Paycheck net estimate calculator

Estimate annual and monthly take-home pay from a gross salary, using the standard deduction, federal brackets, FICA and a state-tax rate you control.

How this calculator works

This is a planning estimate, not a payroll system. It starts with gross salary, subtracts pre-tax 401(k) contributions, applies the 2025 standard deduction for the chosen filing status, runs the result through the 2025 federal marginal brackets, adds FICA (6.2% Social Security up to the wage base, 1.45% Medicare on all wages), and applies the state rate you enter.

It deliberately leaves out the details that vary person to person: itemised deductions, tax credits (especially the child tax credit), HSA and dependent-care accounts, local taxes, wage garnishments, the additional 0.9% Medicare tax on high earners, and state-specific rules. That means the answer is typically within a few percent of a real paycheck for a simple single or married filer taking only the standard deduction, and can be off by more for complex situations. Use it to understand the size of the gap between gross and net, then check a payroll calculator that knows your state for an exact figure.

The formula

Taxable income = gross − pre-tax 401(k) − standard deduction. Federal tax is the sum of marginal slices:

State tax here is a flat rate applied to (gross − 401k); real state schedules are progressive or exempt certain income.

Worked example

On a 80,000 salary, filing Single, contributing 6% to a pre-tax 401(k) and paying 0% state tax, take-home is about $5,076.83 a month ($60,922 a year). Federal income tax is $8,158, FICA is $6,120 and state tax is $0.

Common mistakes

• Treating the estimate as exact. Credits, itemised deductions, local taxes and payroll deductions (health insurance, HSA) all move the final number.
• Forgetting that 401(k) lowers income tax but not FICA. Pre-tax contributions reduce taxable income for income tax, while Social Security and Medicare are still charged on the contribution.
• Assuming a raise is worth its full amount. Moving into a higher bracket only taxes the extra income at the higher rate — but benefits phase-outs can make the effective marginal cost higher than the bracket suggests.