New Jersey Paycheck Calculator
Use this calculator to estimate your net pay per pay period in New Jersey, factoring in federal, state, and local deductions. This tool provides an estimate and should not be considered financial or tax advice.
Understanding Your New Jersey Paycheck
Navigating your paycheck can be complex, especially with various federal, state, and local deductions. This guide breaks down the components of your New Jersey paycheck to help you understand where your money goes.
Gross Pay vs. Net Pay
- Gross Pay: This is your total earnings before any taxes or deductions are taken out. It's the amount your employer pays you for your work.
- Net Pay: Also known as "take-home pay," this is the amount you actually receive after all deductions have been subtracted from your gross pay.
Key Deductions Explained
1. Federal Income Tax
The U.S. federal government levies income tax on your earnings. The amount withheld depends on your gross income, filing status (Single, Married Filing Jointly, Head of Household), and the number of dependents you claim on your W-4 form. The tax system is progressive, meaning higher earners pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes.
2. FICA Taxes (Social Security & Medicare)
FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. These are mandatory federal taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare programs.
- Social Security: This tax funds benefits for retirees, the disabled, and survivors. Employees typically pay 6.2% of their gross wages up to an annual wage base limit (e.g., $168,600 for 2024).
- Medicare: This tax funds health insurance for individuals aged 65 or older, and certain younger people with disabilities. Employees typically pay 1.45% of all their gross wages, with no wage base limit.
3. New Jersey State Income Tax
New Jersey has its own progressive income tax system. The amount you pay depends on your taxable income and your NJ filing status. Unlike federal taxes, NJ does not have a standard deduction, but it does allow for personal exemptions/allowances which reduce your taxable income.
4. New Jersey State-Specific Deductions
New Jersey has several unique state-mandated deductions that contribute to various social safety nets:
- Unemployment Insurance (UI): Funds benefits for eligible workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Employees contribute a small percentage of their wages up to an annual wage base limit.
- Family Leave Insurance (FLI): Provides temporary benefits to workers who need to take time off to care for a new child or a seriously ill family member. Employees contribute a small percentage of their wages up to an annual wage base limit.
- Workforce Development Partnership Fund (WDPF): Supports job training and employment services. Employees contribute a very small percentage of their wages up to an annual wage base limit.
- Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI): Provides cash benefits to workers who are unable to work due to a non-work-related illness or injury. Historically, employees contributed, but currently (as of 2024), the employee contribution rate is 0%.
5. Pre-tax Deductions
These are deductions taken from your gross pay *before* taxes are calculated. Common examples include contributions to a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plan, health insurance premiums, and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contributions. Pre-tax deductions reduce your taxable income, thereby lowering your federal and state income tax liability.
6. Post-tax Deductions
These are deductions taken from your pay *after* taxes have been calculated. Examples include Roth 401(k) contributions, union dues, charitable contributions, or certain types of insurance premiums. These deductions do not reduce your taxable income.
How the Calculator Works
Our New Jersey Paycheck Calculator takes your annual salary, pay frequency, and various deduction information to estimate your net pay. It applies current (or most recent available) federal and New Jersey tax brackets, FICA rates, and other state-specific deductions to give you a clear picture of your take-home pay.
Remember, this calculator provides an estimate. Your actual paycheck may vary due to specific employer benefits, additional deductions, or changes in tax laws. For precise figures, always consult your employer's HR or payroll department, or a qualified tax professional.
Example Calculation:
Let's consider an example for a user earning $60,000 annually, paid bi-weekly, filing Single federally and in NJ, with no dependents or allowances, and $3,000 in annual pre-tax deductions.
