Maryland Paycheck Calculator & Income Tax Rates (2026)
Maryland has a graduated income tax (2-6.5% + local). On a $100,000 salary a single filer keeps $71,687 after federal tax, FICA and $7,438 in state and local income tax — an effective rate of 28.3%, ranking #49 of 50 states for take-home pay.
Maryland Take-Home Pay Calculator
Pre-loaded with Maryland's 2026 brackets and standard deduction. Adjust salary and filing status; switch states to compare.
2026 Maryland Income Tax Brackets
Maryland applies 10 rates to taxable income — that is, income after the state standard deduction or exemption. Only the slice of income inside each band is taxed at that band's rate.
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $1,000 | 2% |
| $1,000 – $2,000 | 3% |
| $2,000 – $3,000 | 4% |
| $3,000 – $100,000 | 4.75% |
| $100,000 – $125,000 | 5% |
| $125,000 – $150,000 | 5.25% |
| $150,000 – $250,000 | 5.5% |
| $250,000 – $500,000 | 5.75% |
| $500,000 – $1,000,000 | 6.25% |
| Over $1,000,000 | 6.5% |
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $1,000 | 2% |
| $1,000 – $2,000 | 3% |
| $2,000 – $3,000 | 4% |
| $3,000 – $150,000 | 4.75% |
| $150,000 – $175,000 | 5% |
| $175,000 – $225,000 | 5.25% |
| $225,000 – $300,000 | 5.5% |
| $300,000 – $600,000 | 5.75% |
| $600,000 – $1,200,000 | 6.25% |
| Over $1,200,000 | 6.5% |
Take-Home Pay at Every Income Level in Maryland
Maryland's effective state rate climbs with income as more of your salary lands in higher bands. The last column shows the state rate on your next dollar at each level.
| Gross Salary | Federal Tax | FICA | State + Local | Take-Home | Effective Rate | Monthly | Marginal State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40K | $2,620 | $3,060 | $2,788 | $31,532 | 21.2% | $2,628 | 7.8% |
| $50K | $3,820 | $3,825 | $3,563 | $38,792 | 22.4% | $3,233 | 7.8% |
| $60K | $5,020 | $4,590 | $4,338 | $46,052 | 23.2% | $3,838 | 7.8% |
| $75K | $7,725 | $5,738 | $5,500 | $56,037 | 25.3% | $4,670 | 7.8% |
| $100K | $13,225 | $7,650 | $7,438 | $71,687 | 28.3% | $5,974 | 7.8% |
| $120K | $17,625 | $9,180 | $9,030 | $84,166 | 29.9% | $7,014 | 8.0% |
| $150K | $24,774 | $11,475 | $11,484 | $102,267 | 31.8% | $8,522 | 8.3% |
| $200K | $36,774 | $14,339 | $15,725 | $133,162 | 33.4% | $11,097 | 8.5% |
Single vs. married filing jointly in Maryland
Maryland's joint brackets widen the bands for couples, so the same household income is taxed more lightly. On $100,000 a joint return keeps $77,532 versus $71,687 for a single filer.
| Household income | Single take-home | Married (joint) take-home | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $75K | $56,037 | $59,382 | +$3,345 |
| $150K | $102,267 | $112,022 | +$9,754 |
| $250K | $163,289 | $177,685 | +$14,396 |
How Maryland Taxes Income
Maryland's income tax is graduated and, since 2025, steeper at the top. The long-standing schedule ran from 2% to 5.75%, but the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act signed in May 2025 added two brackets above it, 6.25% and 6.5%, reserved for taxable income in the high six and seven figures, plus a 2% surcharge on net capital gains for taxpayers with federal AGI above $350,000. Those changes apply to tax years 2025 and 2026. Layered on the state tax is a mandatory local income tax set by each county and Baltimore City — the piggyback tax — which turns a nominal 6.5% top rate into a combined 9.7% for the highest earners in the highest-rate counties. Maryland's joint brackets are not double the single brackets in the upper ranges, so two-earner professional couples can pay more filing jointly than they would as two singles. The state has levied a graduated income tax since 1937.
