US Take-Home Pay Calculator

Take-home pay (net pay) is what is left of your gross salary after taxes and withholdings are deducted. This calculator covers federal income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare). Your actual paycheck may also have state tax, retirement contributions and benefit deductions removed.

It deducts federal income tax (using the 2025 standard deduction and brackets) and FICA — 6.2% Social Security up to the $176,100 wage base plus 1.45% Medicare on all wages, with a 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on higher earnings. It does not include state or local income tax.

FICA is the combined Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) payroll tax withheld from employee wages — 7.65% in total. Employers pay a matching 7.65%. The Social Security portion stops at the annual wage base ($176,100 for 2025); Medicare has no cap.

For 2025 the standard deduction is $15,750 for single filers, $31,500 for married filing jointly and $23,625 for head of household. This calculator subtracts the standard deduction before applying the federal income-tax brackets.

$176,100. The 6.2% Social Security portion of FICA applies only to wages up to this amount; earnings above it are not subject to Social Security tax, though the 1.45% Medicare portion continues with no cap.

An extra 0.9% Medicare tax on wages above $200,000 (single or head of household) or $250,000 (married filing jointly). Employers withhold it on wages over $200,000 regardless of filing status, with the final amount settled on your tax return.

No — this calculator covers federal income tax and FICA only. Most US states also levy income tax (some do not), which would reduce your take-home pay further. Your state position depends on where you live and work.

Beyond federal tax and FICA, real paychecks often have state tax, 401(k) or other retirement contributions, health-insurance premiums and other benefits deducted. This tool isolates federal tax and FICA so you can see those components clearly.

Traditional 401(k) contributions are pre-tax, so they reduce your taxable income and your federal income tax, increasing the gap between gross and take-home in a tax-efficient way. This calculator does not model 401(k) deductions — enter salary after any pre-tax contributions for a closer estimate.

Your marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar of income (your top bracket); your effective rate is your total tax and FICA divided by your gross salary — always lower than the marginal rate because lower brackets are taxed at lower rates. This calculator shows the effective rate.

Yes — take-home pay and net pay both refer to the amount you actually receive after taxes and deductions. Gross pay is the figure before any deductions.

Start with gross salary, subtract the standard deduction to get taxable income, apply the federal brackets to get income tax, then subtract FICA (Social Security + Medicare). Gross minus income tax minus FICA is your federal take-home figure, which this calculator computes automatically.

It works on annual figures. To use it for hourly or weekly pay, convert to an annual salary first (for example, hourly rate × hours × 52). The take-home figure can then be divided back down to a per-period amount.

Bonuses are taxed as ordinary income, but employers often withhold federal tax on them at a flat supplemental rate, which can be higher or lower than your eventual rate. The final tax is reconciled on your annual return. Add bonuses to your salary for an annual estimate.

Partly. As a US citizen you still file US taxes on worldwide income, but if you live and work in the UK you usually pay UK tax via PAYE and use the Foreign Tax Credit or Foreign Earned Income Exclusion so you are not taxed twice. This US-paycheck tool models US federal tax in isolation; cross-border situations need both systems considered together.

It depends on your tax residence and where the work is performed, and on the US/UK tax treaty. A US citizen resident in the UK is generally taxed by the UK first, with US tax relieved by the Foreign Tax Credit. Cross-border payroll is complex and worth a specialist review.

It uses the 2025 federal standard deduction, brackets, the $176,100 Social Security wage base and the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax, so it is accurate for federal income tax and FICA on a straightforward salary. It excludes state tax, pre-tax benefits and credits, which vary by person.

Employer withholding is based on your W-4 and uses IRS withholding tables, which approximate your annual tax across pay periods. This calculator estimates your actual annual tax, so small differences are normal and are reconciled when you file your return.

The calculation runs entirely in your browser and nothing is stored unless you choose to download the branded PDF report, at which point you provide your name and email so we can send it. Phone and address are optional.

Yes. Enter your name and email (phone and address optional) and we generate a TaxStone-branded PDF of your take-home pay breakdown to download instantly — handy for budgeting or sharing with an adviser.

If you are a US person working in the UK (or vice versa), getting your payroll, treaty position and credits checked can prevent double taxation and surprises. Book a free 20-minute call with a TaxStone Enrolled Agent.