-letter number, before any deductions.
- Pick filing status — affects federal brackets and the FICA high-earner surcharge threshold.
- Enter your state’s tax rate — flat-rate approximation. 0% for no-income-tax states.
- Enter pre-tax deductions — 401(k) % of gross, annual health insurance premium, any HSA/FSA contributions.
- Pick a pay period — to see the per-paycheck figure.
The result shows your per-paycheck take-home, a stacked bar of where each gross dollar goes, annual totals, and a per-period table.
How it works
The order of operations matches how your real payroll system computes deductions:
- Pre-tax deductions come off the top — 401(k), health insurance, HSA/FSA. These reduce both federal and state taxable income.
- Federal income tax is calculated on
(gross − pre-tax − standard deduction)using the 2025 IRS brackets. - State income tax is calculated on
(gross − pre-tax)at the rate you entered. - FICA (Social Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) is calculated on the full gross income. Pre-tax 401(k) doesn’t reduce the FICA base under federal law.
- Take-home =
gross − pre-tax − federal − state − FICA.
For a $75,000 salary with 6% 401(k), $3,600 annual health insurance, single filer, 5% state tax (2025):
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross | $75,000 |
| − 401(k) (6%) | −$4,500 |
| − Health insurance | −$3,600 |
| − Federal income tax | −$7,098 |
| − State income tax (5%) | −$3,345 |
| − FICA (7.65% of gross) | −$5,738 |
| Take-home | $50,719 |
That’s 67.6% of gross landing in your account. The other 32.4% goes to taxes and deductions you may not see on the offer letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between this and the Income Tax Calculator? ▾
Both use the same federal-tax math, but the lenses are different. The Income Tax Calculator focuses on annual tax — brackets, marginal vs effective rate, deductions, credits. It's tax-planning focused. The Take-Home Pay Calculator focuses on your paycheck — what actually hits your bank account after federal + state + FICA + 401k + insurance, shown per-pay-period. It's job-offer and budget focused. Use Take-Home when evaluating an offer or planning monthly spending; use Income Tax when planning tax strategy.
Why does 401(k) reduce federal tax but not FICA? ▾
Pre-tax 401(k) contributions reduce your federal taxable income (and most states' taxable income), but they do NOT reduce your Social Security or Medicare wage base. FICA is calculated on your full gross income before any 401(k) deduction. That's federal law — the trade-off is that 401(k) withdrawals in retirement aren't subject to FICA either.
How accurate is the state tax approximation? ▾
The calculator uses a flat-rate input for state tax. Most states actually have progressive brackets like the federal system, so a single rate is a simplification — but for typical incomes ($50k–$200k) the result lands within a few hundred dollars of the exact figure. States with no income tax (TX, FL, NV, TN, WA, NH, SD, WY, AK) should use 0%. California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York at higher incomes need 9–13%. For exact numbers, your state revenue agency publishes a paycheck-style calculator.
What pay period should I pick? ▾
Whatever matches how you're actually paid. Weekly (52 paychecks/year) and biweekly (26 paychecks/year) are the most common in the US private sector — federal employees and many salaried workers are biweekly. Semi-monthly (24 paychecks/year, e.g., the 1st and 15th) is common at older companies. Monthly is mostly used for executives and some salaried professionals. The annual take-home is the same regardless; the per-paycheck figure changes.
Should I include health insurance and other pre-tax deductions? ▾
Yes — they meaningfully change your take-home. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums you pay (your share) are usually pre-tax (Section 125 cafeteria plan), reducing your federal and state taxable income. HSAs and FSAs work the same way. Adding $300/month in health premiums on a $75k salary doesn't reduce your take-home by $300; the tax savings claw back roughly 25–30%, so the real cost is closer to $210–$225.
Are state and city income taxes both included? ▾
Only state. Some cities (New York City, Philadelphia, Detroit, several others) impose their own income tax on top of state tax — typically 1–4%. This calculator doesn't model city tax separately; if you live in one of those cities, add the local rate to the state field as an approximation, or check your last paystub for the exact deduction. Most US workers don't pay a separate city income tax.