Paycheck Calculator

Per-paycheck net = gross − pre-tax deductions − federal withholding (W-4 method) − FICA (6.2% + 1.45%) − state − post-tax deductions. Federal withholding is annualised, reduced by W-4 dependent credits, then divided across the year.

Your paycheck, line by line

A paycheck starts at gross — your salary divided by the number of pay periods — and four things come out before it reaches you. Federal income tax is withheld using the W-4 method: your pay is annualised, run through the brackets after the standard deduction, reduced by any dependent credits, then sliced back into per-period amounts. FICA takes a flat 7.65% (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare). State withholding, if your state has an income tax, comes next. Then your own deductions. What remains is net pay — the deposit you actually see.

Worked example — $60,000 a year, single, biweekly, 2025: Gross $2,307.69 · federal $198.52 · FICA $176.54 · net ≈ $1,932.63 per check. That annualises to about $50,249 take-home.

How the W-4 shapes your withholding

The W-4 is what tells your employer how much to withhold. Step 3 dependents lower it — each child under 17 cuts annual withholding by the $2,000 child tax credit, so every child adds about $77 to a biweekly check. The Step 2 “multiple jobs” box does the opposite: it withholds more, because two incomes stacked together land in higher brackets than either job sees alone, and skipping it is the classic reason couples owe at tax time. Line 4c lets you add a flat extra amount per check. Adjusting these changes your paycheck and your eventual refund or bill — they’re two ends of the same lever.

Withholding is an estimate, not your final tax

Crucially, the federal figure here is withholding — your employer’s best guess at your tax, paid in instalments through the year. Your actual tax is settled when you file: if too much was withheld you get a refund, if too little you owe. A big refund means you over-withheld and gave the government an interest-free loan; owing a lot means the reverse. The aim of a well-tuned W-4 is to land near zero. This tool estimates the withholding side; pair it with the income-tax calculator for the liability side.

Scope and caveats

Federal withholding and FICA are computed from the IRS brackets, standard deduction and wage base; state is a flat rate you supply (real state withholding has its own tables and local add-ons, so treat it as a ballpark). It assumes steady pay across the year and the standard deduction, and doesn’t model the 401(k) limit, supplemental-wage rules for bonuses, or every W-4 nuance. It’s a close estimate — your actual stub depends on your employer’s exact payroll setup.