Paycheck Take-Home Pay Calculator
Estimate your 2026 net paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and pre-tax deductions like 401(k) and HSA.
Paycheck Take-Home Pay Calculator
Earnings
Sets the brackets and standard deduction. Additional Medicare withholding starts at $200,000 of wages for every status.
Pre-Tax Deductions
Traditional pre-tax contribution. Lowers income tax, not FICA.
Payroll HSA contribution through a Section 125 cafeteria plan. Lowers income tax and FICA.
2026 limit: $4,400 self-only or $8,750 family, plus $1,000 at 55 or older. Only contributions up to the limit lower your taxes.
Your HSA contributions are over the 2026 limit of $4,400. The $0.00 a year above it stays taxable for income tax and FICA.
Section 125 cafeteria-plan premium. Lowers income tax and FICA.
Optional W-4 Step 4(c) amount.
This calculator estimates federal taxes only. State and local income taxes are not included; your actual take-home pay will be lower in states with an income tax.
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How to calculate your take-home pay
Take-home pay is what is left after deductions and taxes come out of your gross pay. The math is simple: start with gross pay, subtract pre-tax deductions, subtract federal income tax withholding, then subtract FICA (Social Security and Medicare).
Here is a worked example. A single filer earns $2,000 of gross pay every two weeks, which is $52,000 a year. With no pre-tax deductions, the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100 leaves $35,900 of taxable income. The 2026 brackets produce about $4,072 of annual federal income tax, or roughly $157 per paycheck. FICA takes 7.65% of gross, about $153 per paycheck. Net take-home pay lands near $1,690 per period.
What gets withheld from your paycheck in 2026
Three federal items come out of a typical paycheck. Federal income tax is driven by your W-4 and your filing status. This calculator uses the IRS annualized-income method with the 2026 standard deduction: $16,100 for Single, $32,200 for Married Filing Jointly, and $24,150 for Head of Household.
Social Security tax is 6.2% of wages, but only up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500. Once your wages pass that limit, Social Security tax stops for the year. Medicare tax is 1.45% on all wages. Once your employer has paid you $200,000 in the year, it also withholds an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on the wages above that, whatever your filing status, and this calculator uses that $200,000 trigger for every status. The $250,000 threshold for Married Filing Jointly and the $125,000 threshold for Married Filing Separately set the tax you owe when you file, on Form 8959, where any difference from the withholding is settled.
Pre-tax deductions and how they raise your take-home value
Pre-tax deductions lower the income that gets taxed, so they shrink your tax bill and lift your effective take-home value. Traditional 401(k) and 403(b) contributions reduce your federal income tax base. One thing to watch: they are still subject to Social Security and Medicare tax, so they do not lower your FICA.
HSA contributions made through payroll and Section 125 cafeteria-plan insurance premiums (medical, dental, and vision) work differently. They reduce both your income tax base and your FICA wages, so they save you a little more per dollar than a 401(k) contribution does. This calculator treats the HSA field as a payroll contribution. If you deposit to an HSA on your own, you deduct it on Form 8889 when you file, and your FICA stays the same.
The HSA break stops at the 2026 contribution limit: $4,400 for self-only coverage or $8,750 for family coverage, plus a $1,000 catch-up if you are 55 or older. Your employer's own HSA contributions count toward the same limit. Pick your coverage and age above and the calculator excludes only contributions up to the limit. Anything over it still comes out of your paycheck, but it stays in your taxable wages for income tax and FICA.
Federal-only estimate and what this calculator does not cover
This calculator estimates federal taxes only. It does not include state or local income tax, post-tax deductions such as Roth contributions or union dues, wage garnishments, or supplemental withholding on bonuses. In states with an income tax, your real paycheck will be smaller than the figure shown here.
For a complete refund picture that reflects the 2026 One Big Beautiful Bill changes, build your full return with Tax47, which works from your actual W-2, 1099, and Schedule C data.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about paycheck take-home pay calculator
How is take-home pay calculated from my gross salary?
Take-home pay starts with your gross pay for the period, then subtracts pre-tax deductions (like 401(k) and HSA), federal income tax withholding, and FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare). What is left is your net pay. This calculator annualizes your income, applies the 2026 brackets and standard deduction, then divides the result back to your pay period.
What is the difference between gross pay and net (take-home) pay?
Gross pay is the full amount you earn before anything is withheld. Net pay, or take-home pay, is what actually lands in your bank account after pre-tax deductions, federal income tax, and FICA are removed. The gap between the two is often 20% to 35% of gross pay, depending on your income and deductions.
How much is taken out of my paycheck for taxes in 2026?
It depends on your income, filing status, and deductions. FICA is a flat 7.65% on most wages (6.2% Social Security plus 1.45% Medicare). Federal income tax withholding follows the 2026 brackets, which run from 10% up to 37%. For a typical middle-income worker, total federal withholding plus FICA usually falls between 20% and 30% of gross pay.
Do 401(k) and HSA contributions lower my taxes?
Both lower your federal income tax, because traditional 401(k) and HSA contributions reduce your taxable income. They differ on FICA. Social Security and Medicare taxes still apply to 401(k) contributions, so they do not reduce your FICA. Pre-tax HSA contributions taken out of your paycheck go through your employer's Section 125 cafeteria plan, so they reduce both income tax and FICA, the same as cafeteria-plan insurance premiums. If you deposit to an HSA yourself instead of through payroll, you get the income tax deduction on Form 8889 when you file, but not the FICA savings. HSA contributions are tax-free only up to the 2026 limit: $4,400 for self-only coverage or $8,750 for family coverage, plus $1,000 if you are 55 or older. Anything above the limit stays taxable.
What is FICA, and how much is the Social Security and Medicare tax in 2026?
FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It funds Social Security and Medicare. In 2026 the employee share is 6.2% for Social Security (on wages up to the $184,500 wage base) and 1.45% for Medicare (on all wages). Your employer also withholds an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages it pays you above $200,000 in the year, whatever your filing status. The tax you finally owe uses $250,000 for joint filers, $125,000 for married filing separately, and $200,000 for everyone else, and you settle the difference on Form 8959.
Why did my Social Security tax stop coming out near the end of the year?
Social Security tax only applies to wages up to the annual wage base, which is $184,500 for 2026. Once your year-to-date wages pass that limit, no more Social Security tax is withheld for the rest of the year. This calculator spreads the capped total evenly across your pay periods, so a single per-paycheck figure may differ a little from a real late-year paycheck.
Does this calculator include state income tax?
No. This calculator estimates federal taxes only: federal income tax withholding, Social Security, and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not included, so your actual take-home pay will be lower in states that have an income tax.
Why is my actual paycheck different from this estimate?
A few things can shift the result: W-4 adjustments for dependents or multiple jobs, bonuses taxed at supplemental rates, mid-year raises, post-tax deductions like Roth contributions or union dues, wage garnishments, and rounding by your payroll system. This tool gives a clean annualized estimate, not an exact copy of your employer's payroll calculation.