Salary Calculator USA: Take-Home Paycheck After Taxes
Calculate your net take-home paycheck after federal income tax brackets, Social Security, Medicare, and state withholding.
US take-home pay: federal tax, FICA and state tax in 2026
US take-home pay is gross pay minus pre-tax deductions (401(k), health insurance, HSA), federal income tax on the 2026 brackets after the standard deduction, FICA (6.2% Social Security up to $184,500, 1.45% Medicare) and state income tax, calculated for all 50 states and D.C. For $85,000 in California, the tool shows $2,273 net every two weeks. If you are weighing a US job offer from abroad, enter the gross annual salary in dollars and choose the monthly pay frequency to read the net monthly pay.
How the tool works it out
- Pre-tax deductions: 401(k) (rate × gross, capped at $24,500) + health insurance + HSA.
- Federal tax: (gross − deductions − standard deduction) taxed on the brackets below.
- FICA on gross pay: 6.2% up to $184,500, 1.45% Medicare with no cap, plus 0.9% above $200,000 ($250,000 married).
- State: gross minus pre-tax deductions, minus the state's standard deduction or personal exemption, taxed at the state's 2026 rate or brackets for single or joint filers, minus any personal credit (California $153, Delaware $110, Nebraska $176, Iowa $40, Utah 6% of the federal deduction). For Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Missouri and Oregon, the tool applies the state's official 2026 withholding formula (see below).
The annual total is divided by the number of pay periods (52, 26, 24 or 12).
2026 federal income tax brackets
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 to $12,400 | $0 to $24,800 | $0 to $17,700 |
| 12% | $12,400 to $50,400 | $24,800 to $100,800 | $17,700 to $67,450 |
| 22% | $50,400 to $105,700 | $100,800 to $211,400 | $67,450 to $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,700 to $201,775 | $211,400 to $403,550 | $105,700 to $201,750 |
| 32% | $201,775 to $256,225 | $403,550 to $512,450 | $201,750 to $256,200 |
| 35% | $256,225 to $640,600 | $512,450 to $768,700 | $256,200 to $640,600 |
| 37% | over $640,600 | over $768,700 | over $640,600 |
| Standard deduction | $16,100 | $32,200 | $24,150 |
The rates apply to taxable income, after the standard deduction (Rev. Proc. 2025-32, sections 4.01 and 4.14).
State income tax in 2026
- No tax on wages: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington (capital gains only) and Wyoming.
- Flat rate: Arizona 2.5%, Colorado 4.4%, Georgia 4.99%, Idaho 5.3%, Illinois 4.95%, Indiana 2.95%, Iowa 3.8%, Kentucky 3.5%, Louisiana 3%, Michigan 4.25%, Mississippi 4%, North Carolina 3.99%, Ohio 2.75%, Pennsylvania 3.07% and Utah 4.5%. Idaho, Mississippi and Ohio leave the first $4,811, $10,000 and $26,050 of taxable income untaxed.
- Brackets: the other states and D.C., up to 13.3% in California (above $1 million), 10.9% in New York and 10.75% in New Jersey and D.C.
- Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Missouri and Oregon: the tool follows each state's official 2026 withholding formula, which subtracts federal income tax (Alabama; Oregon up to $8,750), phases down deductions, exemptions and credits as income rises (Alabama, Connecticut, Oregon), tops out at 3.7% in Arkansas and withholds up to 4.7% in Missouri after a $16,100 deduction for a single filer, counting one allowance per person and one salary per couple.
- Head of household: the source only gives single and joint figures, so the single schedule is used, except for the $24,150 federal deduction in states that start from it (Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, D.C.) and $15,000 in Georgia. The five states above apply their own head-of-household withholding rules.
- Local income taxes are not included (New York City and Yonkers, Maryland counties, cities in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, Indiana counties, among others).
Example (default values)
$85,000 a year, single, California, 6% 401(k), $2,400 health insurance, $1,000 HSA, paid biweekly. Deductions: $8,500. Federal taxable income: 76,500 − 16,100 = $60,400, giving $8,000 of tax. FICA: $5,270 + $1,232.50. California: 76,500 − 5,540 = $70,960 taxed on its brackets gives $3,060.85, minus the $153 credit: $2,907.85. Annual net: $59,090, or $2,273 per paycheck on $3,269 gross; taxes take 20.5% of gross. In Texas, with no state income tax, net pay rises to $61,998.
