Take-Home Pay Calculator
The gross salary on your offer letter is not what hits your account. See exactly what lands after federal tax, state tax, FICA, 401k, and benefits — for any salary or state.
About this tool
A take-home pay calculator built for clarity. Drop in your gross salary, state, pay frequency, and pre-tax deductions — and see your actual net pay per paycheck. Useful for budgeting, comparing job offers across states, and understanding exactly how a raise translates to take-home dollars.
How to use it
Quick steps to get the most out of this utility.
- 1
Enter gross annual salary
Use the base salary on your offer letter, before bonuses. Add typical bonus separately as it taxes differently.
- 2
Pick your state
State tax can swing take-home by $5–15k/year for the same gross. No-income-tax states (TX, FL, WA, NV) versus high-tax states (CA, NY, NJ) is a dramatic gap.
- 3
Set pay frequency
Biweekly is most common in the US (26 paychecks). Monthly (12), semi-monthly (24), and weekly (52) are also supported.
- 4
Add deductions
401k contribution, HSA, health / dental / vision premiums, FSA. These are pre-tax — they lower both your tax and your take-home in different ways.
- 5
Read your net
Per-paycheck take-home plus an annual breakdown of every withholding line.
Why "gross" is a misleading number
When companies post salaries, they post gross — the headline figure before any deductions. Federal tax (10–37% marginal), state tax (0–13.3%), FICA (7.65%), and benefits (typically 5–15% of gross) all come out before your paycheck lands. The gap between gross and net is rarely under 20% and often over 35%. Budgeting on gross is one of the most common money mistakes new earners make.
A worked example: $150k in two states
Same person, same job, $150k gross, 10% 401k contribution, single filer, no other deductions:
- Austin, TX (no state tax): Federal $22.5k + FICA $11.5k + 401k $15k = take-home ~$101k/year.
- San Francisco, CA: Federal $22.5k + State $11k + FICA $11.5k + 401k $15k = take-home ~$90k/year.
- Same gross, $11k/year less take-home in CA — and SF housing costs significantly more on top of it.
How to use take-home for budgeting
- Calculate your monthly net (annual take-home / 12).
- Build your budget on this number — never on gross.
- Maintain at least 20% slack for savings and unexpected expenses.
- Rerun the calculator anytime you change 401k contribution, state, or marital status.
Frequently asked questions
How much of my gross salary do I actually take home?+
In the US, most salaried workers keep 65–80% of gross as take-home, depending on income, state, and benefit elections. A $100k earner in a no-tax state with no 401k might take home $77k. The same earner in California with a 10% 401k contribution might take home $63k. Use the calculator to see your exact numbers — generic rules of thumb miss too many variables.
Why is my take-home lower than I expected?+
Three common surprises. (1) FICA — 7.65% of gross goes to Social Security and Medicare, regardless of state. (2) Marginal vs effective tax rate — your top dollar is taxed at your marginal rate (22%, 24%, 32%) which feels brutal, but your effective rate (total tax / total income) is much lower. (3) State tax — varies from 0% to 13.3%. Most "expected" take-home guesses underestimate state tax and FICA combined.
How does 401k contribution change take-home?+
Pre-tax 401k contributions reduce your taxable income, which lowers your federal and state tax. For each $100 contributed to a traditional 401k, your take-home only drops by ~$70–80 (depending on your marginal rate). It is one of the most efficient wealth-building moves — you avoid tax on the way in and only pay it on withdrawal in retirement (usually at a lower rate).
What is the FICA tax I keep seeing on my paystub?+
FICA is Social Security (6.2% on wages up to ~$168k as of 2024) and Medicare (1.45% on all wages, plus 0.9% surtax on wages above $200k). It funds federal retirement and healthcare programs. Your employer matches the 7.65% on your behalf — meaning the true cost of employing you is roughly 7.65% above your stated salary. FICA is mandatory and cannot be reduced.
Should I compare job offers based on gross or take-home?+
Always take-home, especially across states. A $150k offer in Austin, TX is roughly equivalent to a $170k offer in San Francisco after state tax — they produce the same monthly cash in your account. Job offers can be misleading in headline numbers; running both through this calculator with your actual deductions and locations gives you the right comparison.
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