Paycheck Calculator

Your gross pay and your actual paycheck are rarely the same number. This paycheck calculator walks through every deduction — federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and optional state tax — to show exactly what lands in your bank account each pay period.

How Your Paycheck Is Built

Start with your gross pay for the period. Any pre-tax deductions (like a 401(k) contribution or HSA) come out first, reducing the amount subject to tax. Federal income tax withholding is then estimated by annualizing your wages and applying the IRS tax brackets for your filing status. Finally, FICA — 6.2% Social Security (up to the annual wage base) and 1.45% Medicare — is subtracted, along with any state income tax you select.

Choosing Your Pay Frequency

Federal withholding tables work on an annualized basis, so the calculator multiplies your per-period gross pay by the number of pay periods in a year (52 for weekly, 26 for bi-weekly, 24 for semi-monthly, 12 for monthly, or 1 for annual) to estimate annual withholding, then divides back down to a per-period amount.

Adding State Tax

Select "California" from the state dropdown to include an estimate of California state income tax withholding and California SDI (State Disability Insurance) in your breakdown. Leave it on "No State Income Tax / Not Listed" to see a federal-only estimate, which applies to residents of states with no state income tax.

Fine-Tune With Your W-4

For a more precise federal withholding estimate that accounts for multiple jobs, dependents, and extra withholding from your Form W-4, use our dedicated W-4 calculator. To focus purely on the take-home figure, see the net pay calculator.