Take-home pay calculator
Federal + FICA + state breakdown. 20 states modeled. 401(k), HSA, and health insurance pre-tax. See your actual paycheck, not just the gross.
What's pulled from your paycheck
Every paycheck has four major deductions stacked on top of each other:
- Pre-tax contributions first: 401(k), HSA, health insurance, FSA. These reduce your taxable income for federal and state.
- FICA (payroll tax): Social Security 6.2% on wages up to $176,100 + Medicare 1.45% (no cap). High earners pay an extra 0.9% Medicare surtax above $200K single / $250K MFJ. FICA applies to gross minus health insurance (not minus 401(k) or HSA).
- Federal income tax: progressive brackets 10/12/22/24/32/35/37%. Standard deduction $15K single / $30K MFJ.
- State income tax: 0% in 9 states; up to 13.3% top bracket in California.
The 401(k) paradox
Contributing $10,000 pre-tax to a 401(k) doesn't reduce your take-home by $10,000. In a 22% federal + 5% state bracket, your paycheck drops by only ~$7,300. The other $2,700 is tax you would have paid anyway — now it's invested instead.
FICA wage base and Medicare surtax
Social Security tax caps at the wage base ($176,100 in 2026). Wages above that pay no SS tax, which is why high earners' effective FICA rate drops as income climbs. Medicare has no cap, and an extra 0.9% kicks in above $200K (single) / $250K (MFJ) — you'll see this in late-year paychecks if you cross those thresholds.
What's not included
- Local/city income tax (NYC, SF, Yonkers, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit)
- State Disability Insurance (CA SDI 1.1%, NJ TDI 0.06%, etc.)
- Bonus withholding (federally flat 22% on up to $1M, then 37%)
- Equity income (RSU vesting, ESPP, stock options) — varies wildly
- Self-employment tax (15.3% covers both employee and employer FICA)
Related calculators
- Tax bracket calculator — marginal vs effective rate breakdown
- Roth vs Traditional calculator — which 401(k) flavor wins for you
- 401(k) calculator — long-run growth with employer match