How it works
Pick your state, enter your pay and what’s on your W-4, and see what lands in your bank account each payday. Federal income tax is withheld with the IRS percentage method for 2026, the method payroll software uses, and Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) come out of nearly every paycheck.
State withholding follows each state’s own 2026 formula, using the typical allowances for a single filer with no dependents. For your state’s W-4 allowances, city or county taxes and payroll programs such as disability or paid leave insurance, open your state’s page below.
This is the tax taken out as you go, not your final tax bill. To estimate the full year, including credits and your refund, use the 2026 tax calculator and the tax refund calculator.
Formula
Take-home = gross pay − federal withholding − Social Security − Medicare − state withholding − pre-tax deductions
Paycheck calculators by state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods: percentage method tables
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer’s Tax Guide: social security wage base and Medicare
Questions people ask
How is federal tax withheld from my paycheck?
Your employer annualizes your pay, subtracts a standard amount based on the filing status on your W-4 (unless you checked the Step 2 box), applies the IRS withholding rate schedule, subtracts any Step 3 credits, and divides by the number of paychecks in the year.
Which states have no income tax on wages?
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming don’t tax wages. Washington and Alaska still take small payroll deductions for state programs.
How much is Social Security and Medicare?
Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to $184,500 in 2026, and Medicare is 1.45% of all wages, plus an extra 0.9% withheld on wages over $200,000. Your employer pays a matching amount.
What does checking Step 2 on the W-4 do?
It tells your employer you have more than one job or your spouse works, so withholding uses narrower brackets. That keeps a two-income household from under-withholding.