Use this calculator to estimate your net pay (take-home pay) after federal taxes, FICA taxes, and common deductions. Please note that state and local tax laws vary significantly, so this calculator uses a simplified state tax rate input. For precise calculations, consult your employer's payroll department or a tax professional.
Enter the total number of qualifying children and other dependents claimed on your W-4.
Enter your state's estimated income tax rate (e.g., 3.5 for 3.5%).
Understanding Your Paycheck
A payroll check calculator helps you understand how your gross earnings are transformed into your net pay, or "take-home" pay. This process involves several steps, including deductions for taxes and other benefits.
Key Components of a Paycheck:
Gross Pay: This is your total earnings before any deductions. It's calculated based on your hourly rate and hours worked, or your annual salary divided by your pay periods.
Pre-Tax Deductions: These are amounts subtracted from your gross pay before taxes are calculated. Common examples include contributions to a 401(k) retirement plan, health insurance premiums, or flexible spending accounts (FSAs). These deductions reduce your taxable income, potentially lowering your overall tax liability.
Taxable Gross Pay: This is your gross pay minus any pre-tax deductions. Your federal, state, and FICA taxes are calculated based on this amount.
Federal Income Tax (FIT): This is the tax you pay to the U.S. federal government. The amount withheld depends on your gross pay, filing status (e.g., Single, Married Filing Jointly), and the number of dependents you claim on your W-4 form.
FICA Taxes: These are federal taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare.
Social Security Tax: A percentage (currently 6.2%) of your gross pay, up to an annual wage base limit (e.g., $168,600 for 2024).
Medicare Tax: A percentage (currently 1.45%) of your gross pay, with no wage base limit.
State Income Tax (SIT): Many states also levy an income tax. The rates and rules vary widely by state, with some states having no income tax, others a flat rate, and some progressive tax brackets.
Post-Tax Deductions: These are amounts subtracted from your pay *after* all taxes have been calculated and withheld. Examples include union dues, garnishments, charitable contributions, or certain types of insurance premiums.
Net Pay: This is your final take-home pay after all pre-tax deductions, taxes, and post-tax deductions have been subtracted from your gross pay.
How to Use the Calculator:
Simply enter your gross pay for one pay period, select your pay frequency, federal filing status, number of dependents, and any pre-tax or post-tax deductions. You'll also need to input your estimated state income tax rate. The calculator will then provide an estimate of your net pay and a breakdown of all deductions.
Example Calculation:
Let's say an employee earns $2,000 bi-weekly, is Single, claims 0 dependents, has $100 in pre-tax deductions, a 3.5% state tax rate, and $25 in post-tax deductions.
Gross Pay: $2,000.00
Pre-Tax Deductions: $100.00
Taxable Gross Pay: $1,900.00
Federal Income Tax (Estimated): ~$150.00 (varies based on brackets/W-4)
This example demonstrates how various factors contribute to your final take-home pay. Use the calculator above with your specific numbers for a personalized estimate.
