US paycheck / take-home pay calculator

From gross pay, subtract the standard deduction to get taxable income; apply the progressive federal brackets; add FICA (6.2% Social Security up to the wage base + 1.45% Medicare) and state tax. The figures below are for tax year 2026.

Worked example: $60,000/yr, single

Effective rate: 16.0% — far below the "sticker" 22% bracket, because brackets are progressive and the standard deduction removes $16,100 before any tax applies.

2026 federal brackets (single)

For married filing jointly the thresholds are exactly double up to the 35% bracket, where they stop doubling — the origin of the so-called marriage penalty for high-earning couples with similar incomes.

The Social Security cap and the Medicare surtax

Social Security applies to the first $184,500 of wages in 2026; above that, the 6.2% stops. Medicare has no cap, and adds 0.9% on earnings above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married jointly) — two thresholds the statute does not index to inflation, which is why they reach more people every year.

Marginal ≠ effective rate

Your marginal rate is the top bracket (what one extra dollar pays). Your effective rate is total tax ÷ total income — always lower. Mixing them up overestimates your taxes.

State income tax

It ranges from 0% (e.g., Texas, Florida, Washington, Tennessee, Nevada) to ~10%+ (California, New York). Enter your state's average rate in the state-tax field.