US Paycheck Calculator (2025)
Estimate your take-home pay per paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare, accounting for pay frequency and pre-tax deductions. Excludes state and local tax.
Eligibility & Estimate Tool
2025 Rules401(k) contributions and pre-tax health premiums. These reduce taxable income for income tax.
After federal income tax, FICA, and pre-tax deductions. Excludes state/local tax.
Official sources
Disclaimer: Estimate only. Uses a full-year federal calculation with the standard deduction plus FICA; it excludes state/local tax, credits, and employer-specific withholding. Not tax advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many paychecks are in a year?expand_more
Weekly is 52, bi-weekly is 26, semi-monthly is 24, and monthly is 12. This calculator divides your annual take-home by the number you choose.
Do pre-tax deductions lower my taxes?expand_more
Pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions reduce your taxable income for federal income tax. Note that 401(k) contributions are still subject to Social Security and Medicare (FICA).
Does this include state income tax?expand_more
No. It covers federal income tax and FICA only. State and local income taxes vary widely and are not included.
What this calculator does
Estimate your take-home pay per paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare, accounting for pay frequency and pre-tax deductions. Excludes state and local tax.
Who it is for
Employees who want to see roughly how much lands in each paycheck, and people comparing pay frequencies or the effect of increasing 401(k) contributions.
How it works
Pre-tax deductions and the standard deduction are subtracted from your salary to find taxable income, which is taxed using the federal brackets for your filing status. Social Security (6.2% up to the wage base) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% above a threshold) are charged on gross pay. Take-home is gross minus pre-tax deductions, income tax, and FICA, divided by the number of pay periods.
Example calculation
A single filer earning 52,000 paid bi-weekly with no pre-tax deductions: taxable income is 36,250, federal income tax is about 4,111.50, and FICA is 3,978. Annual take-home is about 43,910.50, or roughly 1,688.87 per bi-weekly paycheck.
Regional variations
Federal income tax and FICA are the same nationwide, but state and local income taxes (not included here) vary from zero to over 13% depending on where you live and work.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Expecting this to match your pay stub exactly - employers use IRS withholding tables and your W-4, which differ from a full-year tax calculation.
- Assuming 401(k) contributions avoid Social Security and Medicare tax - they do not.
- Forgetting that state and local income taxes will further reduce take-home pay.
Sources
- Federal income tax rates and brackets - IRS (retrieved 2026-06-09)
- Topic no. 751, Social Security and Medicare withholding rates - IRS (retrieved 2026-06-09)
Last verified: June 9, 2026 · Effective year 2025 · Rules v1.0.0
Disclaimer: Estimate only. Uses a full-year federal calculation with the standard deduction plus FICA; it excludes state/local tax, credits, and employer-specific withholding. Not tax advice.
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