What is the US Take Home Pay?
Your US paycheck is reduced by federal income tax (progressive brackets from 10% to 37%), FICA (6.2% Social Security up to the wage base plus 1.45% Medicare), and usually state income tax. Pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions and health premiums reduce your taxable income first.
Nine states levy no income tax at all — Texas, Florida, Washington, Nevada, Tennessee, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska and New Hampshire.
Formula & worked example
Taxable = AGI − standard deduction
Net = Gross − pre-tax − federal − FICA − state
Worked example: $90,000 single with 8% to 401(k) and $3,000 of health premiums. Pre-tax deductions total $10,200, giving an AGI of $79,800. After the $16,100 standard deduction, taxable income is $63,700 → federal tax about $8,726. FICA is $6,656 — charged on $87,000, because a 401(k) deferral cuts income tax but not FICA — and 5% state tax is $3,185. Monthly take-home lands near $5,103.
How to use this us take home pay calculator
- Enter your gross annual salary before any deduction.
- Select your filing status — it changes brackets and the standard deduction.
- Enter your 401(k) percentage; it reduces taxable income directly.
- Set your state rate, or 0 for the nine no-income-tax states.
Smart tips
- Every dollar into a traditional 401(k) or HSA reduces taxable income immediately — the easiest tax cut available to employees.
- Only income above each bracket threshold is taxed at that rate. A raise never reduces your take-home pay.
- Social Security tax stops above the wage base ($184,500 for 2026); Medicare has no cap.
- An HSA is triple tax-advantaged if you have a high-deductible plan — deductible, grows tax-free, and tax-free for medical spending.
- Adjust your W-4 if you get a large refund. A big refund is an interest-free loan to the government.
Frequently asked questions
How much of my paycheck goes to taxes?
For most middle-income earners, 25–35% including federal, FICA and state. This calculator gives your specific effective rate.
What is FICA?
Social Security (6.2% up to the wage base) and Medicare (1.45% on all wages, plus 0.9% above high-income thresholds).
Which states have no income tax?
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
Does a 401(k) reduce my taxes?
Yes. Traditional 401(k) contributions come out before federal and state income tax, though FICA still applies.
Want the theory behind the numbers? Browse the Money Blog for worked guides.
Written by Gurjeet Singh, Sharpen Solutions. Last reviewed 15 Oct 2026. Sources: IRS — federal income tax rates, brackets and the standard deduction, IRS — Topic no. 751: 6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare rates and the wage base. How we check these numbers.