# Paycheck Calculator > Calculate your take-home pay per period. Federal income tax (2024 brackets), Social Security, Medicare, state tax, and pre-tax deductions. Math runs locally in your browser. URL: https://uttir.com/paycheck-calculator Categories: calculators Privacy: All tax math runs locally. No salary data leaves your device. ## About Gross pay minus federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state income tax equals your take-home pay. The federal calculation uses the 2024 percentage-method brackets from IRS Publication 15-T, annualised and divided by your pay periods, with the standard deduction subtracted. FICA (Social Security + Medicare) is calculated exactly as payroll systems do it: 6.2% on gross up to the $168,600 wage base for Social Security, 1.45% on all gross for Medicare, plus 0.9% on amounts above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married) for the additional Medicare tax. State tax is approximated with a flat marginal rate. Real state brackets vary (some are progressive like the federal system, some are flat, some states have no income tax at all), but a flat rate gives a reasonable estimate for planning purposes. For a more accurate number for your state, look up your state's withholding tables or use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator at irs.gov/W4app. ## How to use 1. **Enter gross pay** — Type your pre-deduction gross pay per pay period — what your employer reports on your pay stub before any deductions. 2. **Pick your pay period** — Weekly, biweekly (most common in the US), semimonthly, monthly, or annual. 3. **Set filing status and deductions** — W-4 allowances, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), and your state tax rate. The standard deduction defaults to 2024 IRS values; toggle the override to model married-joint, additional deductions, or a different year. 4. **Read the breakdown** — Per-period take-home plus a full breakdown of federal, FICA, state, and pre-tax. Annual figures are extrapolated. ## Examples ### $5,000 biweekly, single, no deductions A common W-2 employee setup. Output: ``` ~$3,540 take-home per period; ~$92,000 annual net ``` ### $80,000 salary, married filing jointly, 5% 401k A household with one earner and a 401k contribution. Output: ``` ~6.2% into 401k pre-tax; ~$3,077 take-home biweekly; ~$80,000 annual net ``` ## FAQ ### How accurate is this compared to my actual pay stub? Federal income tax is computed using the 2024 IRS percentage method, which matches what most payroll systems use for withholding. The state tax is a flat-rate approximation, so the state line will differ from your actual pay stub if your state has progressive brackets, a flat rate that is not what you entered, or no state income tax (e.g. Texas, Florida, Washington). FICA (Social Security + Medicare) should match exactly. ### Why does the federal withholding seem different from my actual refund or balance due? Withholding is an estimate, not a final tax bill. The actual tax is calculated on the 1040 at year-end with all deductions, credits, and other income. To get an exact year-end picture, use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator at irs.gov/W4app, which accounts for 401k, HSA, child tax credit, education credits, and other adjustments that this tool simplifies. ### What is the standard deduction? The standard deduction is a flat amount the IRS lets every taxpayer subtract from their gross income before federal income tax is calculated. For 2024: $14,600 single, $29,200 married filing jointly, $21,900 head of household. Most W-2 employees take the standard deduction. Itemizers (people who deduct state/local taxes, mortgage interest, charitable contributions individually) would skip it and use Schedule A instead. This tool defaults to the standard deduction; toggle the override to enter your itemised total if you itemise. ### Does this account for the 401k match? No. The "Pre-tax deductions" field is for any pre-tax amount you choose to defer — 401k employee contributions, traditional IRA contributions in some cases, HSA contributions, pre-tax health insurance premiums, etc. The employer 401k match is separate and is not a deduction from your taxable income (it is a separate employer-side benefit). Add your own pre-tax 401k contribution to the pre-tax field; the match is not deducted from your pay stub. ## Related tools - [Salary Calculator](https://uttir.com/salary-calculator) — Convert between hourly, daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, and annual salary. Adjust hours/week and weeks/year. - [Compound Interest Calculator](https://uttir.com/compound-interest-calculator) — Project savings growth with compound interest and monthly contributions, year by year. - [Retirement Calculator](https://uttir.com/retirement-calculator) — Project your retirement savings with monthly contributions, annual raises, and inflation. 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