2026 Paycheck Calculator & Take-Home Pay Estimator for the USA

QuickEstimators uses 2026 IRS Publication 15-T Percentage Method schedules, FICA rates, and tax-year-specific state calculations to estimate paycheck withholding. Actual pay can differ because of employer settings, benefit elections, local taxes, year-to-date wages, or other details not represented by the calculator.

Gross pay is your earnings before deductions. Net pay (take-home pay) is the estimated amount left after applicable taxes and deductions; an employer's final deposit can also reflect benefit elections and payroll items not entered in this calculator.

Eligible traditional 401(k) and HSA contributions may reduce wages used for some income-tax withholding, depending on the plan. Their treatment can differ for Social Security and Medicare, and after-tax deductions do not reduce taxable wages. Check your plan and pay stub for the treatment that applies to you.

Yes. The 2026 Social Security wage base of $184,500 is a federal limit, not a state rule. An employer generally stops withholding the 6.2% employee tax after the wages it pays you reach that limit. If you have more than one employer during the year, each may withhold Social Security tax separately; you may be able to claim excess withholding as a credit on your federal tax return. Medicare has no comparable wage-base cap.

No. Your privacy is paramount. All income, state tax choices, and deduction calculations take place locally inside your browser session. QuickEstimators does not save, store, or transmit your salary inputs or personal details to any server.

For 2026, the federal standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household. This figure is built into the IRS withholding tables this calculator uses, so it's already factored into your per-paycheck estimate — you don't need to enter it separately.

Yes. Enter an hourly rate or an annual salary. The hourly input is annualized using 40 hours per week for 52 weeks (2,080 hours) before the estimate is calculated; it does not separately collect hours per pay period or include overtime.

Three common reasons: your employer may use a slightly different (but equally valid) rounding or withholding method than the IRS Percentage Method this tool uses; benefit elections like a specific health plan tier aren't reflected unless you enter them; and local city or county taxes, where applicable, require manual input since they vary block by block in some states.

Form W-4 Step 2 helps account for multiple jobs or a working spouse when estimating withholding. The applicable method can increase withholding so it better reflects combined earnings, but it does not guarantee that you will owe nothing or receive a particular refund at filing.

A federal income tax withholding estimator projects how much tax may be withheld from a paycheck using the pay and Form W-4 details entered. Your final federal tax is calculated on your annual return using your full-year income, deductions, credits, and other circumstances, so the two amounts may differ.

FICA includes employee Social Security and Medicare taxes. For 2026, the standard employee rates are 6.2% on Social Security wages up to the $184,500 annual wage base and 1.45% on Medicare wages with no wage-base cap. Employers generally begin withholding the additional 0.9% Medicare tax after an employee's wages from that employer exceed $200,000. FICA is separate from federal income-tax withholding.

State income-tax rules depend on where you work and may use graduated brackets, a flat rate, or no individual wage income tax. Choose a state in the calculator to see a location-specific estimate; local taxes and employer-specific deductions may not be included.

An hourly to salary calculator can annualize an hourly rate for a straightforward comparison: hourly rate multiplied by expected hours per week and working weeks per year. This paycheck calculator uses 40 hours and 52 weeks for its hourly input, so adjust your comparison for unpaid time off, variable hours, or overtime.

Enter your gross salary or hourly rate, choose your pay frequency and work state, then provide the federal withholding details and eligible deductions supported by the calculator. It estimates federal income-tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, and state income tax where applicable, then subtracts the included taxes and deductions from gross pay. The result is a planning estimate; local taxes, employer payroll settings, and other items may change your actual deposit.

Employers generally must begin withholding the additional 0.9% Medicare tax after they pay an employee more than $200,000 in Medicare wages during the calendar year. Your final Additional Medicare Tax liability is calculated on your tax return using filing-status thresholds, such as $200,000 for single filers and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly. Because the employer withholding trigger and filing-status thresholds serve different purposes, withholding may not equal your final liability.

Start with your gross earnings, select your state and pay frequency, and enter your federal withholding details and eligible deductions. Subtract the applicable estimated federal, FICA, state, and supported local taxes, along with relevant deductions, to estimate net pay.

Eligible traditional 401(k) contributions generally reduce federal income-tax wages but ordinarily remain subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes. Qualifying HSA contributions may receive different treatment depending on how they are made. The effect depends on the benefit arrangement and applicable rules.

For most employees, Social Security tax is 6.2% on covered wages up to the $184,500 annual wage base. Medicare tax is generally 1.45% on all covered wages, with no wage-base cap. An additional 0.9% Medicare tax may apply to higher earnings under separate rules.

Your employer may use different permitted rounding or withholding procedures, or your paycheck may include benefit deductions, local taxes, year-to-date wage adjustments, overtime, or other items not entered into the calculator. Review your pay stub and confirm the assumptions used.

No. A paycheck calculator estimates take-home pay after applicable payroll taxes and deductions. A federal income-tax calculator may focus on estimated annual tax liability. Federal withholding is a prepayment toward that liability, so the amount withheld from paychecks may differ from the final tax owed.