Paycheck Calculator
Estimate net per paycheck and annual take-home from gross pay, your tax rates, and deductions.
Written by Golam Rabbani, Founder & Lead Engineer
How to use this paycheck calculator
- Enter your gross pay per period and pick how often you are paid (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly).
- Add any pre-tax deductions per period (401(k), HSA, health insurance) — these come out before tax.
- Add any post-tax deductions per period (Roth contributions, garnishments, after-tax health).
- Enter the federal, state/local, and FICA/payroll tax percentages you actually pay. Default FICA is 7.65% (US employee share); change it for your jurisdiction.
- Type the tax year you are filing under.
- Pick your currency and press Calculate to see net per period and annualised gross and net.
- Use Copy to save the breakdown or Reset to start over.
About this paycheck calculator
The paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay per period and annualises both gross and net. You bring the tax rates because they change every year and vary by country, state, filing status, and credits — bundling a 2024 or 2025 table would mean the tool is wrong the day rates change.
The formula is: taxable_base = gross − pre_tax; federal_tax = taxable_base × fed%; state_tax = taxable_base × state%; fica_tax = taxable_base × fica%; net = taxable_base − (federal + state + fica) − post_tax. Annualised figures multiply by 52, 26, 24, or 12 periods per year depending on your pay frequency.
Worked example: bi-weekly gross of 2,500 with 150 pre-tax 401(k), 30 post-tax Roth, 12% federal, 5% state, 7.65% FICA, tax year 2025. Taxable base is 2,350. Federal 282, state 117.50, FICA 179.78 — total tax 579.28. Net per paycheck = 2,350 − 579.28 − 30 = 1,740.72. Annualised gross 65,000, annualised net 45,258.72.
This is an estimate, not a payroll run. Real paychecks depend on year-to-date withholding, bracket transitions, pre-tax limits, and credits. Verify with your local tax authority or your employer's payroll system. Not financial advice.
FAQ
- Why does this paycheck calculator ask me to type my tax rates?
- Federal brackets, state rates, and FICA caps change yearly and differ by country and filing status. A hard-coded table goes stale on January 1; asking you to paste your own rate keeps the result accurate for any year and any jurisdiction.
- What rate should I use for FICA / payroll tax?
- For US employees the standard employee share is 7.65% (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare) up to the Social Security wage base. If you are above the cap, or self-employed, or outside the US, replace the default with the rate that actually applies to you.
- What is the difference between pre-tax and post-tax deductions?
- Pre-tax deductions (traditional 401(k), HSA, many health plans) reduce the taxable base, so they lower the tax you pay. Post-tax deductions (Roth 401(k), wage garnishments, after-tax insurance) come out of net pay after tax — they do not lower your tax bill.
- How does the pay frequency affect the result?
- It only changes the annualisation multiplier: 52 for weekly, 26 for bi-weekly, 24 for semi-monthly, 12 for monthly. The per-period net is calculated the same way; multiplying by the right number of periods gives you the yearly take-home.
- Does this tool model bracket transitions?
- No. It applies a flat percentage to the taxable base. If your real situation crosses brackets mid-year, your effective rate (and hence per-paycheck withholding) is between the marginal rates. Use a blended rate if you want a closer estimate.
- Is anything stored or sent to a server?
- No. All calculation runs in your browser; nothing is sent or saved. Closing the page clears every input.