About the Salary After Tax Calculator
Your paycheck is smaller than your salary divided by the number of pay periods because of withholding for federal income tax, FICA (Social Security and Medicare), and often state income tax, plus any pre-tax benefits such as a traditional 401(k), an HSA, or health insurance premiums.
This calculator estimates each piece using the IRS brackets and payroll-tax parameters for the tax year you select. It is an annual estimate spread evenly across pay periods; it is not a payroll calculation and does not reproduce your employer's exact withholding.
How It Works
Federal income tax: salary minus traditional 401(k), HSA and other pre-tax contributions, minus the standard deduction, taxed with the selected year's brackets.
FICA: 6.2% Social Security up to the annual wage base plus 1.45% Medicare, plus 0.9% Additional Medicare above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (joint). Payroll HSA and Section 125 deductions are exempt from FICA; traditional 401(k) deferrals are not.
State tax: $0 for verified no-income-tax states; for other states the calculation is shown as not available unless you enter your own estimated rate.
Formula
Example
A single filer in Texas earns $85,000, contributes $5,000 a year to a traditional 401(k), and is paid biweekly (2026 tax year).
Inputs
- Salary
- $85,000
- 401(k)
- $5,000/yr
- Filing status
- Single
- State
- Texas
Results
- Federal tax
- $8,770.00
- FICA
- $6,502.50
- Take-home per year
- $64,727.50
- Take-home per paycheck
- $2,489.52
Federal taxable income is $85,000 − $5,000 − $16,100 = $63,900, which falls partly in the 22% bracket.
Assumptions & Limitations
- Standard deduction for the selected year and filing status; itemized deductions, dependents and credits (such as the Child Tax Credit) are not included.
- All income is wages from one job, earned evenly through the year.
- Pre-tax contributions are annual amounts. Roth 401(k) contributions and after-tax deductions are not included.
- Not included: local/city income taxes, state disability or paid-leave payroll taxes, bonuses taxed at supplemental rates, and W-4 adjustments.
- 401(k) and HSA limits come from the centralized retirement-limits data and are shown as warnings only.
Understanding Your Results
- Estimated Take-home Pay: Net pay per period for the pay frequency you chose.
- Effective Tax Rate: Federal, state and FICA taxes as a percentage of gross salary.
- Pay breakdown table: The same annual estimate shown per year, month, two weeks, and week.