$85k salary, biweekly pay, $200 pretax, 18% federal, 5% state
- Gross ≈ $3,269
- Taxes ≈ $550
- Net ≈ $2,719
finance calculator
Paycheck Calculator
Estimate take-home pay by entering salary, pay frequency, pretax contributions, and tax rates.
Results
- Gross pay per period
- $3,269 USD
- Estimated taxes
- $706 USD
- Net pay per period
- $2,363 USD
How to use this calculator
- Enter your annual salary and number of pay periods per year.
- Add any pretax deductions per paycheck plus federal and state tax percentages.
- We show gross pay, estimated taxes, and net pay per period.
Inputs explained
- Annual salary
- Your total salary before taxes or deductions.
- Pay periods per year
- Common values: 12 monthly, 24 semi-monthly, 26 biweekly, 52 weekly.
- Pretax deductions
- 401(k), HSA, or other pretax amounts per paycheck.
- Federal/State tax %
- Percentages to approximate withholding. Add FICA if you want it included.
How it works
Gross pay = salary ÷ pay periods. We subtract pretax contributions, then apply the combined tax rate to the remaining amount.
Net pay = gross − pretax − taxes.
Formula
Gross = salary / periods\nTaxable = gross − pretax\nTaxes = taxable × (federal + state)\nNet = taxable − taxes
When to use it
- Estimating take-home pay before accepting an offer.
- Testing how larger 401(k) contributions affect net pay.
- Comparing pay frequencies (monthly vs biweekly) on cash flow.
Tips & cautions
- Add Social Security and Medicare rates to the tax percentages for a closer match to real paystubs.
- Pretax contributions lower taxable income—experiment with higher contributions to see tax impact.
- Remember bonuses may be taxed differently; this tool models regular pay cycles.
- Simplifies tax withholding into flat percentages; real payroll uses progressive brackets and tables.
- Does not include post-tax deductions like insurance premiums or garnishments.
- State/local taxes vary; enter your own rate for the best estimate.
Worked examples
Switch to 401(k) contributions of $400
- Pretax doubles, net pay drops accordingly while taxes fall.
Deep dive
Estimate take-home pay by entering salary, pay frequency, pretax deductions, and tax percentages to see gross vs net per paycheck.
Great for offer comparisons and contribution planning when you need a fast paycheck estimate without payroll software.
FAQs
- Does this include Social Security/Medicare?
- Not in this version. Add those rates to the tax percentages if you want a combined estimate.
- What about allowances or credits?
- Use the tax percentages to approximate how allowances impact your withholding.
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