Why is my actual paycheck different from what the calculator shows?

Common reasons: pre-tax health insurance, HSA, FSA, commuter benefits (the calculator only handles 401k-style pretax); withholding allowances on your W-4 (which determine how much is held each pay period rather than the total annual tax); state-specific deductions; local income tax (some cities and counties).

Why doesn't the calculator know my state's brackets?

Forty-three states impose income tax. About thirty change their brackets annually. Maintaining all of them accurately would consume the entire tool's maintenance budget. The flat state rate is a usable approximation — look up your effective rate at your tax bracket once and reuse it.

Does pre-tax 401(k) reduce FICA too?

No. 401(k) contributions are exempt from federal income tax but still subject to Social Security and Medicare. The calculator reflects this.

What about self-employment income?

Self-employed people pay both halves of FICA (the employer share too, called SE tax, totalling 15.3%). The calculator assumes employee status. If you're a 1099 contractor, double the FICA line and consider it a rough estimate only.

Does the calculator store my salary?

No. Every computation runs in your browser; nothing is sent to a server, logged, or saved in localStorage.

Salary Calculator (US, 2026)

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.

Annual gross salary ($)

Filing status

Annual 401(k) / pre-tax contributions ($)

State income tax rate (%)

Net annual

$64,666

Net monthly

$5,389

Net weekly

$1,244

Net hourly (40h)

$31.09

Federal tax

$9,214

Social Security

$4,960

Medicare

$1,160

State tax

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.

How to use

Enter your gross salary
The big number on your offer letter or W-2 box 1 (before pre-tax deductions back out). Annual.
Pick filing status
Single or married-filing-jointly. The calculator uses MFJ brackets and standard deduction when MFJ is selected.
Add your 401(k) and state rate
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.

Quick reference (single filer, no state tax, no 401k)

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%

Frequently asked questions

Why is my actual paycheck different from what the calculator shows?: Common reasons: pre-tax health insurance, HSA, FSA, commuter benefits (the calculator only handles 401k-style pretax); withholding allowances on your W-4 (which determine how much is held each pay period rather than the total annual tax); state-specific deductions; local income tax (some cities and counties).
Why doesn't the calculator know my state's brackets?: Forty-three states impose income tax. About thirty change their brackets annually. Maintaining all of them accurately would consume the entire tool's maintenance budget. The flat state rate is a usable approximation — look up your effective rate at your tax bracket once and reuse it.
Does pre-tax 401(k) reduce FICA too?: No. 401(k) contributions are exempt from federal income tax but still subject to Social Security and Medicare. The calculator reflects this.
What about self-employment income?: Self-employed people pay both halves of FICA (the employer share too, called SE tax, totalling 15.3%). The calculator assumes employee status. If you're a 1099 contractor, double the FICA line and consider it a rough estimate only.
Does the calculator store my salary?: No. Every computation runs in your browser; nothing is sent to a server, logged, or saved in localStorage.

About

2026 federal brackets used

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.

FICA stack details

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.

What's not modelled

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).