Get an accurate estimate of your take-home pay. Our payroll calculator handles federal income tax, FICA contributions, and every pay frequency — in seconds.
Enter your pay details
and click Calculate to see
your full paycheck breakdown.
Our free paycheck calculator and salary calculator gives workers, freelancers, and HR professionals a clear picture of net take-home pay before any payday arrives. Whether you're earning an hourly wage or drawing an annual salary, this payroll calculator factors in 2024–2025 federal income tax brackets, Social Security, and Medicare (FICA) to deliver an accurate estimate across any pay frequency — weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly.
Our paycheck tax calculator applies the IRS's current marginal tax brackets (10%–37%) adjusted for your filing status and W-4 allowances, giving you a realistic federal withholding estimate every pay period.
FICA deductions — Social Security at 6.2% (up to the $168,600 wage base) and Medicare at 1.45% — are automatically calculated for each paycheck. High earners above $200,000 trigger the additional 0.9% Medicare surtax.
From weekly paychecks to quarterly disbursements, our salary calculator normalizes your annual income into per-period figures so you can compare take-home amounts across different pay schedules with a single click.
Follow these five simple steps to get your estimated net pay in under a minute:
Gross pay is your total earnings before any deductions — your full hourly rate × hours worked or your full annual salary divided by pay periods. Net pay (take-home pay) is what lands in your bank account after federal income tax, FICA (Social Security + Medicare), and any voluntary deductions like 401(k) or health insurance are subtracted. Our paycheck calculator shows both figures side by side.
This salary calculator uses the official 2024–2025 IRS federal tax brackets and FICA rates, making it highly accurate for federal estimations. However, it does not include state or local income taxes, which vary significantly by location. For exact withholding — especially if you have complex situations like multiple jobs, self-employment income, or significant investment income — we recommend consulting a CPA or using the IRS's own Tax Withholding Estimator.
FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It comprises two mandatory payroll taxes: Social Security (6.2% of gross wages up to $168,600 annually in 2024) and Medicare (1.45% of all gross wages, with an additional 0.9% surtax for earnings above $200,000). Both you and your employer pay equal shares of FICA — our payroll calculator reflects only the employee portion.
Pre-tax deductions — such as traditional 401(k) contributions and employer-sponsored health insurance premiums — are subtracted from your gross pay before federal income tax is calculated. This reduces your taxable income, meaning you pay less federal tax. For example, contributing 6% to a 401(k) on a $1,000/week gross pay lowers your taxable base to $940, reducing your tax bill and effectively making the retirement savings cost less out-of-pocket than the face value.
Bi-weekly pay means you receive a paycheck every two weeks — 26 paychecks per year. Semi-monthly pay means twice per month on set dates (e.g., 1st and 15th) — 24 paychecks per year. Because bi-weekly results in two extra paychecks annually, your per-period gross is slightly lower, but your annual income is the same. Our hourly paycheck calculator accounts for this difference when projecting annual take-home figures.