Calculate your exact take-home pay from gross salary. See federal, state, and FICA taxes. Free paycheck calculator. Not tax advice.
Your gross salary and take-home pay can differ by 25-40% once federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and benefits deductions are applied. Most people budget from a number that does not exist — their gross. Our calculator shows your true monthly and annual take-home based on your filing status, state, and deductions.
Standard paycheck deductions: Federal income tax: based on your W-4 elections and tax bracket. State income tax: 0% in TX, FL, WA, NV to 13.3% in CA. Social Security: 6.2% on first $176,100. Medicare: 1.45% on all wages plus 0.9% above $200,000. Health insurance premium: your share typically $100-$500/month. 401k contribution: your elected percentage. HSA contribution: if elected. Total deductions typically 25-35% of gross for middle-income earners.
Approximate monthly take-home (single filer, no benefits, US average state tax): $40,000 salary: approximately $2,900/month. $60,000 salary: approximately $4,100/month. $80,000 salary: approximately $5,300/month. $100,000 salary: approximately $6,500/month. $150,000 salary: approximately $9,200/month. Adding health insurance and 401k contributions reduces these by $500-$2,000/month depending on elections.
Take-home pay calculation: Start with annual gross salary. Subtract pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA, health insurance). Apply federal income tax to adjusted gross. Subtract FICA taxes (7.65% for most earners). Subtract state income tax. Remaining = annual take-home. Divide by 26 for biweekly, 24 for semi-monthly, 12 for monthly paycheck. Our calculator does all this instantly — just enter your gross salary and key deductions.
Common take-home surprises: Benefits deductions: health insurance premium is much larger than people realize before starting a job. State income tax: varies dramatically — moving from Texas to California reduces take-home 8-13%. Higher tax bracket: raise bumped you to next bracket on marginal income. Additional Medicare: 0.9% surcharge over $200,000. Incorrect W-4: claiming too few allowances. Check your pay stub line by line against this calculator to find discrepancies.
Gross pay: total earnings before any deductions — your stated salary or hourly rate times hours. Net pay (take-home): what actually hits your bank account after all deductions. W-2 box 1: taxable wages — gross minus pre-tax retirement and benefits. The difference matters for: budgeting (use net), loan applications (use gross), child support calculations (sometimes net), retirement projections (use gross minus 401k). Always budget from net pay not gross.
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The Pay Stub Calculator — Calculate Your Exact Take-Home Pay uses the same formulas, rates, and reference data that financial planners, professionals, and government sources publish. Results are estimates intended for planning and education — for situations involving large sums or legal consequences, confirm with a qualified professional before acting.
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