US Paycheck Calculator
Your take-home pay per paycheck for 2026 after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and pre-tax deductions.
2026 IRS brackets and FICA rates ยท By Stuart Mathieson · Updated November 2026
Pre-tax benefits are health, dental and vision premiums, FSA and HSA contributions taken through payroll. For married filing jointly, enter your combined salary.
Results
Take-home per paycheck
Take-home a year
Top federal bracket
Breakdown
| Per paycheck | Year |
|---|
Federal income tax by bracket
| Amount | Rate | Tax |
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Estimates the tax you owe for the year with the standard deduction and no credits. What's withheld from each paycheck depends on your W-4, so it can differ. Results are estimates for illustration only and are not tax advice.
How the calculator works
Gross pay goes through four steps before it reaches your bank account:
- Pre-tax benefits - health insurance premiums and HSA or FSA contributions under a cafeteria (Section 125) plan come off first. They lower both income tax and FICA.
- 401(k) or 403(b) - traditional contributions lower your income tax, but Social Security and Medicare are still charged on them.
- Federal income tax - the standard deduction comes off, then the rest is taxed in brackets from 10% to 37%.
- FICA - 6.2% Social Security on wages up to $184,500 and 1.45% Medicare on all wages, plus 0.9% Additional Medicare above $200,000 ($250,000 if married filing jointly).
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | Up to $12,400 | Up to $24,800 | Up to $17,700 |
| 12% | to $50,400 | to $100,800 | to $67,450 |
| 22% | to $105,700 | to $211,400 | to $105,700 |
| 24% | to $201,775 | to $403,550 | to $201,750 |
| 32% | to $256,225 | to $512,450 | to $256,200 |
| 35% | to $640,600 | to $768,700 | to $640,600 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 | Over $640,600 |
The 2026 standard deduction is $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly and $24,150 head of household.
Worked example
A single filer earning $75,000, paid biweekly, with no benefits or 401(k):
- Taxable income: $75,000 - $16,100 = $58,900
- Federal tax: 10% of $12,400 + 12% of $38,000 + 22% of $8,500 = $7,670
- Social Security and Medicare: 7.65% of $75,000 = $5,737.50
- Take-home: $61,592.50 a year, or $2,368.94 per paycheck
Add a 6% 401(k) and $3,000 a year of pre-tax health premiums and federal tax falls to $6,020 and FICA to $5,508. Take-home drops to $55,972, but $4,500 of that difference is sitting in your retirement account, so the real cost of saving it is far less than $4,500.
I'm based in Scotland, so I built this from the IRS's own bracket tables and the Social Security Administration's figures rather than from experience of a US payslip. My guide to reading a US paycheck goes through every line.
What it leaves out
- State and local taxes - each state has its own brackets and deductions, so the calculator applies one flat rate you enter. Several states, including Texas and Florida, don't tax wages at all.
- Credits and other deductions - the Child Tax Credit, itemized deductions and the newer deductions for tips, overtime and over-65s all lower the tax you owe, but aren't included.
- Withholding - your employer withholds based on your W-4, which may not match what you owe. The difference shows up as a refund or a bill when you file.
- Roth 401(k) - Roth contributions are made after tax. Leave the 401(k) field at 0 and treat them as part of your take-home pay.
- Bonuses - often withheld at a flat 22% federal rate, which can make a bonus paycheck look different from what the year's tax works out to be.
Frequently asked questions
How much is $75,000 a year after taxes?
For a single filer in 2026 with no state income tax and no pre-tax deductions, about $61,593 a year - $7,670 federal income tax and $5,737.50 Social Security and Medicare. That's $2,368.94 every two weeks.
Does a 401(k) reduce Social Security and Medicare tax?
No. Traditional 401(k) contributions lower your federal (and usually state) income tax, but FICA is still charged on them. Health premiums and HSA contributions through a Section 125 plan lower both.
What percentage of my paycheck goes to taxes?
At $50,000 single, federal income tax is about 7.6% of gross pay and FICA 7.65%, so around 15% before state tax. At $100,000 it's about 13.2% plus 7.65%. Your top bracket is higher than these averages, because only income inside each bracket is taxed at that rate.
What is the 2026 Social Security wage base?
$184,500. You pay 6.2% Social Security on wages up to that amount and nothing above it, so the most an employee pays in 2026 is $11,439. Medicare has no cap.
Sources
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 - Internal Revenue Service
- Contribution and Benefit Base - Social Security Administration
- Topic no. 751, Social Security and Medicare withholding rates - Internal Revenue Service
- Questions and answers for the Additional Medicare Tax - Internal Revenue Service