Free tools › Paycheck calculator
Paycheck Calculator
See your real take-home pay after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, and your 401(k). 2026 estimate.
Your take-home
What comes out of your paycheck
Your gross pay gets reduced by, in order: pre-tax deductions, then federal income tax withholding, then FICA (Social Security + Medicare). What's left is your take-home.
- 401(k): lowers your taxable income for income tax, but you still pay Social Security and Medicare on it.
- Section 125 benefits (medical, dental, vision, HSA): lower both income tax and FICA — the only deductions that cut your FICA.
- Social Security: 6.2% up to the annual wage base. Medicare: 1.45% on everything.
This is an estimate using 2026 brackets and the standard deduction. Your actual withholding depends on your W-4 — dial it in with our W-4 calibrator so you don't over- or under-withhold.