US Take-Home Pay Calculator
Take-home pay is the cash that lands in your account after withholdings — not the salary number on your offer letter. This calculator subtracts federal income tax, FICA (Social Security + Medicare), and your state's income tax from your gross salary so you can see what you actually bring home each year, month, fortnight, week, and hour worked.
Why your take-home is less than your gross salary
Three layers of withholding eat into a US W-2 paycheck. Federal income tax is the largest for most earners — applied progressively to taxable income (gross minus the standard deduction) at rates from 10% to 37% depending on filing status. FICA is a flat 7.65% (6.2% Social Security up to ~$181,800 wage base in 2026, plus 1.45% Medicare with no cap). State income tax ranges from 0% (nine no-tax states) to ~8.5% effective (Oregon, Hawaii). The combined effective rate for a typical $75K earner is 25-32% depending on state.
The calculator applies each layer in the order the IRS does. For monthly/bi-weekly/weekly views, it divides your annual take-home by the appropriate number of pay periods. For hourly, it assumes 40 hours per week × 52 weeks.
Take-home pay across states (sample $75K Single)
How much you take home from a $75,000 salary depends heavily on where you live. A few examples:
- Texas, Florida, Washington (no state income tax) — approx. $58,000 annual take-home
- Pennsylvania (3.07% flat) — approx. $56,000
- Illinois (4.95% flat) — approx. $55,000
- California (~6.8% effective) — approx. $53,500
- Oregon (~8.5% effective) — approx. $52,300
Approximate Single-filer figures, 2026 brackets, no other deductions. Use the calculator above for your specific situation.
Frequently asked
What is take-home pay?
Take-home pay (or "net pay") is the amount left in your bank account after taxes are withheld from your gross salary. For US W-2 employees, the deductions are federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45% + 0.9% surtax over $200K Single / $250K MFJ), and state income tax (where applicable).
Why is take-home pay so much less than my advertised salary?
For a $75,000 salary in California, expect to take home roughly $54,000 — about 72% of gross. Federal income tax accounts for ~$8,000, FICA ~$5,800, California state tax ~$4,000. Lower-tax states keep more in your pocket; high-cost states (CA, NY, OR, HI) keep less.
How can I increase my take-home pay?
Three legal levers: (1) move to a no-state-income-tax state (TX, FL, WA, etc. — saves 4-8% of gross); (2) maximise pre-tax retirement contributions (401(k) up to $23,500 in 2026 reduces taxable income dollar-for-dollar); (3) use HSA/FSA for healthcare expenses (also pre-tax). The calculator does not factor these in — your actual take-home is typically higher than shown.
Is the calculator exact?
No. It estimates federal + FICA + state income tax only, with simplified state effective rates for the 30 progressive-bracket states. For an exact figure, check your last paystub or use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator.
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Last updated: January 2026.