Paycheck Calculator
Calculate exactly how much money you will take home on your next paycheck. Enter your hourly rate or salary, adjust your tax withholdings and benefits, and see a detailed breakdown of every deduction.
Income Details
Taxes & Benefits
Enter your wage details to calculate your paycheck…
Pre-Tax vs Post-Tax Deductions
Pre-tax deductions are taken out of your paycheck before income taxes are calculated. This lowers your taxable income, meaning you pay less in federal and state taxes. Examples include traditional 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, HSA contributions, and flexible spending account (FSA) contributions.
Post-tax deductions are taken out after all taxes have been applied. They do not lower your tax burden for that paycheck. Examples include Roth 401(k) or Roth IRA contributions, garnishments, union dues, and charitable donations made through your employer.
Understanding FICA Taxes
FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It consists of two taxes: Social Security (6.2% on earnings up to $168,600) and Medicare (1.45% on all earnings, with an additional 0.9% on earnings over $200,000). Your employer matches these amounts, so the total cost is double what you see on your pay stub.
What is an Annual Salary vs Hourly?
Salaried employees receive a fixed annual amount divided by the number of pay periods (e.g., $52,000 / 26 bi-weekly checks = $2,000 per check before taxes). Hourly employees are paid based on exact hours worked. If an hourly employee works overtime (typically over 40 hours in a week), those extra hours are paid at 1.5 times their regular rate (time-and-a-half).
How to read your pay stub
Your pay stub is divided into two main sections: Earnings (Gross Pay) and Deductions. Gross Pay is your total earnings before anything is taken out. Deductions are subtracted from Gross Pay to arrive at your Net Pay (the amount deposited into your bank account). Always verify that the Gross Pay matches your expected hours or salary divided by pay periods.
Checking for pay stub errors
Mistakes happen frequently. Always check that your hourly rate or salary is correct, that your hours worked match your timecard, and that overtime is calculated at 1.5x. Verify that your benefit deductions match your enrollment forms and that federal/state taxes aren’t drastically higher or lower than the previous check (a sudden change usually means an error in HR or payroll processing).
Why your net pay might drop
If your take-home pay suddenly decreases even though your pay rate hasn’t changed, it is usually because you have hit a tax threshold. For example, crossing into a new federal tax bracket mid-year, hitting the Social Security wage base limit ($168,600), or the $200,000 Medicare surcharge threshold can all cause a sudden drop in your net pay. Year-end bonuses are also taxed at a flat supplemental rate (usually 22%), which results in a smaller net check than you might expect.
What is a Paycheck Calculator?
A paycheck calculator is a financial tool that estimates your net take-home pay for a specific pay period. Unlike annual salary calculators, a paycheck calculator focuses on the micro-level details of a single check: exact hours worked, overtime calculations, per-check benefit deductions, and the precise tax withholdings for that specific pay period.
Why calculate your paycheck manually
Knowing how to calculate your paycheck helps you budget accurately between paydays, verify that your employer’s payroll department is paying you correctly, and understand the financial impact of changing your 401(k) contributions or enrolling in benefits. It also helps hourly employees anticipate how overtime or missed shifts will impact their take-home pay for that specific week.
How overtime is calculated
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt hourly employees must be paid 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for any hours worked over 40 in a single workweek. This calculator applies standard time-and-a-half for overtime. Some employers or states may have different rules (like double-time on Sundays), but 1.5x is the federal baseline used here.
Who this calculator is for
This tool is for hourly employees tracking their weekly income, salaried employees checking their per-check amounts, and anyone starting a new job who wants to anticipate their first paycheck. It is also highly useful for budgeting purposes, allowing you to plan your bill payments around the exact dollar amount you will receive on payday, rather than guessing.