Enter your salary or hourly wage and see exactly how much you take home after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state taxes. Know your real paycheck before you spend it.
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The gap between your gross salary and your net (take-home) pay can be surprisingly large and confusing. A $75,000 annual salary might produce only $55,000–$58,000 in actual take-home pay after federal income tax withholding, FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare), state income taxes, and any pre-tax benefits like 401(k) contributions or health insurance premiums. Understanding each deduction helps you make better financial decisions — from negotiating salary to planning contributions to optimizing your W-4 withholding.
FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) taxes fund Social Security and Medicare. For 2025, employees pay 6.2% of wages for Social Security (on the first $176,100 of earnings) and 1.45% for Medicare — a combined 7.65%. Your employer pays an equal 7.65% match. High earners pay an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax on wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married). Unlike income taxes, FICA taxes are calculated on gross wages before pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions, with some exceptions.
The W-4 form tells your employer how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck. The 2020 redesign of the W-4 eliminated allowances and replaced them with a more transparent system. Claiming higher withholding means less take-home pay per paycheck but reduces or eliminates a tax bill in April. Lower withholding means more money per paycheck but may result in a tax bill or underpayment penalty. Getting the withholding right — neither owing much nor receiving a large refund — means you're keeping more of your money working throughout the year rather than giving the IRS an interest-free loan.
Pre-tax deductions (traditional 401k, health insurance premiums, FSA, HSA, commuter benefits) reduce your taxable income, meaning you pay taxes on a smaller base. A $500/month traditional 401(k) contribution at a 22% marginal rate saves $110/month in federal taxes — your take-home pay only drops by $390, not $500. Post-tax deductions (Roth 401k, most supplemental insurance) come out after taxes and don't reduce your taxable income. Understanding which bucket each deduction falls into helps you see the true after-tax cost of benefits and retirement contributions.
State income tax varies dramatically by location. Nine states have no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire (on wages), South Dakota, Tennessee (on wages), Texas, Washington (on wages), and Wyoming. California has the highest top marginal rate at 13.3%. Most states fall between 3–6%. For high earners considering relocation, the difference between a high-tax state like California and a no-tax state like Texas can be $20,000–$50,000+ per year in take-home pay — a factor that increasingly influences where high-income workers choose to live.