Paycheck calculator 2026: your take-home pay after taxes
Enter your salary or hourly wage and see exactly what lands in your account — federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state and city taxes, 401(k) and health deductions — for all 50 states and DC, updated with the 2026 tables. For example, a $65,000 salary in California takes home about $51,588 a year, or $1,984 every two weeks.
Your pay
Take-home pay
| Line | A | B | Difference |
|---|
| Line | Bi-weekly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,500 | $65,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$216 | −$5,620 |
| Taxable income $48,900 = wages $65,000 − standard deduction $16,100, through the 2026 brackets (10%/12%/22%/24%/32%/35%/37%). | ||
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$155 | −$4,030 |
| 6.2% of $65,000. | ||
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$36 | −$942 |
| 1.45% of $65,000. | ||
| California state income tax | −$76 | −$1,975 |
| Taxable $59,294 = wages $65,000 − deduction $5,706. Brackets 1%/2%/4%/6%/8%/9.3%/10.3%/11.3%/12.3%/13.3%. Minus $153 credit. California's withholding tables run at 110% of these rates; the extra comes back as a refund. | ||
| CA SDI | −$32 | −$845 |
| 1.3% of wages. | ||
| Take-home pay | $1,984 | $51,588 |
Take-home pay by state
One calculator page per state with the 2026 rules, plus "after taxes" answers for every salary from $30,000 to $300,000.
Popular salaries after tax
Big cities with local tax
Other countries
How the paycheck calculator works
Your gross pay is annualized, then we subtract pre-tax deductions (401(k), HSA, health premiums), apply the 2026 federal standard deduction for your filing status and the seven federal brackets (10% to 37%), add FICA (6.2% Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base and 1.45% Medicare, plus 0.9% over $200,000), then your state's income tax with its own deductions, exemptions and credits, then any city or county tax and state payroll programs such as CA SDI, NJ SDI/FLI or WA Paid Leave. What is left is your take-home pay, shown per paycheck for weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly and monthly pay. Full methodology and sources.
Frequently asked
How much of my paycheck goes to taxes?
For most single earners between $40,000 and $100,000 the total (federal + FICA + state) lands between 18% and 30% of gross pay. A $65,000 salary in California, for example, pays 20.6% in total taxes; the same salary in Texas or Florida pays about 6–7 points less because there is no state income tax.
Is this the amount that will actually be on my paycheck?
It is a close estimate of standard withholding for someone who filled in the 2020-or-later W-4 with no extra adjustments. Benefits, garnishments, extra withholding you asked for, or an older W-4 will move the real number. The annual figures are also your actual tax liability if wages are your only income and you take the standard deduction.
Which tax year does the calculator use?
2026 federal tables (Rev. Proc. 2025-32, the $184,500 Social Security wage base and the $24,500 401(k) limit). States that have published their 2026 tables use them; the rest use the latest official tables, which we replace as each state releases its January update.
Does a 401(k) reduce Social Security tax?
No. Traditional 401(k) contributions reduce federal and (in almost every state) state income tax, but Social Security and Medicare are calculated on your pay before the 401(k) comes out. Health premiums and HSA contributions through a Section 125 cafeteria plan reduce both.