TinyTools Work Hours & Pay Calculators

Paycheck

Paycheck Calculator

Estimate one paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state income tax withholding, using 2026 rates. Enter your pay per period or your hourly rate and hours.

Pay
How are you paid?
Tax settings

Supported for 2026: US federal, FICA, and the states listed above. Other US states, US city taxes, and Canada / UK / Australia are not yet supported.

W-4 & deductions (optional)
401(k), HSA, or §125 health premiums.

How a paycheck is calculated

  1. Start with gross pay for the period.
  2. Subtract pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA, §125) to get taxable wages.
  3. Subtract federal income tax withholding — the IRS percentage method annualises your wages, applies the 2026 schedule for your filing status, subtracts Step 3 credits, and divides back to the period.
  4. Subtract Social Security (6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base for 2026) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000).
  5. Subtract state income tax withholding for supported states.
  6. What's left is your estimated take-home pay.

Every rate and threshold above is drawn from the 2026 IRS, SSA, and state publications listed on the Methodology & Sources page.

Why this is an estimate

Withholding is a running prepayment of your tax, not the final bill. Your W-4 settings, other income, itemised deductions, and credits all change the actual amount you owe, which is settled on your tax return. This tool also doesn't model local city taxes, state disability/unemployment beyond noted cases, or garnishments. See the full disclaimer.

Realistic expectations

We currently support four states with income tax plus the no-tax states. Full 50-state coverage is planned. If your state isn't listed, the tool is honest about it rather than guessing.

Related tools

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is this paycheck calculator?
It uses the 2026 IRS Publication 15-T percentage method for federal withholding, the 2026 Social Security wage base and Medicare rates, and published 2026 state withholding tables for the supported states. It's a good estimate of what an employer would withhold. It is not the tax you ultimately owe — your annual return reconciles the difference.
Which states are supported?
California, New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania (with 2026 tables), plus the states with no wage income tax: Texas, Florida, Washington, Tennessee, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska, and New Hampshire. Choose 'Another US state' to see federal and FICA only, with a clear note that your state tax isn't included.
What about New York City or Philadelphia?
Local city and county income taxes are not included. If you live in NYC, Yonkers, or a city with a wage tax, your actual paycheck will be lower than the estimate.
How is this different from the Take-Home Pay Calculator?
This tool calculates one paycheck from your pay per period (or your rate and hours). The Take-Home Pay Calculator starts from an annual salary and shows your take-home per year, per month, and per paycheck for budgeting and comparing offers.
What are the W-4 boxes for?
They match a 2020-or-later Form W-4. Check 'multiple jobs' if you selected Step 2(c). 'Dependent credits' is the annual amount from Step 3. 'Extra withholding' is Step 4(c). Pre-2020 W-4s with allowances aren't modelled.

Further reading: Gross Pay vs Take-Home Pay