Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your take-home pay after an assumed tax rate and pre-tax deductions.
How to use
- Enter your gross pay for one paycheck.
- Enter an estimated combined tax rate and any pre-tax deductions.
- Your estimated take-home pay updates instantly.
How the Paycheck Calculator works
Estimates take-home pay from gross pay, an effective tax rate, and any pre-tax deductions such as retirement contributions or health premiums.
Pre-tax deductions come off gross pay first, which is what makes them valuable. The remainder is taxable, and the tax rate is applied to that figure to give net pay.
taxable = gross − deductions, net = taxable − (taxable × rate)
Worked example
On $5,000 gross with $500 of pre-tax deductions and a 22% effective rate: taxable is $4,500, tax is $990, take-home is $3,510.
Things worth knowing
- Enter your effective rate, not your marginal bracket. Progressive systems tax each band separately, so the average paid is well below the top bracket.
- This is a simplified estimate. It does not model federal, state and local brackets separately, nor payroll taxes such as Social Security and Medicare.
- Pre-tax deductions reduce taxable income, so a dollar contributed to a traditional 401(k) costs you less than a dollar of take-home.
Frequently asked questions
Is this exact?
No — it's an estimate. Real withholding depends on your location, filing status and specific deductions.
What tax rate should I use?
Use your effective rate if you know it; otherwise 20–25% is a common rough estimate for many earners.
Why is my paycheck smaller than salary ÷ 12?
Income tax, payroll taxes, insurance premiums and retirement contributions all come out first. A 25–35% gap between gross and net is common.
What is the difference between marginal and effective rate?
Marginal is the rate on your next dollar earned. Effective is total tax divided by total income, and is always the lower of the two.