Phase 4 · General Utility
Paycheck Take-Home Calculator
The gap between your salary and your bank deposit has four names: federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and state. See exactly what lands in your account — per check and per year.
How much of my salary do I actually take home?
Four deductions stand between gross and deposit: federal income tax on your bracketed taxable income, Social Security at 6.2% up to the wage cap, Medicare at 1.45% uncapped, and state tax. Only federal tax uses the standard deduction — FICA is charged on every dollar of wages from the first.
- Worked example (2026, single, defaults on this page): a $75,000 salary pays $7,670 federal, $4,650 Social Security, $1,088 Medicare and $3,750 state at 5% — leaving $57,843, or about $2,225 every two weeks.
- That is an all-in effective rate of 22.9%, well below the 22% marginal bracket plus 7.65% FICA, because the brackets are progressive and the standard deduction comes off first.
- Social Security stops at the $184,500 wage base for 2026; Medicare never does, and adds 0.9% above $200,000.
- Pre-tax 401(k) or HSA contributions cut federal and state tax but not FICA — deferring $5,000 here saves tax at your marginal rate while Social Security and Medicare are still charged on it.
Under the hood
The math, fully exposed
We take each bite out of your salary in turn, then divide by your pay periods:
Social Security = 6.2% × salary, up to the $184,500 wage cap
Medicare = 1.45% × salary (+0.9% above $200k)
Federal tax = brackets applied to (salary − pre-tax − standard deduction)
State tax = flat rate × (salary − pre-tax)
Take-home = salary − pre-tax − FICA − federal − state
- FICA ignores deductions: Social Security and Medicare are charged on your wages whether or not you contribute to a 401(k) — only income tax shrinks.
- Pre-tax isn't lost: your 401(k) leaves the paycheck but stays your money, so take-home drops by less than you contribute.
- Estimate, not a pay stub: health premiums, credits and exact withholding tables aren't modeled — confirm against a real check.
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Answers
Frequently asked questions
Why is my take-home pay so much less than my salary?
Four bites come out before you see a dollar: federal income tax (progressive, on your income after the standard deduction), Social Security (6.2% up to the annual wage cap), Medicare (1.45% on everything, plus 0.9% more on high earners), and state income tax. Together these commonly take 25–35% of a salary. Your "gross" is the headline; your take-home is what is left after all four.
What is FICA and why is it separate from income tax?
FICA is the payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare — 7.65% of your wages total (6.2% + 1.45%). Unlike income tax, it is not reduced by the standard deduction or most pre-tax contributions to a 401(k), and Social Security stops at a wage cap (about $184,500 in 2026) while Medicare never does. It is a flat tax on work that many people forget when estimating take-home.
How does a 401(k) contribution change my paycheck?
A traditional 401(k) contribution comes out before federal and state income tax, so it lowers those taxes — but it is still subject to FICA. The money leaves your paycheck, yet it is not gone: it is yours, invested for retirement. So your take-home cash drops by less than the contribution amount, because part of the contribution is offset by the tax you no longer pay. This model treats pre-tax deductions that way.
How accurate is this estimate?
It is a solid approximation, not an exact pay stub. It uses 2026 federal brackets and the standard deduction, the Social Security wage cap, Medicare plus the additional Medicare surtax, and a flat state rate you set. It excludes pre-tax health premiums, credits, local taxes, and the exact withholding tables your employer uses. Treat it as a close estimate and confirm against an actual pay stub.