Deductions, exemptions and credits
The standard deduction became a flat $3,350 single and $6,700 joint in 2025, replacing a percentage-of-income formula. Each taxpayer and dependent gets a $3,200 personal exemption, which phases out above $100,000 of federal AGI ($150,000 joint). Itemizing is allowed only if you itemized federally, minus state income taxes, and since 2025 itemized deductions shrink by 7.5% of federal AGI above $200,000. The refundable state EITC is worth up to 45% of the federal credit.
Local income taxes in Maryland
Every Maryland county and Baltimore City levies a mandatory local income tax on residents, collected on the state return against state taxable income. Rates range from 2.25% in Worcester County to 3.2% in Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City; the 2025 budget law raised the ceiling to 3.3% and let counties adopt graduated local rates. Nonresidents pay a special rate equal to the lowest county rate. The tax follows where you live, not where you work.
Beyond the Paycheck: Sales and Property Tax
Sales tax
Maryland's sales tax is a flat 6% statewide with no county or city add-ons — Baltimore, Bethesda, and Ocean City all charge 6%. Groceries, prescription drugs, and most medical items are exempt; alcohol is taxed at 9%. Since July 2025 the base has expanded: data, IT, and software publishing services are taxed at a special 3% rate, and the vehicle excise tax rose to 6.5%. Digital products such as streaming and downloads have been taxed at 6% since 2021.
Property tax
Property taxes average about 1% of market value but vary enormously: Baltimore City's rate ($2.248 per $100 of assessed value) is roughly double the suburban counties', while Montgomery and Howard pair moderate rates with very high values. The Homestead Tax Credit caps annual assessment increases on a primary residence at 10%, and most counties set a lower cap. The Homeowners' Property Tax Credit limits bills for households with income under about $60,000; renters get a parallel credit.
How Maryland Taxes Retirement Income
Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits are exempt. Taxpayers 65 and older, or totally disabled, can claim a pension exclusion of about $40,000 (indexed) on income from employer-sponsored plans — traditional pensions, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and similar — but the exclusion is reduced dollar for dollar by Social Security received, and traditional IRA distributions do not qualify at all, a gap that surprises retirees who rolled a 401(k) into an IRA. Military retirees can exclude $12,500 (under 55) or $20,000 (55 and older) of retirement pay; retired police, fire, and correctional officers 55 and older can exclude $15,000. A separate senior tax credit of $1,000 ($1,750 joint) goes to residents 65 and older with federal AGI under $100,000 ($150,000 joint).
Who Comes Out Ahead in Maryland
Nobody at the top wins: a Bethesda or Columbia household in the highest bracket faces 6.5% state plus 3.2% county — 9.7% combined, rivaling New Jersey — plus the 2% capital gains surcharge. Dual-income professional couples are hit twice, by the mismatched joint brackets and the exemption phase-out. Retirees do better: Social Security is untaxed and the pension exclusion shelters most of a modest pension, though IRA-heavy retirees get little help. Reciprocity with Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. means cross-border commuters pay only Maryland. Remote workers pay Maryland state and county tax wherever the employer sits.
Living on Maryland's Median Income ($82,000)
The median household income in Maryland is $82,000, which is $60,419 a year ($5,035 a month) after all taxes. That is above the national median, reflecting Maryland's higher cost of living and correspondingly higher wages. After adjusting for cost of living, the purchasing power of that take-home is equivalent to $53,946 in an average-cost area.
Where Maryland Ranks on a $100,000 Salary
Maryland ranks #49 of 50 for raw take-home pay and #45 for cost-adjusted purchasing power at $100,000. The 4-place gap between the two reflects an above-average cost of living that erodes what the take-home actually buys. The best state (Alaska) leaves $79,125; the worst (Oregon) leaves $70,932. Maryland is $7,438 behind the leader.
City and Local Income Tax Calculators in Maryland
These Maryland cities levy their own income or wage tax on top of the state rate. Each page applies the exact local rate to your paycheck.