.payroll-calculator-container {
font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
max-width: 700px;
margin: 20px auto;
padding: 25px;
border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;
border-radius: 8px;
background-color: #fff;
box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
}
.payroll-calculator-container h2 {
color: #2c3e50;
text-align: center;
margin-bottom: 25px;
font-size: 28px;
}
.payroll-calculator-container h3 {
color: #34495e;
margin-top: 30px;
margin-bottom: 15px;
font-size: 22px;
}
.payroll-calculator-container h4 {
color: #34495e;
margin-top: 20px;
margin-bottom: 10px;
font-size: 18px;
}
.payroll-calculator-container p {
color: #555;
line-height: 1.6;
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.payroll-calculator-container ol,
.payroll-calculator-container ul {
color: #555;
margin-left: 20px;
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.payroll-calculator-container ol li,
.payroll-calculator-container ul li {
margin-bottom: 8px;
}
.payroll-calculator-container .form-group {
margin-bottom: 18px;
}
.payroll-calculator-container label {
display: block;
margin-bottom: 7px;
font-weight: bold;
color: #333;
}
.payroll-calculator-container input[type="number"],
.payroll-calculator-container select {
width: calc(100% – 22px);
padding: 10px;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
border-radius: 5px;
font-size: 16px;
color: #333;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
.payroll-calculator-container input[type="number"]:focus,
.payroll-calculator-container select:focus {
border-color: #007bff;
outline: none;
box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px rgba(0, 123, 255, 0.25);
}
.payroll-calculator-container small {
display: block;
margin-top: 5px;
color: #777;
font-size: 13px;
}
.payroll-calculator-container button {
display: block;
width: 100%;
padding: 12px 20px;
background-color: #28a745;
color: white;
border: none;
border-radius: 5px;
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: bold;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease, transform 0.2s ease;
margin-top: 25px;
}
.payroll-calculator-container button:hover {
background-color: #218838;
transform: translateY(-1px);
}
.payroll-calculator-container button:active {
background-color: #1e7e34;
transform: translateY(0);
}
.payroll-calculator-container .calculator-result {
margin-top: 30px;
padding: 20px;
border: 1px solid #d4edda;
background-color: #e9f7ef;
border-radius: 8px;
font-size: 17px;
color: #155724;
line-height: 1.8;
}
.payroll-calculator-container .calculator-result h4 {
color: #155724;
margin-top: 0;
margin-bottom: 15px;
font-size: 20px;
}
.payroll-calculator-container .calculator-result p {
margin-bottom: 10px;
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
align-items: center;
padding-bottom: 5px;
border-bottom: 1px dashed #c3e6cb;
}
.payroll-calculator-container .calculator-result p:last-of-type {
border-bottom: none;
font-weight: bold;
color: #0a3d14;
font-size: 19px;
padding-top: 10px;
margin-top: 10px;
border-top: 2px solid #28a745;
}
.payroll-calculator-container .calculator-result span:first-child {
flex-basis: 70%;
}
.payroll-calculator-container .calculator-result span:last-child {
flex-basis: 30%;
text-align: right;
font-weight: normal;
}
.payroll-calculator-container .calculator-result p:last-of-type span:last-child {
font-weight: bold;
}
function calculatePayroll() {
var grossPayAmount = parseFloat(document.getElementById('grossPayAmount').value);
var payPeriod = document.getElementById('payPeriod').value;
var federalFilingStatus = document.getElementById('federalFilingStatus').value;
var federalDependents = parseInt(document.getElementById('federalDependents').value);
var preTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById('preTaxDeductions').value);
var stateTaxRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('stateTaxRate').value);
var postTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById('postTaxDeductions').value);
// Input validation
if (isNaN(grossPayAmount) || grossPayAmount < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Gross Pay amount.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(federalDependents) || federalDependents < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid number for Dependents.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(preTaxDeductions) || preTaxDeductions < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid amount for Pre-Tax Deductions.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(stateTaxRate) || stateTaxRate 100) {
alert("Please enter a valid State Income Tax Rate (0-100).");
return;
}
if (isNaN(postTaxDeductions) || postTaxDeductions < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid amount for Post-Tax Deductions.");
return;
}
// Determine pay periods per year
var payPeriodsPerYear;
switch (payPeriod) {
case 'weekly':
payPeriodsPerYear = 52;
break;
case 'bi-weekly':
payPeriodsPerYear = 26;
break;
case 'semi-monthly':
payPeriodsPerYear = 24;
break;
case 'monthly':
payPeriodsPerYear = 12;
break;
default:
payPeriodsPerYear = 26; // Default to bi-weekly
}
// 1. Gross Pay
var grossPay = grossPayAmount;
// 2. Pre-Tax Deductions
var totalPreTaxDeductions = preTaxDeductions;
var taxableGrossPay = grossPay – totalPreTaxDeductions;
if (taxableGrossPay socialSecurityWageBase) { // If previous periods already hit limit
socialSecurityTax = 0;
} else if (annualGrossPay > socialSecurityWageBase && (annualGrossPay – grossPay) < socialSecurityWageBase) { // If this period crosses the limit
socialSecurityTax = (socialSecurityWageBase – (annualGrossPay – grossPay)) * socialSecurityRate;
} else { // If still below limit
socialSecurityTax = grossPay * socialSecurityRate;
}
socialSecurityTax = Math.max(0, socialSecurityTax); // Ensure it's not negative
var medicareTax = grossPay * medicareRate;
// 4. Federal Income Tax (FIT) – Simplified Brackets (2024-ish estimates for demonstration)
// This is a highly simplified model and does not account for all W-4 complexities.