- Gross Annual Salary: $60,000
- Pay Frequency: Bi-weekly (26 periods)
- Gross Pay per Period: $60,000 / 26 = $2,307.69
- Annual Pre-tax Deductions: $3,000
- Annual Taxable Income (Federal): $60,000 – $3,000 (pre-tax) – $13,850 (2023 Single Standard Deduction) = $43,150
- Estimated Federal Tax (Annual): Based on 2023 brackets for Single, $43,150 taxable income:
- 10% on $11,000 = $1,100
- 12% on ($43,150 – $11,000) = 12% on $32,150 = $3,858
- Total Federal Tax = $1,100 + $3,858 = $4,958
- Federal Tax per Period: $4,958 / 26 = $190.69
- Annual Taxable Income (NJ): $60,000 – $3,000 (pre-tax) = $57,000 (NJ has no standard deduction, but allowances reduce taxable income; for 0 allowances, it's just pre-tax deductions)
- Estimated NJ State Tax (Annual): Based on 2023 brackets for Single, $57,000 taxable income:
- 1.4% on $20,000 = $280
- 1.75% on $15,000 ($35k-$20k) = $262.50
- 3.5% on $5,000 ($40k-$35k) = $175
- 5.525% on $17,000 ($57k-$40k) = $939.25
- Total NJ State Tax = $280 + $262.50 + $175 + $939.25 = $1,656.75
- NJ State Tax per Period: $1,656.75 / 26 = $63.72
- FICA Taxes (Annual):
- Social Security: $60,000 * 6.2% = $3,720
- Medicare: $60,000 * 1.45% = $870
- Total FICA: $3,720 + $870 = $4,590
- FICA per Period: $4,590 / 26 = $176.54
- Other NJ Deductions (Annual – based on 2024 rates up to $42,300 wage base):
- UI: $42,300 * 0.425% = $179.78
- FLI: $42,300 * 0.09% = $38.07
- WDPF: $42,300 * 0.0425% = $17.98
- Total Other NJ Deductions: $179.78 + $38.07 + $17.98 = $235.83
- Other NJ Deductions per Period: $235.83 / 26 = $9.07
- Total Annual Deductions: $4,958 (Federal) + $1,656.75 (NJ State) + $4,590 (FICA) + $235.83 (Other NJ) = $11,440.58
- Total Deductions per Period: $190.69 + $63.72 + $176.54 + $9.07 = $440.02
- Annual Net Pay: $60,000 – $3,000 (pre-tax) – $11,440.58 (taxes/other deductions) = $45,559.42
- Net Pay per Period: $2,307.69 (gross) – $115.38 (pre-tax per period) – $440.02 (taxes/other deductions per period) = $1,752.29
Note: Pre-tax deductions are subtracted from gross pay before calculating taxes, but are still part of the total deductions from your gross pay to arrive at net pay. The example above shows the pre-tax deduction reducing taxable income, and then the total deductions from gross pay.
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function calculateNJPay() {
var grossAnnualSalary = parseFloat(document.getElementById('grossAnnualSalary').value);
var payFrequency = parseFloat(document.getElementById('payFrequency').value);
var federalFilingStatus = document.getElementById('federalFilingStatus').value;
var federalDependents = parseInt(document.getElementById('federalDependents').value);
var njFilingStatus = document.getElementById('njFilingStatus').value;
var njAllowances = parseInt(document.getElementById('njAllowances').value);
var preTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById('preTaxDeductions').value);
var postTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById('postTaxDeductions').value);
// Input validation
if (isNaN(grossAnnualSalary) || grossAnnualSalary < 0) {
alert('Please enter a valid Gross Annual Salary.');
return;
}
if (isNaN(federalDependents) || federalDependents < 0) {
alert('Please enter a valid number for Federal Dependents.');
return;
}
if (isNaN(njAllowances) || njAllowances < 0) {
alert('Please enter a valid number for NJ Allowances.');
return;
}
if (isNaN(preTaxDeductions) || preTaxDeductions < 0) {
alert('Please enter a valid amount for Annual Pre-tax Deductions.');
return;
}
if (isNaN(postTaxDeductions) || postTaxDeductions < 0) {
alert('Please enter a valid amount for Annual Post-tax Deductions.');
return;
}
// Annual Calculations
var annualGrossPay = grossAnnualSalary;
var annualPreTaxDeductions = preTaxDeductions;
var annualPostTaxDeductions = postTaxDeductions;
