--- title: "Paycheck Calculator: Free Online Tool with Guide & FAQs | ShoutingNow" description: Figure out gross-to-net or gross-up pay for any state. Enter your salary or hourly rate, overtime, W-4 details, and pre-tax benefits, then hit Calculate… url: "https://shoutingnow.com/tools/paycheck-calculator/" image: "https://shoutingnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/shoutingnow-preview-scaled.webp" --- # Paycheck Calculator Figure out gross-to-net or gross-up pay for any state. Enter your salary or hourly rate, overtime, W-4 details, and pre-tax benefits, then hit Calculate to see where every dollar goes. ## How to use this paycheck calculator 1. On the Earnings tab, set your pay frequency and enter your salary or hourly rate. Add overtime hours if you work any. 2. Move to Federal Taxes and fill in filing status, W-4 amounts, and exemptions. 3. Choose your State or Territory. The calculator uses a representative withholding rate, whether that is Texas, California, Florida, New York, or anywhere else on the list. 4. Under Benefits, add things like medical premiums or a 401(k) percentage so you can see how pre-tax deductions change your take-home pay. 5. Check the donut chart and the line-by-line breakdown on the right. If you already know the net pay you want, switch to Gross Up Calculator and work backward to the gross amount. ## What does a paycheck calculator do? A **paycheck calculator** tells you how much of your gross wages actually reach your bank account once payroll withholding is done. Your employer sends federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and, in most states, state income tax to the government on your behalf. Pre-tax benefits (health insurance, FSAs, and traditional 401(k) contributions) lower your taxable wages before any of that math happens. Say you are comparing a job offer in Texas against one in California, or you want to know how overtime or a bigger 401(k) deferral would change your cash flow. A take-home pay estimate lets you budget for that before the first paycheck actually shows up. ### Gross pay versus net pay **Gross pay** is what you earn before anything comes out. **Net pay**, the take-home amount, is what is left after everything comes out. That gap is not one tax; it is federal withholding, FICA, state tax, and whatever benefits you have elected, all stacked together. ### FICA taxes on every paycheck If you get a W-2, **FICA** (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) taxes come out of nearly every check: Social Security only applies up to the annual wage base, which the IRS adjusts each year. Medicare has no ceiling at all, and if you earn over $200,000, you owe an extra 0.9% on the amount above that. ### Hourly versus salary paychecks For **hourly pay**, the calculator multiplies your rate by hours worked in the period, then adds overtime at 1.5x or 2x if it applies. For **salary**, it splits your annual pay across pay periods: 52 for weekly, 26 for bi-weekly, 24 for semi-monthly, or 12 for monthly. Once gross pay for that period is set, the withholding math works the same either way. ### State paycheck calculators State income tax is all over the map. Nine states, **Texas**, **Florida**, **Nevada**, and **Washington** among them, skip a broad wage income tax entirely. Others, like **California**, **New York**, **Illinois**, and **Pennsylvania**, withhold state tax from every check. Pick your state in the calculator and it applies a representative rate. It does not account for local city taxes (NYC, for instance), so your real withholding may land a little differently. ScenarioWhat to enterWhat you learn Texas salary paycheck$60,000/year, weekly, TX stateFederal + FICA only (no state income tax) California hourly paycheckHourly rate + hours + CA stateState withholding on top of federal taxes Paycheck with overtimeBase pay + OT hours and rateHow 1.5× or 2× OT lifts gross and taxes Paycheck with 401(k)Retirement % on Benefits tabPre-tax deferral lowers taxable wages Gross up / net to grossDesired take-home in Gross Up modeApproximate gross needed to hit a net target ### Related finance tools - Percentage Calculator, handy for quick percent math on raises, bonus tax estimates, or your 401(k) deferral rate - Sales Tax Calculator, a useful comparison for seeing how percentage-based tax works on purchases - Commission Calculator, worth a look if part of your income comes from commission - How to Calculate Your Paycheck, a step-by-step guide covering gross pay, taxes, overtime, benefits, and net take-home ### Official references You can find federal withholding tables in [IRS Publication 15-T](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p15t). The [Social Security Administration](https://www.ssa.gov/employer/taxation.html) explains FICA rates and wage bases, and the [U.S. Department of Labor](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime) covers overtime rules for non-exempt employees. ## Important disclaimer This tool gives you **estimates for planning, nothing more**. It is not a substitute for professional tax advice, your employer’s payroll system, or guidance from your state revenue department. What actually gets withheld depends on your exact W-4, local taxes, your specific benefits, and that year’s pay limits. Treat the numbers here as a starting point, then check your real pay stub or talk to a tax professional before you rely on them. Ready to see your own numbers? [Open the Paycheck Calculator](https://shoutingnow.com/tools/paycheck-calculator/). ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I figure out my paycheck after taxes? Take your gross pay for the period and subtract federal withholding, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), state income tax where it applies, and any pre-tax benefits. Enter your earnings, filing status, and state into our [Paycheck Calculator](https://shoutingnow.com/tools/paycheck-calculator/) and it handles all of that for you. For the full walkthrough, see [How to Calculate Your Paycheck](https://shoutingnow.com/blog/how-to-calculate-your-paycheck/). ### Does this work for both hourly and salaried pay? Yes. Pick **Salary** and enter a per-year or per-period amount, or switch to **Hourly** and put in your rate and hours. You can add overtime rows for 1.5x or double-time pay too. ### Which states skip income tax on paychecks? Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire (on wage income), South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming do not tax broad wages at the state level. Federal tax and FICA still apply everywhere. Pick your state in the calculator and it uses the right model. ### How close are these numbers to my actual paycheck? They are estimates built on representative withholding rates and the current federal brackets, so treat them as close but not exact. Check your numbers against [IRS Publication 15-T](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p15t) and your real pay stub. Your employer's payroll system may round differently or apply local rules this tool does not know about. ### Can I include overtime and a 401(k) in the calculation? Yes. Add your overtime hours and rate under Earnings, then go to the Benefits tab and enter a 401(k) percentage or dollar amount. Traditional 401(k) contributions lower your taxable wages, while Roth contributions are treated as post-tax in this estimate. ### What does gross up or net to gross mean? **Gross up** is working backward: figuring out what gross pay you need so that, after taxes and benefits, you land on a specific take-home amount. Use the **Gross Up Calculator** tab at the top of the [calculator](https://shoutingnow.com/tools/paycheck-calculator/) and enter the net pay you are aiming for. ### Where can I read more about how paycheck withholding works? [How to Calculate Your Paycheck](https://shoutingnow.com/blog/how-to-calculate-your-paycheck/) covers gross vs net, hourly and salary math, FICA, state tax, overtime, and 401(k) deductions with worked examples. Read that, then run your own numbers in this free calculator. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":"ShoutingNow","url":"https://shoutingnow.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://shoutingnow.com/wp-content/themes/shoutingnow-theme/assets/images/logo.png"},"sameAs":["https://x.com/makani20","https://www.linkedin.com/in/makani20/","https://post-see.com"],"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","email":"support@shoutingnow.com","url":"https://shoutingnow.com/contact/"},"slogan":"Learn. Build. Grow."},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","name":"Paycheck Calculator","description":"Figure out gross-to-net or gross-up pay for any state. 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