Paycheck Calculator 2026

The four lines that turn gross pay into net pay

Every paycheck is the same subtraction, in the same order:

pre-tax deductions   401(k), HSA, Section 125 premiums  → removed before income tax, kept for FICA
federal income tax   annualized liability ÷ pay periods
FICA                 Social Security 6.2% (up to the wage base) + Medicare 1.45%
state income tax     your state's rate, or 0 in the nine states with no wage tax
net pay              gross − pre-tax − federal − FICA − state

This calculator annualizes the paycheck you type in, runs the 2026 federal brackets and FICA rules on the annual figure, then divides the result back down to one pay period. That is the same engine behind our income tax calculator, so the annual and per-paycheck views can never disagree.

Worked example — $3,000 every two weeks, single, Texas, $150 per paycheck to a 401(k):

1. Annual gross: 3,000 × 26 = $78,000
2. Pre-tax: 150 × 26 = $3,900, so taxable income is 78,000 − 3,900 − 16,100 standard deduction = $58,000
3. Federal tax: 10% on the first $12,400 ($1,240) + 12% up to $50,400 ($4,560) + 22% on the remaining $7,600 ($1,672) = $7,472, or $287.38 per paycheck
4. FICA: 78,000 × 7.65% = $5,967, or $229.50 per paycheck
5. Take-home: 3,000 − 150 − 287.38 − 229.50 = $2,333.12

Five paychecks people actually compare

The same engine, five different stubs. Only the inputs change:

Two things are worth reading off that table. First, rows 2 and 4 are the same $78,000 a year, and they land in exactly the same place per year — the pay frequency changes the size of each check, never the annual total. Second, the last row shows the Social Security cap in action: at $260,000 a year the $439.96 Social Security line is already below 6.2% of the paycheck, because the tax stops once wages pass $184,500 in 2026.

Why your real stub will differ from this number

The calculation assumes you withhold exactly your annual liability, spread evenly over the year. Payroll software does not do that — it uses your W-4:

• W-4 elections. The 2020+ W-4 uses a standard deduction per pay period plus credits and "other adjustments". Claim a child credit or ask for extra withholding and the federal line moves by tens of dollars a check, while the yearly total converges when you file.
• Bonuses and commissions. Supplemental wages are commonly withheld at a flat 22% federal rate. A $5,000 bonus can therefore look overtaxed on the stub and undertaxed at filing time.
• The FICA cap. Once year-to-date wages pass $184,500, the 6.2% Social Security line disappears from your stub entirely — usually in Q4 for a $260,000 earner.
• Mid-year changes. A raise, a job change, or a 401(k) percentage change resets the annualization. This calculator assumes the paycheck you entered is what you earn all year.
• Local taxes. City and county income taxes (New York City, Ohio municipalities, Pennsylvania school districts) are not included.

How to use this calculator

1. Enter the gross pay on one paycheck — the number before any deductions, not your annual salary.
2. Pick the pay frequency: weekly (52), every two weeks (26), twice a month (24), or monthly (12).
3. Choose your filing status and state. Nine states have no wage tax, and in those the state line is a true zero.
4. If your state is not one of them, type your own rate in the state field — the result line then reads your input, so you always know which figures are ours.
5. Add pre-tax deductions per paycheck (401(k), HSA, health premiums) to see how much income tax they remove.
6. Read the take-home figure, then open the frequency comparison to see the same annual pay cut into 52, 26, 24, or 12 pieces.

Frequently asked questions

How much is taken out of a $3,000 paycheck?

With $150 going to a 401(k), single, in a state with no income tax, federal tax is $287.38 and FICA is $229.50 — $516.88 in total, leaving $2,333.12. Drop the 401(k) contribution and the federal line rises to $320.38, because pre-tax contributions reduce income tax but never FICA.

Why is my actual paycheck different from this estimate?

Because payroll withholds against your W-4, not against your annual liability. Dependent credits, extra withholding, a mid-year raise, or a bonus withheld at the flat 22% supplemental rate all move the federal line. The annual total is usually close; the per-check split can be off by tens of dollars.

Does a 401(k) contribution reduce FICA?

No. Pre-tax 401(k), HSA, and Section 125 health premiums reduce federal and state income tax, but Social Security and Medicare are still charged on the full gross wage. On the default example, $3,900 of 401(k) saves $858 of federal tax a year and $0 of FICA.

Is biweekly better than semimonthly?

Neither is better — two $3,000 biweekly checks and 26 of them equal $78,000, and so do 24 semimonthly checks of $3,250. Biweekly gives you two extra checks in some months; semimonthly gives you a fixed twice-a-month date. The annual tax is identical either way.

What happens when I pass the Social Security wage base?

In 2026 the wage base is $184,500. Social Security tax stops once year-to-date wages pass it, so a $260,000 earner pays $11,439 of Social Security for the year instead of $16,120. Medicare has no cap, and an extra 0.9% applies above $200,000 for single filers.

Why does the state line show zero?

Either your state has no wage income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) or the calculator does not have verified 2026 rates for your state. In the second case, enter your own rate — the result marks it as your input rather than our estimate.

Data sources: Federal brackets and the standard deduction follow IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 for tax year 2026 (returns filed in 2027). FICA uses 6.2% Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base announced by the Social Security Administration, plus 1.45% Medicare and the 0.9% additional Medicare tax above $200,000 single / $250,000 joint. State rates are prefilled only for states verified against their Department of Revenue; nine states have no wage tax. All arithmetic runs in your browser — nothing you type is transmitted. Prefer the yearly view? Use the take-home pay calculator; for the bracket-by-bracket breakdown, see the tax calculator.