How take-home pay is built up
Your gross salary is the headline number, but several layers come out before money reaches your bank account. This calculator peels them off in order: first pre-tax deductions (such as 401(k) or health premiums) reduce the income that gets taxed, then federal income tax is applied to what remains using the progressive brackets, then a flat state tax, and finally FICA payroll taxes.
What survives all of those subtractions is your net, or take-home, pay. The tool also divides that annual figure into monthly and biweekly amounts so you can line it up against how you actually get paid.
Understanding the deductions
Pre-tax deductions do double duty: they fund a benefit and they shrink your taxable income, so a dollar contributed costs you less than a dollar of take-home pay.
FICA is separate from income tax and is not progressive. Social Security takes 6.2% but only up to an annual wage cap, while Medicare takes 1.45% on all wages with no cap. Because these are flat, they make up a larger share of the bite for lower earners than for high earners who pass the Social Security cap.
Reading the breakdown chart
The donut chart splits your gross pay into its destinations: the slice you keep (net pay) alongside slices for federal tax, state tax, FICA, and any pre-tax deductions. Seeing them side by side makes it clear how much of each raise would actually land in your pocket versus going to taxes.
Why your real paycheck may differ
This is an estimate using 2024 federal brackets and a single flat state rate. Real withholding depends on the allowances on your W-4, tax credits, local city taxes, post-tax deductions, and the specific rules of your state, several of which have their own progressive brackets or no income tax at all. Treat the result as a planning figure rather than an exact paystub.
Formula
net = gross − preTax − federalTax − FICA − stateTax; FICA = 6.2%·min(gross, 168600) + 1.45%·grossFrequently asked questions
- Why is my real paycheck different?
- This uses a flat state rate and ignores credits, local taxes and benefit details. Actual withholding depends on your W-4, employer benefits and state rules.