Take-Home Pay Calculator
Convert gross pay to net pay - federal tax, FICA, state tax, and pre-tax deductions like 401(k) and health insurance, per paycheck and per year.
About the Take-Home Pay Calculator
The Take-Home Pay Calculator converts a gross salary or hourly wage into actual take-home pay after every standard deduction. It includes federal income tax (using current brackets and your filing status), Social Security and Medicare (FICA), state income tax for the state you select, and any pre-tax deductions like 401(k), HSA, or health insurance premiums.
Most online "salary after tax" calculators get this wrong by ignoring state-level variation, supplemental withholding rules, or pre-tax benefit deductions. This tool is built around the same line items a real paystub shows, broken out for each pay period and rolled up to annual - so you can budget against your actual deposits, not your offer letter.
Common use cases
- Budget realistically against actual take-home, not gross salary
- Compare two job offers in different states or filing statuses
- Model the impact of increasing 401(k) contributions on take-home
- Verify that a paystub matches expected withholding
Tips for accurate results
Pre-tax contributions like a Traditional 401(k) reduce take-home less than you might think because they also reduce federal taxable income. For a 22% bracket filer, every $1,000 contributed costs only ~$780 in lost take-home - your tax bill falls by $220 the same year. The calculator shows the side-by-side, so you can find the contribution rate that maximizes long-term wealth without crippling current cash flow.
Privacy & data handling
The Take-Home Pay Calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged, or shared with third parties - the math happens locally and your inputs disappear when you close the tab. There is no signup, no email collection, and no daily-use limit.
What does the take-home calculator deduct?
Federal income tax (using current brackets and your filing status), Social Security (6.2% up to wage base), Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% surcharge over $200k), state income tax for the state you select, plus any pre-tax deductions you specify like 401(k) contributions, HSA, and health insurance premiums.
How accurate is the result?
For typical W-2 earners, the result is within ~1-2% of your actual paycheck. The biggest sources of variance are local taxes (some cities like NYC and Philadelphia have city income tax), supplemental withholding rules on bonuses, and state-specific quirks like California's SDI. The tool flags the major exceptions.
Why is my take-home lower than the calculator says?
Common reasons: additional withholding you elected on your W-4, employer benefit deductions (dental, vision, supplemental life) not entered, garnishments, or post-tax 401(k) Roth contributions counted differently. Check your pay stub line by line against the breakdown shown.
How does a 401(k) contribution affect take-home?
Traditional 401(k) contributions reduce federal taxable income immediately - for a 22% bracket filer, every $1,000 contributed costs only ~$780 in lost take-home. Roth 401(k) contributions reduce take-home dollar-for-dollar but tax-free in retirement. The tool shows both side-by-side so you can pick.
Does this work for self-employed income?
No - this calculator assumes W-2 employment. For self-employed/1099 income, you also pay the employer half of FICA (7.65% extra), can deduct half of SE tax above the line, and don't have automatic withholding. Quarterly estimated payments are required. We have a separate self-employment tax calculator that handles this.
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