US net salary calculator
See what's left of your US salary after federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security and Medicare — per year and per paycheck, for all 50 states and DC.
Your result
Enter your salary to see your take-home pay — it updates automatically.
Source: PolicyEngine US tax model, tax year 2026, computed live per calculation. Excludes local/city taxes, pre-tax deductions (401(k), health premiums) and benefits. An estimate for planning, not tax advice.
How it works
Enter your gross pay, state, filing status and pay frequency. We send these to PolicyEngine's open-source US tax model, which calculates federal income tax, your state's income tax, and payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare) for the current tax year. Take-home pay is your gross pay minus those amounts, split evenly across your paychecks.
What's included — and what isn't
Included: federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to the annual wage cap), Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% on high earnings), and state payroll contributions where a state requires them, such as California's disability insurance (SDI). Results also include federal and state tax credits you'd qualify for based on your inputs — for example the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Child Tax Credit — so at lower incomes take-home pay can be noticeably higher than taxes alone would suggest. Not included: local or city income taxes, pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions or health insurance premiums, and government benefits.
FAQ
Why can federal income tax show as a negative number?
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At lower incomes, refundable credits such as the EITC or the refundable part of the Child Tax Credit can be larger than the tax you owe. The tool shows that as a negative tax, which adds to your take-home pay.
What household does each filing status assume?
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Single: one earner, no dependents. Married filing jointly: you plus a spouse with no income of their own, no children. Head of household: you plus one child aged 8. A different household would change which credits apply and the result.
How up to date are the figures?
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Each calculation is run by PolicyEngine for the current tax year using its latest published tax model, so tax-law changes flow through once PolicyEngine updates the model.
Limitations
This is an annual estimate, not a paycheck withholding calculation — your actual paycheck can differ because of W-4 settings, pre-tax deductions, local taxes, bonuses or other income. Tax credits are estimated from the limited household details you enter. Use it for planning, not for filing.