Hourly or salary: calculate your exact net pay per paycheck after federal income tax, state tax, FICA and pre-tax deductions. See how 401(k), HSA and health insurance contributions change each check, and what overtime adds.
Calculators give you the number. These three books give you the framework — when to convert, how to sequence withdrawals, and how to integrate with estate planning. Required reading if you're actually planning retirement, not just curious.
Figure. The 2026 federal marginal tax brackets for single filers. The 22% bracket spans the largest income range ($49,850–$106,450), so most middle-class filers spend years adding income inside it. — Source: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-11
The Background
Your net paycheck is your gross pay minus taxes and pre-tax deductions. Understanding exactly what comes out of each paycheck helps you budget accurately and avoid surprises.
Pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions, HSA contributions, and health insurance premiums are subtracted from your gross pay before federal and state income taxes are calculated. This lowers your taxable income, meaning you pay less in income tax. However, these deductions do not reduce your FICA (Social Security and Medicare) taxes.
FICA taxes are calculated on your full gross salary regardless of pre-tax deductions. Social Security tax is 6.2% on earnings up to $184,500, and Medicare tax is 1.45% on all earnings (plus an additional 0.9% on earnings above $200,000).
Pay frequency affects the size of each paycheck but not your total annual tax burden. Weekly pay means 52 smaller paychecks, biweekly means 26, semi-monthly means 24, and monthly means 12 larger paychecks. The annual totals remain the same regardless of frequency.
Your gross paycheck is your annual salary divided by pay periods (24 semi-monthly, 26 biweekly, 52 weekly). From that, the calculator subtracts: federal income tax withholding (based on your W-4), Social Security tax (6.2% on wages up to $184,500 in 2026), Medicare tax (1.45% on all wages plus 0.9% Additional Medicare on wages over $200,000), state income tax (varies by state — 9 states have no tax), local tax if applicable (NYC, Philadelphia, many Ohio cities, Maryland counties, etc.), and pre-tax deductions like 401(k), HSA, and health insurance premiums.
How much taxes are taken out of my paycheck?+
Federal withholding plus FICA (Social Security + Medicare) typically takes 18-30% of gross pay before state and local tax. For a $75,000 single filer in 2026: federal withholding ~$8,970/year, FICA $5,737, totaling 19.6% federal. Add California state tax of about $3,000 (4.0% effective) and you're at 23.6% combined. In Texas with no state tax, same income would be 19.6%. High earners hit higher marginal brackets — at $200,000 single, combined federal+FICA is closer to 30%, plus Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% on wages over $200,000.
What is the difference between gross and net pay?+
Gross pay is your full earned wages before any deductions. Net pay (take-home pay) is what hits your bank account after federal income tax withholding, FICA (Social Security + Medicare), state income tax, local tax, and voluntary pre-tax deductions like 401(k), HSA, and health insurance premiums. The gap between gross and net is typically 25-35% of gross pay depending on state and contribution choices. Pre-tax 401(k) and HSA contributions reduce taxable income, which reduces the tax taken out — so increasing those can grow your net pay less than the contribution amount.
How do I increase my take-home pay?+
Three main levers: (1) reduce taxable income via pre-tax contributions to 401(k), HSA, FSA, dependent-care FSA, and commuter benefits — each dollar contributed saves you your marginal tax rate on that dollar; (2) update your W-4 to match actual withholding to actual tax owed — most refunds are interest-free loans to the government, and adjusting allowances brings cash flow into each paycheck instead of one annual refund; (3) move to a no-tax state (Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Washington, Nevada, Wyoming, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Alaska) — at $100K income this saves $3,000-$9,000/year compared to high-tax states.
What state has the highest take-home pay?+
The 9 no-income-tax states all share the top tier for take-home pay: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. On a $100K salary, these states give you about $78,900 take-home vs $72,400 in California — a $6,500 annual gap. Of the income-tax states, those with the lowest take-home impact are typically Pennsylvania (3.07% flat), Indiana (2.95% flat), and Ohio (2.75% flat). Cost of living matters too — Texas has high property taxes, Washington has high sales tax (10%+), so the no-tax savings are partially offset by other taxes.
What percentage is taken out of my paycheck for taxes?+
Between about 18% and 30% of gross pay for most workers in 2026. FICA is a fixed 7.65% (6.2% Social Security on wages up to $184,500 plus 1.45% Medicare on everything). Federal income tax then adds roughly 7.6% of gross at $50,000, 10.3% at $75,000, 13.2% at $100,000 and 16.5% at $150,000 for a single filer, because the first $16,100 is sheltered by the standard deduction and the brackets step from 10% up to 24%. State income tax adds nothing in nine states and typically 3% to 7% elsewhere. All in: a $75,000 single filer sees about 17.9% withheld in Texas, 22.7% in Illinois and 22% in California. Married filers and anyone with pre-tax 401(k), HSA or health premiums see lower percentages.
How much federal tax is taken out of a paycheck?+
Federal income tax on a biweekly check in 2026, single filer with no pre-tax deductions: about $147 on a $50,000 salary ($1,923 gross), $297 on $75,000 ($2,885 gross), $509 on $100,000 and $953 on $150,000. Add FICA of $147, $221, $294 and $441 respectively. These are annual-tax figures divided by 26; actual withholding follows your W-4 and can run higher or lower, which is what produces a refund or a bill in April.
How do I read my pay stub?+
Top line is gross pay for the period. Next come pre-tax deductions — traditional 401(k), HSA and Section 125 health premiums — which reduce the taxable wages shown for federal and state tax (health and HSA via a cafeteria plan also reduce Social Security and Medicare wages; 401(k) does not). Then the taxes: federal income tax withholding, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), state income tax and any city or county tax. Post-tax deductions — Roth 401(k), union dues, garnishments, after-tax insurance — come off last. Net pay is what is deposited. The YTD column lets you check whether Social Security stopped at the $184,500 wage base and whether your federal withholding is on pace with the tax you will actually owe.
Does a bigger paycheck change the tax rate taken out?+
The withholding rate, yes; your actual tax, no. Payroll systems annualize each check: a week with overtime or a commission looks like a much higher salary for that one period, so more is withheld from it. Your real tax is settled on the annual return, where only the dollars above each bracket line are taxed at the higher rate. Over-withholding on a big check comes back as a refund. The exception is supplemental pay such as bonuses, which employers may withhold at a flat 22% regardless of your bracket.
Are hourly and salaried paychecks taxed differently?+
No. Both are wages taxed at the same federal brackets, FICA rates and state rates; the calculator simply annualizes hourly pay (rate × hours × 52) to apply them. Overtime is taxed as ordinary wages, although for tax years 2025 through 2028 the premium half of qualified overtime (the extra 0.5× above straight time) is deductible on the federal return up to $12,500 for single filers and $25,000 for joint filers, phasing out above $150,000 and $300,000 of income. That deduction is claimed at filing, so it does not change what is withheld from each check.
