Paycheck Take-Home Pay Calculator
Estimate your 2026 net paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and pre-tax deductions like 401(k) and HSA.
Paycheck Take-Home Pay Calculator
Earnings
Pre-Tax Deductions
Traditional pre-tax contribution. Lowers income tax, not FICA.
Pre-tax Health Savings Account contribution.
Section 125 cafeteria-plan premium. Lowers income tax and FICA.
Optional W-4 Step 4(c) amount.
This calculator estimates federal taxes only. State and local income taxes are not included; your actual take-home pay will be lower in states with an income tax.
Get Your Full Tax Estimate
This tool covers federal withholding only. Tax47 builds your full return from real W-2, 1099, and Schedule C data, with credits, deductions, and the 2026 One Big Beautiful Bill changes applied automatically.
How to calculate your take-home pay
Take-home pay is what is left after deductions and taxes come out of your gross pay. The math is simple: start with gross pay, subtract pre-tax deductions, subtract federal income tax withholding, then subtract FICA (Social Security and Medicare).
Here is a worked example. A single filer earns $2,000 of gross pay every two weeks, which is $52,000 a year. With no pre-tax deductions, the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100 leaves $35,900 of taxable income. The 2026 brackets produce about $4,072 of annual federal income tax, or roughly $157 per paycheck. FICA takes 7.65% of gross, about $153 per paycheck. Net take-home pay lands near $1,690 per period.
What gets withheld from your paycheck in 2026
Three federal items come out of a typical paycheck. Federal income tax is driven by your W-4 and your filing status. This calculator uses the IRS annualized-income method with the 2026 standard deduction: $16,100 for Single, $32,200 for Married Filing Jointly, and $24,150 for Head of Household.
Social Security tax is 6.2% of wages, but only up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500. Once your wages pass that limit, Social Security tax stops for the year. Medicare tax is 1.45% on all wages, with an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages above $200,000 (Single or Head of Household) or $250,000 (Married Filing Jointly).
Pre-tax deductions and how they raise your take-home value
Pre-tax deductions lower the income that gets taxed, so they shrink your tax bill and lift your effective take-home value. Traditional 401(k) and 403(b) contributions and HSA contributions reduce your federal income tax base. One thing to watch: 401(k) and HSA contributions are still subject to Social Security and Medicare tax, so they do not lower your FICA.
Section 125 cafeteria-plan insurance premiums (medical, dental, and vision) work differently. They reduce both your income tax base and your FICA wages, so they save you a little more per dollar than a 401(k) contribution does.
Federal-only estimate and what this calculator does not cover
This calculator estimates federal taxes only. It does not include state or local income tax, post-tax deductions such as Roth contributions or union dues, wage garnishments, or supplemental withholding on bonuses. In states with an income tax, your real paycheck will be smaller than the figure shown here.
For a complete refund picture that reflects the 2026 One Big Beautiful Bill changes, build your full return with Tax47, which works from your actual W-2, 1099, and Schedule C data.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about paycheck take-home pay calculator
How is take-home pay calculated from my gross salary?
Take-home pay starts with your gross pay for the period, then subtracts pre-tax deductions (like 401(k) and HSA), federal income tax withholding, and FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare). What is left is your net pay. This calculator annualizes your income, applies the 2026 brackets and standard deduction, then divides the result back to your pay period.
What is the difference between gross pay and net (take-home) pay?
Gross pay is the full amount you earn before anything is withheld. Net pay, or take-home pay, is what actually lands in your bank account after pre-tax deductions, federal income tax, and FICA are removed. The gap between the two is often 20% to 35% of gross pay, depending on your income and deductions.
How much is taken out of my paycheck for taxes in 2026?
It depends on your income, filing status, and deductions. FICA is a flat 7.65% on most wages (6.2% Social Security plus 1.45% Medicare). Federal income tax withholding follows the 2026 brackets, which run from 10% up to 37%. For a typical middle-income worker, total federal withholding plus FICA usually falls between 20% and 30% of gross pay.
Do 401(k) and HSA contributions lower my taxes?
They lower your federal income tax, because traditional 401(k) and HSA contributions reduce your taxable income. Social Security and Medicare taxes still apply to 401(k) and HSA contributions, though, so those deductions do not reduce your FICA. Section 125 cafeteria-plan insurance premiums are different: they reduce both income tax and FICA.
What is FICA, and how much is the Social Security and Medicare tax in 2026?
FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It funds Social Security and Medicare. In 2026 the employee share is 6.2% for Social Security (on wages up to the $184,500 wage base) and 1.45% for Medicare (on all wages). An extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies to wages above $200,000 for single filers or $250,000 for joint filers.
Why did my Social Security tax stop coming out near the end of the year?
Social Security tax only applies to wages up to the annual wage base, which is $184,500 for 2026. Once your year-to-date wages pass that limit, no more Social Security tax is withheld for the rest of the year. This calculator spreads the capped total evenly across your pay periods, so a single per-paycheck figure may differ a little from a real late-year paycheck.
Does this calculator include state income tax?
No. This calculator estimates federal taxes only: federal income tax withholding, Social Security, and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not included, so your actual take-home pay will be lower in states that have an income tax.
Why is my actual paycheck different from this estimate?
A few things can shift the result: W-4 adjustments for dependents or multiple jobs, bonuses taxed at supplemental rates, mid-year raises, post-tax deductions like Roth contributions or union dues, wage garnishments, and rounding by your payroll system. This tool gives a clean annualized estimate, not an exact copy of your employer's payroll calculation.