DIY Cost Tools
Paycheck Calculator
FINANCIAL CALCULATOR
Estimate take-home pay from gross earnings, deductions, and user-entered withholding rates. Every tax assumption stays visible and adjustable.
How it works
The calculator applies your federal, state, and local percentages to gross pay after the entered pre-tax deduction. Social Security and Medicare percentages use gross pay after any deduction you identify as FICA-exempt. It then subtracts taxes, pre-tax deductions, and after-tax deductions from gross pay.
Formula
Income-tax base = gross pay − pre-tax deductions
FICA base = gross pay − FICA-exempt deductions
Net pay = gross pay − pre-tax deductions − after-tax deductions − estimated taxes
Annual net pay = net paycheck × pay periods per year
Important limits
- This is a planning estimate, not a payroll system, tax return, W-4 worksheet, or tax advice.
- The tool uses percentages you enter. It does not automatically apply progressive tax brackets, credits, filing status, the Social Security wage cap, Additional Medicare Tax, garnishments, or employer-specific payroll rules.
- Some benefits reduce income-tax wages but not Social Security or Medicare wages; check your pay stub or payroll department.
- Confirm current rates and withholding with your employer, a qualified tax professional, and official tax agencies.
Privacy: Calculations run in your browser. Do not enter Social Security numbers, account numbers, or other sensitive information.
Frequently asked questions
Why can my pay stub differ?
Payroll software may use W-4 tables, annualized withholding, taxable-benefit rules, wage caps, credits, rounding rules, and deductions that a percentage estimate cannot reproduce.
What belongs in pre-tax deductions?
Use only deductions that reduce the income-tax base for your situation. A deduction may receive different federal, state, Social Security, or Medicare treatment.
Should bonuses use the same rates?
Not always. Supplemental wages may be withheld under different methods, so check the actual payroll policy and current tax guidance.
Review notes
Default values were checked by hand for gross-to-net arithmetic, frequency conversion, zero rates, zero deductions, decimal inputs, and invalid entries. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.