2026 federal brackets, FICA exact, state as a flat rate you supply.
Salary calculators are tax-jurisdiction-specific by nature. This one uses the 2026 US federal marginal brackets, the full FICA stack (Social Security capped at the wage base, Medicare with the high-income surcharge), and treats state income tax as a flat percent you supply. We deliberately don’t hardcode all 50 state brackets — they change yearly in ~30 of them and would turn this tool into a maintenance treadmill. For an estimate the flat state rate is plenty accurate; for tax decisions, your CPA. For how the same gross translates across US cities, see our salary by city guide.
Total tax: $15,334 · Effective rate: 19.2% · Using 2026 federal brackets and FICA rates.
US federal + FICA only. State tax is a flat user-supplied percent (the calculator can’t hold all 50 states’ brackets accurate without daily maintenance). Numbers are estimates; consult a CPA for tax decisions.
The big number on your offer letter or W-2 box 1 (before pre-tax deductions back out). Annual.
Single or married-filing-jointly. The calculator uses MFJ brackets and standard deduction when MFJ is selected.
Annual pre-tax contributions reduce federal-taxable income (but not FICA). State tax is your effective state rate as a percent — look it up once for your state and bracket.
| Gross | Federal | FICA | Net annual | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | ~$4,000 | ~$3,825 | ~$42,175 | ~15.7% |
| $80,000 | ~$10,000 | ~$6,120 | ~$63,880 | ~20.1% |
| $150,000 | ~$26,000 | ~$11,225 | ~$112,775 | ~24.8% |
| $300,000 | ~$75,000 | ~$15,210 | ~$209,790 | ~30.1% |
Single: 10% to $11,925; 12% to $48,475; 22% to $103,350; 24% to $197,300; 32% to $250,525; 35% to $626,350; 37% above. MFJ: brackets are roughly double the single thresholds. Standard deduction: $15,000 single / $30,000 MFJ. These are projected from 2025 with the statutory inflation adjustment; revise this calculator every December when IRS publishes the new numbers.
Social Security: 6.2% on wages up to the wage base (~$174,900 in 2026, projected from 2025). Medicare: 1.45% on all wages, plus an additional 0.9% surcharge above $200K (single) or $250K (MFJ). The surcharge is uncapped.
Pre-tax health insurance and HSA contributions (treated identically to 401k for simplicity, which over-counts FICA on those amounts by 7.65%). Itemised deductions (we assume the standard deduction). Tax credits (child, dependent care, retirement saver's). Net investment income tax. AMT (rarely binding for typical W-2 employees post-2017).
Authoritative references behind the math, constants, and tables on this page. Verified by Buğra Sözeri on the dates shown and re-checked at every deploy.