Paycheck Estimator 2026
Estimate your next paycheck in about fifteen seconds: pay amount, frequency, state and filing status is all it needs.
How this is calculated
Your employer does not settle your tax bill once a year. It withholds from every paycheck using the percentage method the IRS publishes in Publication 15-T, and this calculator runs the same steps in the same order.
Gross pay for the period is worked out first. Pre-tax deductions come off next, and this is where most free calculators go wrong: a traditional 401(k) contribution reduces the wages your income tax is figured on, but it does not reduce the wages Social Security and Medicare are figured on. A health premium, HSA or FSA contribution reduces both, because those sit inside a Section 125 cafeteria plan.
What remains is annualised, reduced by the standard deduction for your filing status, and run through the federal bracket table. Dependent credits are subtracted, then the result is divided back down to your pay period and any extra W-4 withholding is added. State tax is calculated separately on its own base with its own deduction and brackets. Post-tax items such as Roth 401(k) and garnishments come off last, and what is left is your net pay.
Five inputs, one number
Most people want a figure, not a form. Pay type, amount, frequency, state and filing status get you within a few dollars of a real paycheck, and everything else on this page is optional. The deductions and advanced sections are collapsed for exactly that reason.
The estimate is pre-populated so the page never shows a blank result. Change the amount and the figure updates as you type, with no button to press and no email address to hand over.
When an estimate is close enough, and when it is not
An estimate is reliable when your pay is steady, your deductions are ordinary, and you live and work in the same state. It gets less reliable in four situations: you work in one state and live in another, your city levies its own wage tax, your income is heavily commission or bonus based, or you are near the Social Security wage base part way through the year.
In those cases use the advanced section to add other income and extra withholding, and treat the figure as a range rather than a precise number. The state pages carry the local tax detail where it exists.
Estimating a new job offer
To compare two offers, run each one here and compare net annual rather than gross. A $5,000 higher salary in a state with a 5% income tax is worth less than the raw difference suggests, and a better 401(k) match or a cheaper health plan can outweigh the headline number entirely. The state comparison row under the calculator does the geography part for you.
2026 tax rates used on this page
| Item | Rate | Limit or threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security (OASDI) | 6.2% | First $184,500 of wages, maximum $11,439 |
| Medicare | 1.45% | No cap |
| Additional Medicare | 0.9% | Wages above $200,000 single, $250,000 joint, $125,000 separate |
| Federal income tax | 10% to 37% | Seven brackets, after the standard deduction |
| Standard deduction | — | $16,100 single, $32,200 joint, $24,150 head of household |
| Federal supplemental rate | 22% | Applied to bonuses under the flat method |
| Dependent credits | — | $2,000 per child under 17, $500 per other dependent |
Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and the Social Security Administration 2026 announcement. Verified 17 September 2026.
2026 federal brackets
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 to $12,400 | $0 to $24,800 |
| 12% | $12,400 to $50,400 | $24,800 to $100,800 |
| 22% | $50,400 to $105,700 | $100,800 to $211,400 |
| 24% | $105,700 to $201,775 | $211,400 to $403,550 |
| 32% | $201,775 to $256,225 | $403,550 to $512,450 |
| 35% | $256,225 to $640,600 | $512,450 to $768,700 |
| 37% | $640,600 and above | $768,700 and above |
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is a paycheck estimator?
With steady pay, ordinary deductions and one work state, an estimate from the IRS percentage method lands within a dollar or two of what payroll produces. Accuracy drops where local taxes, multi-state work, commission pay or year-to-date caps are involved.
What do I need to estimate my paycheck?
Four things: your pay amount, how often you are paid, your state, and your filing status. Adding dependents, pre-tax deductions and any extra withholding from your W-4 tightens the estimate considerably.
Why is my estimate different from my actual paycheck?
The common reasons are benefit deductions you did not include, a locality tax, a year-to-date Social Security or Additional Medicare threshold already reached, imputed income such as employer-paid life cover, or a W-4 that does not say what you think it says.
Can I estimate a paycheck after a raise?
Yes. Enter the new annual salary and compare the net figure with your current one. Only the portion of the raise above your current bracket threshold is taxed at the higher marginal rate, so the increase in take-home pay is usually larger than people expect.
Does this store the figures I enter?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, nothing is stored, and there is no account to create. Inputs appear in the page address so you can bookmark or share a scenario, and that is the only place they persist.
Can I estimate withholding for a second job?
Add the second job\u2019s annual pay under other income in the advanced section. That approximates what the W-4 multiple-jobs worksheet does, which is to withhold at the rate your combined income deserves rather than at each job\u2019s own rate.
Related calculators
These figures are estimates for informational purposes and are not tax advice. Actual withholding depends on your employer’s payroll system, your year-to-date wages and your specific W-4. Federal rates come from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and the SSA 2026 announcement; state rates come from each state’s own withholding guide, with the source and verification date published on every state page. Read the methodology, or see who maintains this data.