— Salary & Income
Take-home Pay Calculator
See what actually lands in your account. Enter your gross salary and how often you’re paid, and this nets out federal income tax, FICA (Social Security + Medicare), state tax and your deductions — showing take-home per paycheck and per year, with the full gross-to-net breakdown.
Annual take-home
$64,666
- Monthly take-home
- $5,388.83
- Gross (annual)
- $80,000
- Total taxes
- $15,334
- Federal income tax
- $9,214
- FICA (Social Security + Medicare)
- $6,120
- Effective tax rate
- 19.17%
— Gross → net
| Item | Annual |
|---|---|
| Gross salary | $80,000 |
| − Federal income tax | $9,214 |
| − FICA | $6,120 |
| = Take-home pay | $64,666 |
— Where your pay goes
Download— How it works
Net = gross − pre-tax deductions − federal income tax − FICA (7.65%) − state/local tax − post-tax deductions. Income tax uses the federal brackets after the standard deduction.
Gross to net, layer by layer
Your headline salary is the gross — and a meaningful slice never reaches your account. Four things come out: federal income tax (worked out on the brackets after your standard deduction), FICA (a flat 7.65% — 6.2% Social Security up to the wage base, plus 1.45% Medicare), any state or local income tax, and your own deductions. Pre-tax deductions like a 401(k) come out before income tax is calculated, so they lower your tax too. What’s left is take-home, or “in-hand”, pay.
Worked example — $80,000 a year, single, 2025, no extras: Federal tax ≈ $9,214 · FICA $6,120 · take-home ≈ $64,666 a year, about $5,389 a month. Add a $10,000 401(k) and the federal tax falls while FICA stays — net cash dips, but $10k is now yours in retirement.
Pre-tax deductions: 401(k) vs health, and FICA
Not all pre-tax deductions behave the same. A traditional 401(k) escapes income tax but still pays FICA — so a $10,000 contribution saves you income tax at your marginal rate, not the full amount. Health-insurance premiums and HSA contributions run through a Section 125 plan, which escapes both income tax and FICA, so they save a little more per dollar. This calculator splits the two so the FICA line is right. Post-tax deductions (a Roth 401(k), say) come out after everything and don’t cut your tax at all.
What this covers — and the caveats
This estimates federal income tax and FICA precisely from the brackets and wage base, plus a flat state/local rate you supply (state tax is genuinely complex — its own brackets, deductions and local add-ons — so treat that line as a ballpark). It assumes the standard deduction and steady pay through the year. It doesn’t model itemised deductions, tax credits, the 401(k) contribution limit, or employer benefits beyond what you enter. For nine states (Texas, Florida, Washington and others) there’s no state income tax — leave the rate at 0.
— Reader questions
How much of my salary do I take home?
After federal tax and FICA, a single filer on $80,000 (2025, no state tax) keeps roughly $64,700 — about 81%. The share falls as income rises into higher brackets and climbs if you have pre-tax deductions or live in a no-income-tax state.
What is FICA and how much is it?
FICA is the payroll tax for Social Security and Medicare: 6.2% Social Security on wages up to the annual cap, plus 1.45% Medicare on all wages — 7.65% in total. High earners pay an extra 0.9% Medicare above a threshold. Your employer matches the 7.65%.
Does a 401(k) increase my take-home pay?
No — it reduces your take-home cash, because the money goes into the 401(k) instead of your account. But it lowers your income tax (not FICA), so the drop in cash is less than the amount contributed, and the contribution is still your money, invested for retirement.
Why is my take-home less than salary ÷ 12?
Because tax and deductions come out first. Salary ÷ 12 is your gross monthly; take-home is that minus federal tax, FICA, state tax and deductions — typically 20–35% less depending on income and where you live.
Is this my exact paycheck?
It’s a close estimate of federal tax and FICA, plus a flat state estimate. Your real paycheck depends on your exact W-4, your state’s rules, local taxes and employer benefits, so treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee.