Estimate your take-home pay after federal taxes, Social Security, and Medicare. Works for salaried and hourly employees.
Federal tax estimate only. State taxes vary and are not included.
Enter your salary or hourly rate, pay frequency, filing status, and any 401(k) contribution percentage. The calculator estimates your federal income tax using 2025 tax brackets and subtracts FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) to show your net take-home pay per period.
Note: This is a federal estimate only. Your actual paycheck will also include state and local income taxes, which vary significantly by location.
The US uses a progressive tax system. Each dollar of income is taxed at the rate for its bracket — not your full income at the top rate. For 2025, brackets for single filers start at 10% (up to $11,925) and go up to 37% (over $626,350).
Your employer withholds several taxes from each paycheck: federal income tax (varies by income and filing status), Social Security tax (6.2% up to the annual wage base), and Medicare tax (1.45% with no limit). Together these typically reduce your gross pay by 20–30% or more before any state taxes or other deductions.
FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It covers the Social Security tax (6.2% of wages up to $176,100 in 2025) and Medicare tax (1.45% of all wages, plus an additional 0.9% for income over $200,000). Your employer matches these contributions dollar for dollar.
Yes. Traditional 401(k) contributions are made pre-tax, which reduces your taxable income. If you contribute $200/paycheck and you're in the 22% bracket, you save about $44 in federal taxes that period — making the true cost of the contribution closer to $156 out of pocket.
State income taxes vary enormously — from 0% (in states like Texas, Florida, and Nevada) to over 13% (California's top rate). Because the rate depends on both your state and income level, a federal-only estimate is more universally applicable. For a full picture, check your state's tax department website.