// For accurate FIT, a full tax table lookup or IRS Publication 15-T method is needed.
var annualTaxableGross = taxableGrossPay * payPeriodsPerYear;
var annualFederalTax = 0;
// Standard Deductions (simplified for calculation base)
var standardDeduction = (federalFilingStatus === 'single') ? 14600 : 29200; // 2024 estimates
// Dependent Credit (simplified: $2000 per dependent, applied as a credit)
var dependentCredit = federalDependents * 2000;
// Simplified Annual Tax Brackets (for demonstration, not actual IRS tables)
// These are applied to the annual taxable gross *after* standard deduction is implicitly handled by the lower bracket thresholds.
// For a calculator, we often apply brackets to the full annual taxable gross and then subtract credits.
var taxableIncomeForBrackets = Math.max(0, annualTaxableGross – standardDeduction); // A very rough approximation
if (federalFilingStatus === 'single') {
if (taxableIncomeForBrackets <= 11600) {
annualFederalTax = taxableIncomeForBrackets * 0.10;
} else if (taxableIncomeForBrackets <= 47150) {
annualFederalTax = 1160 + (taxableIncomeForBrackets – 11600) * 0.12;
} else if (taxableIncomeForBrackets <= 100525) {
annualFederalTax = 5426 + (taxableIncomeForBrackets – 47150) * 0.22;
} else { // Simplified upper bracket
annualFederalTax = 17167.50 + (taxableIncomeForBrackets – 100525) * 0.24;
}
} else { // Married Filing Jointly
if (taxableIncomeForBrackets <= 23200) {
annualFederalTax = taxableIncomeForBrackets * 0.10;
} else if (taxableIncomeForBrackets <= 94300) {
annualFederalTax = 2320 + (taxableIncomeForBrackets – 23200) * 0.12;
} else if (taxableIncomeForBrackets <= 201050) {
annualFederalTax = 10856 + (taxableIncomeForBrackets – 94300) * 0.22;
} else { // Simplified upper bracket
annualFederalTax = 34337 + (taxableIncomeForBrackets – 201050) * 0.24;
}
}
// Apply dependent credit
annualFederalTax = Math.max(0, annualFederalTax – dependentCredit);
var federalIncomeTax = annualFederalTax / payPeriodsPerYear;
federalIncomeTax = Math.max(0, federalIncomeTax); // Ensure tax is not negative
// 5. State Income Tax
var stateIncomeTax = taxableGrossPay * (stateTaxRate / 100);
// 6. Total Taxes
var totalTaxes = federalIncomeTax + socialSecurityTax + medicareTax + stateIncomeTax;
// 7. Post-Tax Deductions
var totalPostTaxDeductions = postTaxDeductions;
// 8. Net Pay
var netPay = grossPay – totalPreTaxDeductions – totalTaxes – totalPostTaxDeductions;
// Display results
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('payrollResult');
resultDiv.innerHTML = `
Your Estimated Paycheck Breakdown
Gross Pay:$${grossPay.toFixed(2)}Total Pre-Tax Deductions:$${totalPreTaxDeductions.toFixed(2)}Taxable Gross Pay:$${taxableGrossPay.toFixed(2)}Federal Income Tax:$${federalIncomeTax.toFixed(2)}Social Security Tax:$${socialSecurityTax.toFixed(2)}Medicare Tax:$${medicareTax.toFixed(2)}State Income Tax:$${stateIncomeTax.toFixed(2)}Total Taxes:$${totalTaxes.toFixed(2)}Total Post-Tax Deductions:$${totalPostTaxDeductions.toFixed(2)}Estimated Net Pay:$${netPay.toFixed(2)}
`;
}