Limits
- It estimates annual tax spread over paychecks, not the employer's W-4 withholding, except in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Missouri and Oregon, where it applies the state withholding formula: the tax due on the annual return can differ (actual federal tax in Alabama and Oregon, federal tax deduction on the Missouri return).
- Every state uses the same base (gross minus 401(k), health insurance and HSA), although some states do not exclude all of these contributions.
- Not applied: New York's tax benefit recapture above $107,650 of income, the deduction phase-outs in Maine (above $100,000) and Rhode Island ($261,000 to $290,800) and Maryland's exemption phase-out ($100,000 to $150,000). The tool flags these cases.
- State payroll contributions are left out: California SDI (1.3%), Washington's WA Cares (0.58%), Massachusetts paid family and medical leave (0.46%).
- No federal credits; the OBBBA deductions for tips, overtime and taxpayers 65 and over are not modelled.
Sources and dates: 2026 federal brackets and standard deductions from Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and IRS release IR-2025-103 of 09/10/2025 (rates made permanent by the OBBBA, P.L. 119-21); $184,500 Social Security wage base (SSA 2026 COLA fact sheet); state rates, brackets, deductions and exemptions from the Tax Foundation table "State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026" of 17/02/2026, updated 19/02/2026 (for California, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota and Vermont it shows 2025 inflation-adjusted brackets, and for California and Vermont 2025 deductions, because the 2026 figures were not yet published); Georgia 4.99% and $15,000 / $30,000 deduction from the Georgia DOR (2026 Income Tax Changes); New York $107,650 threshold from the IT-201 instructions (NY DTF). Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Missouri and Oregon: the states' 2026 withholding publications (Alabama DOR withholding tables and instructions, January 2026; Arkansas DFA withholding formula revised after HB 1001; Connecticut DRS TPG-211, December 2025; Missouri DOR withholding table updated 01/11/2025; Oregon DOR publication 150-206-436 of 31/12/2025). Checked on 22/10/2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the take-home pay on $85,000 a year in California?
About $59,090 a year according to the tool (single, 6% 401(k), default health insurance and HSA), or $2,273 every two weeks on $3,269 gross. In Texas, with no state income tax, net pay reaches $61,998, $2,908 more.
What is the Social Security wage base for 2026?
The 6.2% employee tax applies up to $184,500 of wages in 2026, a maximum of $11,439. Medicare (1.45%) has no cap and adds 0.9% on wages above $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples).
What is the federal standard deduction for 2026?
$16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household (IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32). The tool subtracts it after pre-tax deductions; it does not handle itemized deductions.
Does contributing to a 401(k) lower the tax on my paycheck?
Yes for federal and state income tax, no for FICA, which is based on gross pay. In the default example, the $5,100 put into the 401(k) cuts federal tax by $1,122 ($5,100 × 22%) but leaves the $6,502.50 of FICA unchanged.
How much is $100,000 a year after tax per month in the US?
For a single filer with no 401(k) or other pre-tax deductions, the tool gives $6,598 net a month in Texas ($79,180 a year), $6,193 in New York State (excluding New York City tax) and $6,176 in California. Federal tax is $13,170 and FICA $7,650 in all three; the gap comes from state income tax.
Which states have no income tax?
Nine states do not tax wages in 2026: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Washington taxes only capital gains (7%, 9% above $1 million). Federal income tax and FICA still apply everywhere.
How is state tax calculated in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Missouri and Oregon?
With each state's official 2026 withholding formula, the one employers apply to paychecks. For a single filer, Alabama subtracts federal income tax and a deduction of $2,500 to $3,000; Oregon subtracts federal tax up to $8,750 and gives a $263 credit; Connecticut reduces its exemption and personal credit as income rises; Arkansas taxes up to 3.7% and Missouri up to 4.7% after a $16,100 deduction. For $59,090 a year, single, paid monthly with no pre-tax deductions, state tax is $206 a month in Alabama, $142 in Arkansas, $189 in Connecticut, $153 in Missouri and $325 in Oregon.
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