Paycheck estimates, line by line.
2026 take-home pay for every state. Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T, with FICA and a cited state line on each page.
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How to read a pay stub
Start with the deposit, then walk back up the stub. On a $2,500 check, the deposit is $2,092.60. The rest is three federal lines, and the names vary by payroll company.
How to check a pay stub
Match one line at a time against a check whose answer is known. If gross pay matches and one tax line does not, that line is the disagreement.
Gross pay vs net pay
Gross pay is the wage this period. Net pay is what reaches the bank after taxes and deductions. On a $2,500 Texas check, $2,092.60 is the deposit.
What is FICA tax?
FICA is Social Security plus Medicare on a paycheck. In 2026 that is 6.2% up to $184,500, and 1.45% on all wages. Ordinary wages do not get a choice about it.
What is OASDI tax?
OASDI is Social Security tax under its legal name. Employees pay 6.2% until wages from that employer reach $184,500 in 2026. The most withheld is $11,439.
Does my city tax my paycheck?
Usually no. A city withholds its own wage tax only in some places. Everywhere else, the state paycheck page is the whole answer, including for a city search.
How much of a salary is take-home pay?
Take-home pay is the salary after withholding. The same $75,000 deposits $2,368.94 in Texas and $2,214.05 in California. The table uses one filing status so the states can be compared.
What is the earned income credit?
The earned income credit can erase income tax and come back as a refund. It is claimed on the tax return. A normal pay stub has no line for it, and this page does not estimate the amount.
What is federal unemployment tax?
Federal unemployment tax is paid by the employer. It is not a line that comes out of a normal paycheck. Most employers pay $42 per employee for the year.
How many working days are in a year?
2026 has 250 working days. So does 2027. The count is Monday through Friday, minus the 11 observed federal holidays. A paycheck does not use this number.
W-4, withholding and take-home
W-4 with two jobs: the Step 2 checkbox or Step 4(c)
Each employer withholds as if its paycheck is your only income. Two $40,000 jobs on blank 2026 W-4s withhold $5,240.04 of federal income tax for the year. The 2026 brackets put $8,770.00 on $80,000 of wages. The difference, $3,529.96, shows up in April.
W-2 box 12 codes for 2026, including TT, TP and TA
Box 12 on the 2026 W-2 has three new codes. TT is qualified overtime, and only the premium part. TP is cash tips reported to the employer. TA is an employer contribution to a Trump account. Box 14 is now split into 14a and 14b.
The child tax credit on your W-4: Step 3 in 2026
Step 3 of the 2026 Form W-4 is where the child tax credit goes: $2,200 for each qualifying child under 17. On a $60,000 salary paid every two weeks, entering it for one child adds $84.62 to every check and shrinks next spring’s refund by about the same amount.
2026 federal tax brackets: can a raise lower your take-home pay?
No. A higher bracket only taxes the dollars above its line. In 2026 the 12% bracket for a single filer ends at $50,400 of taxable income. A $1,000 raise from $66,000 to $67,000 crosses it and still adds $28.97 to every paycheck in Texas.
Tax withholding checkup: will you owe or get a refund?
Withholding is a prepayment, not the bill. On a $60,000 salary with one job and a blank W-4, the year withholds $5,020.08 and the 2026 brackets put $5,020.00 on the wages. A side income, a credit or a second job is what moves the two apart.
Why is my paycheck smaller than expected?
Put the new stub next to the last normal one and find the line that moved. On a $62,400 salary paid every two weeks in Texas, the normal deposit is $2,012.25. Each of the eight causes below moves it by a different amount.
How to fill out a W-4 in 2026, step by step
Most people only need Step 1 and Step 5. Steps 2, 3 and 4 are optional, and each moves federal withholding by an amount you can predict. On $60,000 paid every two weeks in Texas, a W-4 with only Steps 1 and 5 filled in, filing single, withholds $193.08 a check.
How to calculate take-home pay by hand
Gross pay, minus pre-tax items, minus Social Security and Medicare, minus federal income tax, minus state tax, minus anything taken after tax. Worked on a $52,000 salary in Pennsylvania, the pencil lands on $1,581.72, the same cents as the calculator.
In the news and most searched
Social Security wage base for 2027
The 2027 taxable maximum is $192,300, up from $184,500. The most an employee pays in Social Security tax rises to $11,922.60.
How overtime is taxed in 2026
Overtime pay is regular wages. Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax all come out of it. The "no tax on overtime" deduction helps on your return, not on the paycheck.
How tips are taxed in 2026
Tips are taxable income and are subject to Social Security and Medicare. A new deduction of up to $25,000 reduces income tax on qualified tips when you file.
Take-home pay by salary, 2026
Pick a salary to see its monthly, biweekly and yearly take-home in every state. Each page uses the same engine as the calculator.
Hourly wage to yearly pay
Hourly rate × 40 hours × 52 weeks is the yearly pay. Pick a wage for the monthly and after-tax numbers.
Salary to hourly wage
Divide the salary by 2,080 hours for the hourly rate before tax. Pick a salary for the weekly, monthly and after-tax numbers.
How commissions are taxed in 2026
Commission is taxed as wages. If it is paid separately from your regular pay, the employer can withhold a flat 22% federal rate, plus FICA and state tax.
Are signing bonuses taxed?
Yes. A signing bonus is supplemental wages. Expect 22% federal withholding, 7.65% FICA and state tax to come out of the check.