Take-Home Paycheck Calculator
Calculate your net paycheck after federal tax, FICA, and 401(k) deductions. Weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
Paycheck Details
Take-Home
Per 2 weeks
$2,480
Annual Gross
$85,000
Federal Tax
$9,025
Social Security
$5,270
Medicare
$1,233
401(k)
$5,000
Annual Take-Home
$64,473
What is take-home pay?
Take-home pay is your salary minus federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to $176,100), Medicare (1.45%), any state tax, and pre-tax deductions like 401(k) and health insurance. For most single earners, take-home ranges from 65-75% of gross.
How to increase your take-home
- Move to a no-income-tax state (TX, FL, NV, WA, TN) — saves 5-13% in state tax
- Max out pre-tax 401(k) — reduces federal taxable income
- Use HSA if eligible — triple tax advantage (pre-tax in, tax-free growth, tax-free qualified withdrawals)
- Adjust W-4 withholding — if you routinely get big refunds, you\'re loaning the IRS money interest-free
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know, in one place.
Why is my take-home so much less than my salary?
Federal income tax (10-37% progressive), Social Security (6.2% up to $176k), Medicare (1.45%), plus state tax if applicable (0% in TX/FL/TN, 13%+ in CA/NY). A $100k single salary typically yields $70-75k take-home federally, less after state.
How does a 401(k) contribution affect take-home?
Pre-tax 401(k) reduces your federal taxable income by the contribution amount but also reduces take-home by the full contribution. Net effect on paycheck: contribution × (1 - marginal tax rate). Example: $1000 contribution at 22% bracket = $780 reduction in paycheck.
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