Free 2026 paycheck calculator with confirmed IRS tax brackets, Social Security, and Medicare. Get accurate take-home pay estimates for hourly and salary income.
Includes federal income tax + Social Security (6.2%) + Medicare (1.45%). Select a state below for state income tax.
Quick access to the most-used paycheck calculators. All include 2026 federal tax rates with state options.
Calculate take-home pay for $20/hour. Weekly, biweekly, and monthly breakdown with federal taxes.
Calculate Now → Salary · 2026See what $50k a year actually pays after federal taxes, FICA, and state options.
Calculate Now → Federal · 20262026 federal tax brackets with single, married, and head of household filing status.
Calculate Now → Biweekly · 202626 pay periods per year. Calculate biweekly take-home for hourly or salary income.
Calculate Now → State · CaliforniaCalifornia income tax rates for 2026. State + federal + FICA take-home calculator.
Calculate Now → State · TexasZero state income tax in Texas. Federal-only take-home pay calculator for TX workers.
Calculate Now →Common questions about take-home pay, taxes, and using this calculator.
This calculator estimates federal income tax using 2026 IRS tax brackets, Social Security at 6.2% (up to the $184,500 wage base), and Medicare at 1.45%. It does not include state income tax — use our state-specific pages for that.
This is a bracket-based estimate — not an exact payroll calculation. Actual withholding is determined by your W-4 form, which accounts for additional withholding, deductions, and credits. Use this calculator to get a realistic ballpark of your take-home pay.
For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $22,500 for head of household. This deduction reduces your federally taxable income.
Social Security tax is 6.2% of gross wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500. Once your wages exceed that threshold for the year, Social Security withholding stops. Both you and your employer each pay 6.2%.
Medicare tax is 1.45% of all gross wages with no cap. High earners pay an additional 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages over $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly).
As of 2026, nine states have no individual income tax on wages: Texas, Florida, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, Tennessee, and New Hampshire.
Understanding your take-home pay is essential for budgeting, financial planning, and negotiating salary. Our calculator uses the latest 2026 IRS tax tables to give you accurate paycheck estimates in seconds.
When you enter your hourly rate or annual salary, our calculator processes four key tax categories: federal income tax (using progressive 2026 brackets from 10% to 37%), Social Security tax (6.2% on wages up to $184,500), Medicare tax (1.45% on all wages), and the standard deduction adjustment based on your filing status.
Your gross salary tells you what you earn, but your take-home pay tells you what you can actually spend. For someone earning $50,000 annually as a single filer, federal taxes alone consume around $4,000-$4,500 per year. Add Social Security ($3,100) and Medicare ($725), and total federal deductions exceed $8,000 — meaning you actually take home around $42,000.
The 2026 tax year includes significant updates from the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) signed into law as Public Law 119-21. Key changes include: inflation-adjusted standard deductions ($16,100 single, $32,200 married), updated wage base for Social Security ($184,500), and continued use of the 7-bracket federal tax structure.
For more specific scenarios, we offer specialized calculators including hourly rate calculators ($15-$50/hour), salary calculators ($30k-$100k+), state-specific calculators (California, Texas, Florida, and more), and time-period calculators (weekly, biweekly, monthly). Each includes the same accurate 2026 federal calculations plus relevant state and time-period adjustments.