Federal Tax (Annual)
$13,841.00
US Paycheck Tax Calculator
Estimate federal tax, FICA, and net pay from gross income.
Net Pay per Period
$2,827.27
Social Security + Medicare
$7,650.00
State Tax (est.)
$5,000.00
Net Annual Pay
$73,509.00
Simplified 2024 federal brackets with standard deduction; ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, and local taxes.
How to use the US Paycheck Tax Calculator
The US Paycheck Tax Calculator is free and runs entirely in your browser — no sign-up, and nothing you enter leaves your device. It opens pre-filled with a realistic example, so you can see how it works before replacing any figure with your own; the results update as you type. Press Calculate to refresh the result panel, or Reset to return to the example.
The inputs it asks for:
- Annual Gross Income — a dollar amount.
- Filing Status — choose one — Single, Married Filing Jointly.
- Pay Frequency — choose one — Monthly, Semi-Monthly, Bi-Weekly, Weekly.
- State Tax Rate (flat est.) — a percentage (enter 6 for 6%).
The formula
It works from gross pay down to take-home. The standard deduction comes off first, federal tax is applied through the 2024 brackets, then FICA (Social Security + Medicare) and an optional flat state rate are subtracted, and the remainder is split across your pay periods:
Net = Gross − Federal tax − Social Security − Medicare − State tax
Social Security = min(Gross, $168,600) × 6.2% Medicare = Gross × 1.45%- Federal tax
- the 2024 brackets applied to (gross − standard deduction)
- Social Security
- 6.2% up to the annual wage base; Medicare is 1.45% on all wages
A simplified 2024-law estimate. It uses the standard deduction and ignores pre-tax deductions (401k, health premiums), tax credits, the extra Medicare tax on high earners, and local taxes — so real take-home can differ. State tax is a flat estimate, not bracketed.
Worked example
Using the example values — Annual Gross Income $100,000.00, Filing Status Single, Pay Frequency Bi-Weekly, State Tax Rate (flat est.) 5% — the US Paycheck Tax Calculator returns a Net Pay per Period of $2,827.27. It also reports Federal Tax (Annual) ($13,841.00), Social Security + Medicare ($7,650.00), State Tax (est.) ($5,000.00).
Prefer your own numbers? Change any field above and this recomputes instantly.
Key terms
- Gross vs net pay
- Earnings before deductions vs the amount that reaches your account.
- FICA
- The combined Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) payroll taxes.
- Standard deduction
- A flat amount subtracted from income before federal tax.
- Wage base
- The earnings ceiling above which Social Security tax stops (Medicare has none).
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't Social Security apply to my whole salary?
It's capped at an annual wage base ($168,600 in 2024); earnings above it aren't taxed for Social Security. Medicare's 1.45% has no such cap.
Why is my real paycheck different?
This ignores pre-tax deductions (retirement, health insurance), tax credits and local taxes, and treats state tax as a flat rate. Those can move take-home either way.
Is the state tax accurate?
It's a flat estimate you enter. Many states use brackets, and some have no income tax at all, so treat it as an approximation.