Free payroll calculator 2026. Estimate take-home pay after federal, state, and FICA taxes plus 401(k), HSA, and insurance deductions. Supports weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly pay.
Enter your gross annual salary, the amount in your offer letter before any taxes or deductions.
Choose how often you are paid: weekly, every two weeks, twice a month, or monthly. This sets the size of each paycheck.
Pick your federal filing status from Step 1 of your W-4. The calculator applies the matching 2026 standard deduction and brackets.
Select your state. California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Texas use their exact 2026 withholding tables. Choose "No state income tax" for the nine states that do not tax wages, or enter a flat rate for any other state.
Add your deductions if you have them: a 401(k) percentage (pre-tax, lowers income tax only), health and other Section 125 premiums per paycheck (pre-tax, lowers income tax and FICA), and any after-tax deductions. Click "Calculate Take-Home Pay" to see every line of your paycheck.
Gross pay per paycheck is your annual salary divided by the number of paychecks in the year (52, 26, 24, or 12). Section 125 benefits such as health insurance come out first and are not subject to any payroll tax. 401(k) contributions come out next and are exempt from income tax but not from Social Security and Medicare. Federal income tax uses the IRS 2026 percentage method for a W-4 with no Step 2 to 4 adjustments: annual taxable wages minus the standard deduction ($16,100.00 single, $32,200.00 married filing jointly, $24,150.00 head of household), taxed at the 2026 brackets from 10% to 37%, then divided by the number of paychecks. Social Security is 6.2% of FICA wages up to $184,500.00, and Medicare is 1.45% plus 0.9% above $200,000. State tax comes from the selected state's own tables where available, or from the flat rate you enter.
A $50,000.00 salary paid every two weeks, filing single, in Texas (no state income tax). Gross pay is $1,923.08 per paycheck. Taken out of each paycheck: Federal income tax $146.92, Social Security (6.2%) $119.23, Medicare (1.45%) $27.88. Take-home pay: $1,629.04 per paycheck, or $42,355.00 a year ($3,529.58 a month). Deductions take 15.3% of gross pay.
A $65,000.00 salary paid every two weeks, filing single, in California with 1 DE 4 allowance, contributing 5% to a 401(k) and paying $150 per paycheck for health insurance. Gross pay is $2,500.00 per paycheck. Taken out of each paycheck: 401(k) / retirement (pre-tax) $125.00, Health & Section 125 benefits (pre-tax) $150.00, Federal income tax $183.15, Social Security (6.2%) $145.70, Medicare (1.45%) $34.08, California income tax $63.91, CA SDI (1.3%) $30.55. Take-home pay: $1,767.61 per paycheck, or $45,957.97 a year ($3,829.83 a month). Deductions take 29.3% of gross pay.
A $85,000.00 salary paid twice a month, filing married filing jointly, in Illinois with 2 IL-W-4 allowances, contributing 6% to a 401(k). Gross pay is $3,541.67 per paycheck. Taken out of each paycheck: 401(k) / retirement (pre-tax) $212.50, Federal income tax $217.83, Social Security (6.2%) $219.58, Medicare (1.45%) $51.35, Illinois income tax (4.95%) $152.73. Take-home pay: $2,687.67 per paycheck, or $64,504.02 a year ($5,375.34 a month). Deductions take 24.1% of gross pay.
A $120,000.00 salary paid monthly, filing single, living in New York City, with $300 per paycheck in pre-tax health and dental premiums. Gross pay is $10,000.00 per paycheck. Taken out of each paycheck: Health & Section 125 benefits (pre-tax) $300.00, Federal income tax $1,398.17, Social Security (6.2%) $601.40, Medicare (1.45%) $140.65, New York State income tax $500.64, New York City income tax $368.38, NY Paid Family Leave (0.432%) $34.33, NY Disability (SDI) $2.60. Take-home pay: $6,653.84 per paycheck, or $79,846.13 a year ($6,653.84 a month). Deductions take 33.5% of gross pay.
