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Paycheck calculator: take-home pay by state

Estimate what actually lands in your account after 2026 federal, state, and FICA taxes, and compare two states side by side.

Take-home per paycheck (California)

$2,492.27

$64,799 a year after estimated taxes, an effective 23.8% total rate.

Gross pay$85,000
Federal income tax−$9,870
Social Security6.2%−$5,270
Medicare1.45%+−$1,233
California income tax−$3,828
Take-home (annual)$64,799
Take-home (monthly)$5,399.92

Excludes SDI payroll withholding.

Estimate using 2026 federal brackets, FICA, and state rates published by the Tax Foundation, with standard deductions only. Local taxes, credits, and benefits like health premiums are not included. Married state figures double the single-filer thresholds. Not tax advice.

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What actually comes out of a paycheck

Between the offer letter and your bank account sit four deductions: federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and (in most states) state income tax. Here is how each one works in 2026.

Federal income tax

The 2026 brackets run from 10% to 37%, applied after the standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly). Only income inside each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate.

FICA

Social Security takes 6.2% of wages up to $184,500, and Medicare takes 1.45% of everything, plus 0.9% more above $200,000 ($250,000 married). Pre-tax 401(k) contributions do not reduce FICA.

State income tax

Nine states tax no wage income at all, fifteen use a single flat rate, and the rest use graduated brackets. The state line is usually the biggest reason the same salary feels different in two places.

What is not included

Local taxes (like New York City or Maryland counties), health premiums, credits, and phase-outs. This is a clean gross-to-net estimate, honestly labeled, not a payroll run.

Take-home pay, the honest answers

  • Gross salary minus federal income tax (2026 brackets after the standard deduction), minus Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% at high incomes), minus your state's income tax. What remains, divided by your pay periods, is each check.

  • Real payroll also withholds health and other benefit premiums, applies your W-4 elections, and may include local taxes, none of which a general calculator can know. Treat this as a close planning estimate, not a payroll stub.

  • Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming levy no tax on wage income in 2026. Washington taxes only certain capital gains, not salaries.

  • It lowers your income tax but not your FICA, so each dollar contributed costs you less than a dollar of take-home. The calculator shows exactly how much: set the percentage and watch the federal and state lines drop.

  • No. It is a transparent estimate built from published 2026 IRS and Tax Foundation figures, and the assumptions are stated right under the result. For decisions with real money at stake, confirm with a tax professional.

  • No. The whole calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server or stored.

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