CalcWise Pro

Salary & Net Take-Home Pay Estimator

See your real paycheck after federal, state, and FICA tax.

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How It's Calculated

Taxable Income = Gross Salary − Annual Pre-Tax Deductions − Standard Deduction.

Federal Tax is computed by applying 2024 marginal tax brackets to Taxable Income.

FICA = 6.2% Social Security (up to the $168,600 wage base) + 1.45% Medicare (+0.9% additional Medicare above $200,000).

Net Pay = Gross Salary − Pre-Tax Deductions − (Federal + FICA + State Tax).

Example

Example: a single filer earning $85,000/year with $300/month pre-tax deductions and a 5% flat state rate has a taxable income of $85,000 − $3,600 − $14,600 = $66,800. Federal tax on that is roughly $9,900, FICA is about $6,503, and state tax is about $4,070 — leaving a net annual take-home near $61,000, or about $2,345 per bi-weekly paycheck.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my paycheck lower than gross salary ÷ pay periods?

Because federal tax, FICA, and state tax (plus any pre-tax deductions like 401(k)) are subtracted from every paycheck before you receive it.

Does this include local or city taxes?

No — this tool estimates federal, FICA, and a single flat state rate you provide. Add local taxes to your state rate for a closer estimate.

What is the FICA wage base?

Social Security tax only applies to the first $168,600 of income in 2024; earnings above that are not taxed for Social Security, though Medicare tax has no cap.

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