Take-Home Pay Calculator

Take-home pay is what actually lands in your bank account after taxes come out of your gross salary, and it's usually a good deal less than gross pay divided evenly across your paychecks. This calculator estimates that gap using the federal tax brackets currently in effect, applied to a simplified version of how payroll withholding actually works.

The calculation starts by subtracting the standard deduction from your gross salary to get your taxable income, then runs that amount through the federal tax brackets for your filing status. Because the U.S. system is progressive, only the income within each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate — moving into a higher bracket doesn't mean all your income gets taxed at the higher rate, just the portion above the threshold. On top of federal income tax, the calculator subtracts FICA taxes: 6.2% for Social Security, up to the annual wage base, and 1.45% for Medicare.

Whatever's left is your estimated annual net pay, which the calculator then divides by your pay frequency — weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly — to estimate what actually shows up in a single paycheck.

This is deliberately a simplified estimate, and the real number on your pay stub will almost certainly differ. It excludes state and local income taxes, which vary enormously depending on where you live and can range from zero to well over 10%. It also doesn't account for pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions or health insurance premiums, which reduce your taxable income, or tax credits that might lower your final bill. Treat this as a ballpark figure for budgeting purposes, not a substitute for looking at an actual pay stub or consulting a tax professional.