How this number is made
Take-home pay is gross wages minus federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and any pre-tax retirement contribution. Wagefigure annualizes your pay, subtracts the 2026 standard deduction and traditional 401(k), runs the federal brackets, then divides the year’s tax across your paychecks.
- Choose salary or hourly. Hourly pay becomes annual wages with hours × 52.
- Pick a filing status. The standard deduction is $16,100 single or married filing separately, $32,200 joint, and $24,150 head of household.
- Set your state and edit the percent. Flat-tax states are close; progressive states are a mid estimate, not your exact bracket.
- Add traditional 401(k) dollars. They lower income tax here. Roth contributions would not.
Formula
Taxable wages ≈ gross − traditional 401(k) − standard deduction. Federal tax is the sum of each 2026 bracket slice. Social Security is 6.2% up to $184,500. Medicare is 1.45%, plus 0.9% over the statutory wage threshold. Paycheck = annual net ÷ number of pay periods.
Worked example
A single filer in Georgia earning $75,000 with no 401(k) has $58,900 of taxable income after the $16,100 standard deduction. Federal tax lands in the 22% marginal bracket on the top slice only. The rest of that income is taxed at 10% and 12%. State tax here is 5.19% of wages. FICA is 7.65% until the Social Security cap.
Questions
Why doesn’t this match my pay stub exactly?
Employers use IRS percentage-method withholding, your W-4, local taxes, benefits, and garnishments. This page estimates annual tax divided by paychecks so you can plan. It will not reproduce a stub line for line.
What is the 2026 401(k) employee limit?
The commonly published elective deferral limit for 2026 is $24,500, with a higher catch-up if you are 50 or older. This calculator does not enforce the cap. Confirm the year’s IRS notice before you rely on it.