A $45,000.00 salary paid weekly, filing head of household, in a state estimated at a flat 4% income tax. Gross pay is $865.38 per paycheck. Taken out of each paycheck: Federal income tax $41.31, Social Security (6.2%) $53.65, Medicare (1.45%) $12.55, State income tax (4%) $34.62. Take-home pay: $723.26 per paycheck, or $37,609.50 a year ($3,134.13 a month). Deductions take 16.4% of gross pay.
Find answers to the most common questions about payroll & paycheck calculator.
It uses the IRS percentage method from Publication 15-T, the same method payroll software uses. Your annual taxable wages (salary minus pre-tax deductions) less the 2026 standard deduction for your filing status are run through the federal brackets, and the annual tax is divided by your number of paychecks. If your W-4 claims dependents, reports a second job, or adds extra withholding, your employer's figure will differ from this estimate.
Less than the contribution itself. Traditional 401(k) and 403(b) contributions are taken out before federal and state income tax, so a $100 contribution lowers take-home pay by only $100 minus the income tax you would have paid on it, typically $70 to $80 for most salaried workers. They do not reduce Social Security or Medicare tax. Roth 401(k) contributions are after-tax, so enter those under other deductions.
Employer health, dental, vision, FSA, and payroll HSA contributions usually run through a Section 125 cafeteria plan. Section 125 deductions are exempt from federal income tax, most state income taxes, and FICA, so every dollar also saves 7.65% in Social Security and Medicare. That is why the calculator has separate fields for 401(k) contributions and Section 125 benefits.
Semi-monthly means 24 paychecks a year, usually on the 15th and last day of the month. Bi-weekly means 26 paychecks, every other Friday, so two months a year have three paychecks. For the same salary a semi-monthly check is about 8% larger than a bi-weekly check, but the annual total and annual taxes are identical.
FICA funds Social Security and Medicare. Employees pay 6.2% for Social Security on wages up to $184,500.00 in 2026 and 1.45% for Medicare on all wages, plus 0.9% on wages above $200,000. Your employer pays a matching 6.2% and 1.45% that never appears on your pay stub. Filing status and the standard deduction do not reduce FICA.
The usual reasons are W-4 Step 2 to 4 entries, local income taxes in cities such as Philadelphia, Detroit, or Columbus, state programs the calculator does not model exactly (paid leave or disability insurance outside the states with exact tables), imputed income for group life insurance over $50,000, and employer-specific deductions such as parking or union dues. Compare the federal and FICA lines to your pay stub first. Those should match closely.
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming do not tax wages, so choose "No state income tax". Flat-tax states can enter their rate directly: Colorado 4.4%, Michigan 4.25%, Pennsylvania 3.07%, Indiana 3.0%, Utah 4.5%, North Carolina 3.99%. For states with brackets, use last year's effective state rate (state tax divided by state wages). Exact 2026 tables are built in for California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Texas.
Both can use it. Employees get an estimate of take-home pay for budgeting or comparing offers. Employers get a quick check of what an employee's net pay should be for a given gross and W-4, but it does not replace payroll software: it does not file taxes, track year-to-date wage bases, or handle garnishment orders. Remember that the employer also owes a matching 7.65% in FICA plus federal and state unemployment tax on top of the gross salary shown here.
Calculations and computational models on QuickBizCalc are verified against published regulatory standards and statutory tax tables:
Publication 15-T (Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods) & Publication 15 (Employer's Tax Guide).
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA 29 U.S.C. § 207) regulations on overtime hours, recordkeeping, and minimum wage.
OASDI taxable maximum wage base limits and statutory FICA tax rates (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare).
Formulas and worked examples are checked against the sources above before publishing. For advice on your own situation, consult a licensed tax professional or accountant.
Your gross yearly pay before taxes. Paid hourly? Use the hourly paycheck calculator.
An estimate. Use your state's flat rate, or the effective state rate from last year's return (most workers fall between 2% and 6%). Exact 2026 tables are available for California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Texas.
Deductions optional
Pre-tax: lowers income tax, not Social Security or Medicare.
Pre-tax: lowers income tax and FICA.
Union dues, garnishments, Roth 401(k), post-tax insurance.
