US Paycheck Calculator
Take-home pay per paycheck in the United States for 2026: federal income tax withholding by the IRS percentage method, Social Security, Medicare, your pre-tax deductions and an optional state or local tax rate.
Result…
How it's calculated
Adjusted annual wage = (gross − 401(k) − HSA − other pre-tax) × pay periods − 8,600 (12,900 married filing jointly; 0 if the W-4 Step 2 box is checked) Annual withholding = C + D × (adjusted wage − A) from the Pub 15-T 2026 annual table Per paycheck = annual ÷ periods − Step 3 ÷ periods + Step 4(c) Social Security = 6.2% of wages up to 184,500 a year Medicare = 1.45% of wages + 0.9% of wages over 200,000 a year Take-home = gross − pre-tax deductions − federal − Social Security − Medicare − state and local
Works out a US paycheck for 2026 the way an employer's payroll does. Federal income tax withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T for 2026, Worksheet 1A with the annual percentage-method tables for a Form W-4 from 2020 or later: the standard tables, or the Step 2 checkbox tables for two-job households, less any Step 3 credits, plus any extra withholding. Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of 184,500 set by the Social Security Administration, and Medicare is 1.45% plus the 0.9% additional Medicare tax that employers withhold on wages over 200,000 a year. Traditional 401(k) contributions lower income tax only; HSA and other cafeteria-plan deductions also lower Social Security and Medicare. State and local income tax is not built in: enter your own flat rate if you want it counted.
Your numbers, step by step
About the US Paycheck calculator
This US paycheck calculator estimates take-home pay per paycheck for tax year 2026. Enter your gross pay, how often you are paid and your filing status from Form W-4, plus any pre-tax 401(k), HSA or cafeteria-plan deductions. It works out federal income tax withholding with the percentage method in IRS Publication 15-T for 2026, Social Security at 6.2% up to the 2026 wage base of 184,500, and Medicare at 1.45% plus the 0.9% additional Medicare tax that employers withhold above 200,000 a year. State and local income taxes are not built in: enter your own flat rate if you want them counted. Amounts are US dollars, and every step of the working is shown with your numbers, so you can check it against a pay stub.
How to use it
- Choose your “Filing status on Form W-4” and your “Pay frequency”.
- Enter the “Gross pay per paycheck” before any deductions.
- Add your “Pre-tax 401(k) or 403(b) per paycheck”, “HSA through payroll per paycheck” and “Other pre-tax deductions per paycheck”.
- Set the W-4 Step 2 box, “W-4 Step 3 credits for the year” and any “W-4 Step 4(c) extra withholding per paycheck” to match your form.
- Optionally enter a “State and local income tax rate”, then read the take-home pay and the breakdown.
Worked example
A single filer paid every two weeks earns 3,000 gross, puts 150 into a 401(k) and pays 100 of pre-tax health premiums. Wages for income tax are 2,750, or 71,500 a year; less 8,600 that is 62,900, and the 2026 table gives 6,900 a year, 265.38 a paycheck. Social Security is 6.2% of 2,900 = 179.80 and Medicare is 42.05. Take-home pay is 2,262.77 a paycheck, 58,831.90 for the year, with taxes at 16.2% of gross pay.
Updated
Questions people ask
How is federal income tax withholding calculated on a 2026 paycheck?
Your taxable wages are annualised, 8,600 is subtracted (12,900 if married filing jointly, nothing if the W-4 Step 2 box is checked), and the IRS Publication 15-T 2026 annual table gives the year's withholding. That is divided by your pay periods, less any Step 3 credits, plus any extra you asked for. The IRS Pub 15-T has the tables.
Does a 401(k) contribution lower Social Security and Medicare tax?
No. A traditional 401(k) or 403(b) contribution lowers federal income tax, but Social Security and Medicare are still charged on it. HSA contributions through payroll and other cafeteria-plan deductions, such as health premiums, lower all three.
Why does my take-home pay go up late in the year?
Social Security stops once your wages for the year pass 184,500 in 2026, so later paychecks have no 6.2% deduction. The calculator spreads it as a yearly average, so your real paychecks will differ when you are above the wage base.
What is a common mistake when checking a pay stub?
Comparing withholding with your final tax bill. Withholding is only an estimate: new 2026 deductions for tips, overtime, seniors and car loan interest, and credits you did not put on your W-4, are settled on your tax return. Use the US income tax calculator for the year's tax.
Does this include state income tax?
Only if you enter a rate. There are no state or city tables built in, and states treat pre-tax deductions differently, so a flat rate is an approximation. Outside the United States, payroll rules are entirely different.
How accurate is this paycheck estimate?
It follows the IRS method for automated payroll, but employers can round differently, and W-4 Steps 4(a) and 4(b), local payroll taxes and benefits such as group-term life insurance are not included. For a decision that matters, check with your payroll department, the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator or a tax professional.