🧾Paycheck Calculator 2026: Take-Home Pay & Net Income

How your paycheck is calculated

Your gross pay is reduced in a specific order. First, pre-tax deductions come off: traditional 401(k) contributions, employer health premiums (Section 125), and HSA/FSA contributions. Then federal income tax is figured on what remains minus your standard deduction, using the progressive brackets shown in the results. FICA (Social Security 6.2% and Medicare 1.45%) is calculated on gross pay less health and HSA deductions, but 401(k) contributions do *not* reduce FICA. Finally state income tax applies where your state has one. What is left is your take-home pay.

2026 federal tax brackets and standard deduction

For tax year 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household. The seven bracket rates are unchanged (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 37%) with thresholds indexed up for inflation; for a single filer the 22% bracket starts at $50,400 of taxable income and the 24% bracket at $105,700.

Remember that brackets are marginal: only the dollars inside each band are taxed at that rate. A single filer with $75,000 salary and no deductions has about $58,900 of taxable income, and their 22% bracket only touches the top $8,500 or so. Their effective federal rate is closer to 11%.

Social Security and Medicare (FICA)

Employees pay 6.2% for Social Security on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, and 1.45% for Medicare on all wages. An additional 0.9% Medicare tax applies above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married). Your employer matches the 6.2% and 1.45% separately; self-employed people pay both halves via self-employment tax.

State income tax

Nine states have no wage income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. The rest range from a flat 2.5% (Arizona) to progressive schedules topping 13% (California). This calculator uses a single representative effective rate per state for speed; choose Custom to enter your own combined state + city rate (for example New York City residents add roughly 3–4%).

Ways to raise your take-home pay (legally)

• Pre-tax benefits: health premiums, HSA, FSA, and commuter benefits reduce both income tax and FICA.
• 401(k) contributions lower federal and state income tax now (traditional) — try raising the slider and notice the paycheck drops by far less than the contribution.
• Fix your W-4: a large refund means you over-withheld all year. Adjust withholding and get the money in each paycheck instead.
• Credits: the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit are not modeled here but can cut your bill by thousands.