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US Paycheck Calculator 2026

Free 2026 federal paycheck calculator with 8 reviewed state wage-tax pages. Unverified state calculations are disabled until checked against official guidance.

Published · Last updated

Written by PennyCompass Team

Enter your pay period, gross pay, and filing status to estimate take-home pay. For the most accurate federal result, use the calculator below. State tax and SDI vary widely, so state calculations are available only on pages whose wage-tax status has been reviewed.

2026 federal values verified August 29, 2026 against IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 and the Social Security Administration wage-base table.

Before any deductions, taxes, or 401(k).

Traditional 401(k) only. Roth 401(k) is post-tax.

Leave at 0 to use the standard deduction.

Take-home (annual),

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Annual gross

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Federal income tax

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FICA (SS + Medicare)

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State income tax

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SDI

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Total deductions (% of gross)

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Pre-tax 401(k)

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Pre-tax HSA

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State calculation availability

8 state pages have reviewed wage-tax status. The remaining 42 are shown as verification pending, do not run a state-tax calculation, and are marked noindex.

Alabama Verification pending Alaska Verification pending Arizona Verification pending Arkansas Verification pending California Verification pending Colorado Verification pending Connecticut Verification pending Delaware Verification pending Florida Reviewed Georgia Verification pending Hawaii Verification pending Idaho Verification pending Illinois Verification pending Indiana Verification pending Iowa Verification pending Kansas Verification pending Kentucky Verification pending Louisiana Verification pending Maine Verification pending Maryland Verification pending Massachusetts Verification pending Michigan Verification pending Minnesota Verification pending Mississippi Verification pending Missouri Verification pending Montana Verification pending Nebraska Verification pending Nevada Reviewed New Hampshire Reviewed New Jersey Verification pending New Mexico Verification pending New York Verification pending North Carolina Verification pending North Dakota Verification pending Ohio Verification pending Oklahoma Verification pending Oregon Verification pending Pennsylvania Verification pending Rhode Island Verification pending South Carolina Verification pending South Dakota Reviewed Tennessee Reviewed Texas Reviewed Utah Verification pending Vermont Verification pending Virginia Verification pending Washington Reviewed West Virginia Verification pending Wisconsin Verification pending Wyoming Reviewed

Worked example

Take a single filer paid $4,000 every two weeks. With 26 bi-weekly pay periods in a year, that is $104,000 of annual gross. On this national view we estimate federal tax and FICA only, so pick your state for state income tax and SDI. Subtract the 2026 single standard deduction of $16,100 to reach taxable income of $87,900. Federal income tax stacks across three bands: 10% on the first $12,400 is $1,240, 12% on the next $38,000 is $4,560, and 22% on the remaining $37,500 is $8,250, totaling $14,050. FICA is charged on the full $104,000: Social Security at 6.2% is $6,448 and Medicare at 1.45% is $1,508, for $7,956. Annual take-home is $104,000 minus $14,050 minus $7,956, which is $81,994. That works out to $3,153.62 in each bi-weekly paycheck, or about $6,833 per month.

Step Amount
Annual gross ($4,000 x 26)$104,000
Standard deduction (single)-$16,100
Taxable income$87,900
Federal income tax$14,050
FICA (SS $6,448 + Medicare $1,508)$7,956
Annual take-home$81,994
Per bi-weekly paycheck$3,153.62
Federal split on $104,000 gross (single) Take-home $81,994 Take-home pay: $81,994 (78.8%) Federal income tax: $14,050 (13.5%) FICA (SS + Medicare): $7,956 (7.6%)

How it is calculated

Your paycheck is your gross pay per period minus federal income tax, FICA, and, on a state page, state income tax and any state disability insurance. The tool annualizes your pay by multiplying gross per period by the number of periods in the year, 26 for bi-weekly, 24 for semi-monthly, 12 for monthly, and so on. It applies pre-tax 401(k) and HSA amounts first, then the standard deduction, then the 2026 federal brackets to taxable income. FICA is computed on gross wages, not taxable income, with Social Security capped at the $184,500 wage base and Medicare uncapped. Because the brackets are progressive, only the slice of income inside each band is taxed at that band's rate, so a raise never lowers your net pay. Withholding on your real paycheck can differ because it follows your W-4 and benefit elections rather than your final return.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is this paycheck calculator?
The federal estimate uses the published 2026 federal values. State calculations are enabled only for the 8 pages whose wage-tax status is marked reviewed; 42 state datasets remain disabled while official guidance is checked. We do not include local taxes or every payroll-specific deduction. For an exact calculation, use your payroll department, the IRS Withholding Estimator, and your state tax authority.
Why does my actual paycheck differ from this estimate?
Payroll systems apply withholding based on the W-4 you filed (filing status, dependents claimed, additional withholding). They also handle benefit deductions (health insurance premiums, dental, vision, FSA) that this calculator does not. Year-end you reconcile via your return, that’s when this calculator’s estimate matches actual liability, not per-paycheck withholding.
Does this include health insurance premiums?
No. Employer-sponsored health, dental, and vision premiums are pre-tax deductions specific to your plan. Subtract them from gross pay before running this calculator if you want a closer match to your actual take-home.
Which states have no income tax?
Nine US states have no broad personal income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. New Hampshire and Washington tax some investment income but not wages.

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Sources

  1. IRS Publication 15-T (2026) — Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods, Internal Revenue Service
  2. Social Security Administration — Contribution and Benefit Base 2026, Social Security Administration
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