Paycheck Calculator FAQ — Take-Home Pay & Taxes

We're a bit biased, but we built this calculator for workers in all 50 states. Pick your state and it factors in that state's income tax (or the absence of one), uses the latest federal withholding rules, handles both salaried and hourly pay (including overtime), and gives you a printable pay stub. Everything runs in your browser — a free payroll portal that never uploads your wages. Compare Florida, Texas, and California paycheck calculator results side by side without creating an account.

Most workers see between 14% and 25% of gross pay go to taxes. The breakdown: Social Security takes 6.2% (on wages up to the annual wage base), Medicare takes 1.45% on all earnings, and federal income tax ranges from 10% to 37% depending on your bracket. State income tax — if your state levies one — adds roughly 0% to 13.3% on top. Our calculator applies your selected state’s rules automatically so you get an accurate take-home salary estimate.

It depends on how you're paid. If you're hourly, multiply your rate by weekly hours and by 52 weeks (for example, $35/hr x 40 hrs x 52 = $72,800/year). If you get bi-weekly paychecks, multiply the gross amount by 26. For monthly pay, multiply by 12. Then subtract federal income tax, FICA, and any state withholding to get your take-home. Switch the tool above between Salary and Hourly modes — or use the dedicated paycheck calculator hourly workflow for overtime and multiple jobs.

The classic advice is the 50/30/20 rule: 50% for needs (rent, food, bills), 30% for wants (dining out, hobbies), and 20% for savings and paying off debt. On a $75,000 salary with a bi-weekly take-home of about $2,300–$2,500 (depending on your state), that's roughly $460–$500 per paycheck going to savings. If that feels like a lot, start with 5% and gradually increase it whenever you get a raise.

Five things to verify: (1) Your gross pay matches your agreed rate times hours worked. (2) Pre-tax deductions like 401k and health insurance are taken out before taxes are calculated. (3) Social Security is exactly 6.2% and Medicare is 1.45%. (4) Federal withholding matches your W-4 elections, and state withholding matches your state’s rates. (5) Your net pay equals gross minus all deductions. If something looks off, talk to your HR or payroll department.

Nine states — including Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington — have no individual income tax. Others tax progressively (California tops out at 13.3%, New York at 10.9%), and a handful use a flat rate (Illinois 4.95%, Pennsylvania 3.07%). A worker earning $75,000 can keep several thousand dollars more per year in a no-tax state than in a high-tax one. Use our state selector to compare Florida, Texas, and California paycheck calculator outputs for the same salary.

A Florida paycheck calculator estimates your net pay when you work or live in Florida. Because Florida has no state income tax, the only deductions from a Florida paycheck are federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%). Our Florida paycheck calculator shows the exact breakdown per paycheck — try it with Florida selected in the state dropdown.

A Texas paycheck calculator (also used as a Texas salary calculator) computes take-home pay under Texas tax rules. Texas has no personal income tax, so your paycheck is reduced only by federal withholding and FICA. Use ours with Texas selected to see hourly and salary results, including bi-weekly and monthly figures.

California uses progressive brackets from 1% up to 13.3%, plus SDI and optional local taxes in a few areas. A California paycheck calculator applies those state rules on top of federal withholding and FICA so you can see a realistic take-home salary. Select California in the state dropdown above, enter your gross pay or hourly rate, and compare the result with Florida or Texas for the same wage.

Enter your regular rate, weekly hours, and overtime hours with the correct multiplier (usually 1.5× under the FLSA). Gross pay for the period is regular hours × rate plus OT hours × rate × multiplier; taxes and FICA then apply to that gross. Switch the homepage calculator to Hourly Wage mode — built as a paycheck calculator hourly tool — for W-2 employees, gig workers, and part-time roles alike.

A take-home salary calculator converts a gross salary or wage into net pay after taxes and deductions. You enter annual salary (or hourly rate), filing status, state, and optional pre-tax benefits; it returns net per paycheck, month, and year. That is exactly what this paycheck calculator does — free, in your browser, with no sign-up.

FreePayrollCalc is a free payroll portal for estimates and planning — not a replacement for employer payroll software that files taxes. Employees can preview paychecks, contractors can model 1099 vs W-2 cash flow, and small teams can sanity-check gross-to-net numbers before talking to a CPA. Nothing is stored on a server; calculations stay on your device.

Bi-weekly means 26 paychecks a year (every 14 days), including two months with three checks. Semi-monthly means 24 paychecks a year, typically on the 1st and 15th. Your annual pay is the same either way — only the cash-flow timing changes. See our pay period comparison for side-by-side numbers.

Usually not twice. Your resident state taxes all your income, and a work state may tax income earned there — but most states give a credit for tax paid to the other state. A few states have reciprocal agreements that waive withholding entirely. When in doubt, pick your work state in the calculator to preview that state’s impact, then consult a tax professional for multi-state situations.

Very accurate for estimates. We use current IRS percentage-method withholding rules, FICA rates, and published state income tax rates for the tax year you select (2025 or 2026). Actual paychecks can differ slightly because of your W-4 choices, benefit elections, local taxes in a few states, and rounding inside payroll software. Always confirm final numbers on your pay stub or with your employer.