Free paycheck calculator
Uses 2024 IRS brackets and FICA rates to estimate your take-home pay after federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and a flat state tax rate you set.
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How to use
- Enter your gross pay for a single pay period.
- Select how often you are paid — weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly.
- Choose your federal filing status.
- Enter your state’s flat income tax rate (find it on your state’s tax authority website).
- Click Calculate paycheck to see your take-home pay and annual totals.
The formula
Federal tax — annualize gross pay, subtract 2024 standard deduction, apply progressive brackets, divide result by pay periods per year.
FICA:
- Social Security:
min(annualGross, $168,600) × 6.2% ÷ periods - Medicare:
annualGross × 1.45% ÷ periods(+ 0.9% on amounts over $200,000/yr)
State tax: grossPay × stateRate% (flat rate, varies by state)
Net pay: grossPay − federalTax − stateTax − socialSecurity − medicare
2024 tax brackets (single filers)
| Income up to | Rate |
|---|---|
| $11,600 | 10% |
| $47,150 | 12% |
| $100,525 | 22% |
| $191,950 | 24% |
| $243,725 | 32% |
| $609,350 | 35% |
| Over $609,350 | 37% |
Married filing jointly and head of household brackets are wider — see the IRS website for full tables.
Worked example — $2,500 bi-weekly gross, single filer, 5% state tax
Annualized: $2,500 × 26 pay periods = $65,000 gross/year
| Line | Per period | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,500.00 | $65,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$235 | −$6,110 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$155 | −$4,030 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$36.25 | −$942.50 |
| State tax (5%) | −$125 | −$3,250 |
| Net pay | $1,948.75 | $50,667.50 |
Take-home ratio: 78% of gross — fairly typical for a $65K salary in a mid-tax state. Federal income tax is 9.4%, FICA is 7.65%, state is 5%.
Pay period math — why the frequency matters
How often you’re paid doesn’t change annual tax, but it changes the size of each check and cash flow:
| Period | Pay checks/year | $65k annual = |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 52 | $1,250 gross / check |
| Bi-weekly | 26 | $2,500 gross / check |
| Semi-monthly (1st & 15th) | 24 | $2,708 gross / check |
| Monthly | 12 | $5,417 gross / check |
Bi-weekly and semi-monthly are not the same — bi-weekly gives you 26 checks (and occasional “three-paycheck months”), semi-monthly always 24.
Notes
- This calculator uses 2024 tax law. Brackets adjust annually for inflation.
- Pre-tax benefit contributions (401k, HSA, FSA) reduce federal and FICA taxable income but are not modeled here.
- State income taxes vary significantly. Nine states have no income tax. Eleven states use flat rates; the rest have progressive brackets.
- The additional 0.9% Medicare surtax is not withheld by employers until wages exceed $200,000 in a year.
References
- About Publication 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding MethodsInternal Revenue Service · irs.gov
- Topic no. 751, Social Security and Medicare Withholding RatesInternal Revenue Service · irs.gov
Frequently asked
How is federal withholding calculated?
What are the FICA taxes?
Does the calculator include pre-tax deductions like 401k?
Why does the effective rate differ from the marginal rate?
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