Paycheck
Take-home pay after federal tax and FICA
Enter gross pay, pay frequency, and filing status, and this estimates what actually lands in your bank account after federal income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare). It uses the same 2024 federal bracket and standard-deduction tables as the Income Tax Calculator, applied per pay period instead of annually.
This is an estimate, not a paystub. It does not know your state, your 401(k) contribution rate, your health insurance premium, or any pre-tax deductions your employer applies before calculating withholding — all of which change the number on your actual check.
What actually comes out of gross pay
- Federal income tax — calculated on annualized income using the standard deduction and marginal brackets for your filing status, then divided back down to a per-period amount. Real paycheck withholding uses IRS Publication 15-T's percentage method with your W-4 elections, which can differ from this simplified annual approach, especially if you have multiple jobs or claim dependents.
- Social Security — a flat 6.2% of wages, but only up to the annual wage base ($168,600 for 2024). Above that threshold, no further Social Security tax is withheld for the rest of the year.
- Medicare — a flat 1.45% of all wages, with no cap. An additional 0.9% applies above $200,000 for single filers, which this calculator does not model since it's a high-income edge case.
Together, Social Security and Medicare are called FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax, and unlike income tax, neither has a standard deduction — they apply from the first dollar earned.
How the estimate is built
- Gross pay is multiplied by the number of pay periods per year (52 for weekly, 26 for biweekly, 24 for semi-monthly, 12 for monthly) to get annualized gross income.
- The standard deduction for your filing status is subtracted to get taxable income.
- Taxable income is run through the 2024 marginal brackets to get annual federal tax owed.
- Annual federal tax is divided by pay periods per year to get the federal tax withheld per check.
- FICA is calculated per-period directly: 6.2% of gross (until the annualized total crosses the wage base) plus 1.45% of gross, with no deduction applied.
- Take-home pay = gross pay − per-period federal tax − per-period FICA.
Worked example
A single filer earning $60,000/year, paid biweekly, gets $2,307.69 gross per check. Annualized, taxable income is $60,000 minus the $14,600 standard deduction = $45,400, which lands in the 22% bracket, producing roughly $5,400 in annual federal tax, or about $207 per check. FICA is 6.2% + 1.45% = 7.65% of $2,307.69, or about $176.55 per check. Take-home comes out to roughly $2,307.69 − $207 − $176.55 = $1,924 per paycheck — before any state tax, retirement contributions, or health insurance are deducted.
What this doesn't model
The IRS's actual payroll withholding formula (Publication 15-T) is more granular than annualizing and dividing — it accounts for multiple jobs, dependents claimed on Form W-4, and additional withholding requests, and it can produce a different per-check number even for the same annual income. This calculator also assumes every paycheck is identical, which isn't true if you have irregular hours, bonuses, or a mid-year raise. And it uses 2024 tax brackets and the 2024 Social Security wage base; both are adjusted for inflation most years, so a current paystub may reflect updated figures.
Why the real number on your check will differ
This estimate deliberately excludes: state and local income tax (varies enormously by location — nine states have none); pre-tax deductions like 401(k) or HSA contributions, which lower taxable income further; health insurance premiums, usually deducted before tax; and any additional withholding you elected on your W-4. All of these reduce take-home pay below what a federal-and-FICA-only estimate shows, sometimes substantially. Use it to compare offers or estimate a raise's after-tax impact, not to reconcile against an actual paystub.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't my actual paycheck match this estimate?
State tax, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA, health insurance), and your specific W-4 elections all change the real number. This tool only estimates federal income tax and FICA on a simplified annualized basis.
What is the Social Security wage base, and why does it matter?
It's the maximum annual earnings subject to the 6.2% Social Security tax — $168,600 for 2024. Once your year-to-date wages cross it, Social Security withholding stops for the rest of the year, which is why a high earner's paycheck can jump partway through December.
Does this include state income tax?
No. State tax rules vary too much by state (and by city, in some cases) to model generically. This estimates federal income tax and FICA only.
What's the difference between this and the Income Tax Calculator?
The Income Tax Calculator estimates your full annual tax liability. This tool takes the same bracket logic and breaks it down into what's withheld from a single paycheck, adding FICA on top.
Sources and further reading
Figures and definitions on this page are drawn from the following primary sources. If you find something out of date, tell us and we will correct it.