// — Federal Tax Calculation (2023/2024 simplified for estimation) —
var federalStandardDeduction = 0;
if (federalFilingStatus === 'single') {
federalStandardDeduction = 13850; // 2023
} else if (federalFilingStatus === 'married_joint') {
federalStandardDeduction = 27700; // 2023
} else if (federalFilingStatus === 'hoh') {
federalStandardDeduction = 20800; // 2023
}
var federalTaxableIncome = annualGrossPay – annualPreTaxDeductions – federalStandardDeduction;
federalTaxableIncome = Math.max(0, federalTaxableIncome); // Cannot be negative
// Simplified Federal Tax Brackets (2023, for estimation)
function calculateFederalTax(income, status) {
var tax = 0;
var brackets = [];
if (status === 'single') {
brackets = [
{ rate: 0.10, limit: 11000 },
{ rate: 0.12, limit: 44725 },
{ rate: 0.22, limit: 95375 },
{ rate: 0.24, limit: 182100 },
{ rate: 0.32, limit: 231250 },
{ rate: 0.35, limit: 578125 },
{ rate: 0.37, limit: Infinity }
];
} else if (status === 'married_joint') {
brackets = [
{ rate: 0.10, limit: 22000 },
{ rate: 0.12, limit: 89450 },
{ rate: 0.22, limit: 190750 },
{ rate: 0.24, limit: 364200 },
{ rate: 0.32, limit: 462500 },
{ rate: 0.35, limit: 693750 },
{ rate: 0.37, limit: Infinity }
];
} else if (status === 'hoh') {
brackets = [
{ rate: 0.10, limit: 15700 },
{ rate: 0.12, limit: 59850 },
{ rate: 0.22, limit: 95350 },
{ rate: 0.24, limit: 182100 },
{ rate: 0.32, limit: 231250 },
{ rate: 0.35, limit: 578100 },
{ rate: 0.37, limit: Infinity }
];
}
var remainingIncome = income;
var prevLimit = 0;
for (var i = 0; i 0) {
tax += taxableInBracket * bracket.rate;
remainingIncome -= taxableInBracket;
}
prevLimit = bracket.limit;
if (remainingIncome 0) {
// This is a very simplified approach. Actual credit depends on income and child age.
// For estimation, let's assume a flat credit per dependent.
// A more accurate calculator would need more inputs (child age, AGI).
// For now, let's use a general dependent credit approximation.
childTaxCredit = federalDependents * 500; // A very rough estimate for dependent credit
}
annualFederalTax = Math.max(0, annualFederalTax – childTaxCredit);
// — NJ State Tax Calculation (2023/2024 simplified for estimation) —
// NJ does not have a standard deduction like federal. It uses personal exemptions/allowances.
var njAllowanceReduction = njAllowances * 1000; // Each allowance reduces taxable income by $1,000
var njTaxableIncome = annualGrossPay – annualPreTaxDeductions – njAllowanceReduction;
njTaxableIncome = Math.max(0, njTaxableIncome);
function calculateNJStateTax(income, status) {
var tax = 0;
var brackets = [];
// NJ brackets are generally the same for Single/MFJ/HoH up to certain thresholds,
// but MFJ has higher thresholds for the same rates.
// For simplicity, we'll use the Single/MFS brackets and adjust for MFJ if needed.
// For this calculator, we'll use the general brackets.
// Note: NJ has specific brackets for different filing statuses, but the structure is similar.
// We'll use the most common (Single/MFS) for simplicity in this estimation.
// A more complex calculator would need separate bracket sets.
// For now, let's use the Single/MFS brackets as a base.
if (status === 'single' || status === 'hoh') {
brackets = [
{ rate: 0.014, limit: 20000 },
{ rate: 0.0175, limit: 35000 },
{ rate: 0.035, limit: 40000 },
{ rate: 0.05525, limit: 75000 },
{ rate: 0.0637, limit: 150000 },
{ rate: 0.0897, limit: 500000 },
{ rate: 0.1075, limit: 1000000 },
{ rate: 0.1075, limit: Infinity } // Over 1,000,000
];
} else if (status === 'married_joint') {
// Married Filing Jointly has different thresholds
brackets = [
{ rate: 0.014, limit: 20000 }, // Same as single up to 20k
{ rate: 0.0175, limit: 50000 }, // Higher than single
{ rate: 0.0245, limit: 70000 }, // New bracket
{ rate: 0.035, limit: 80000 },
{ rate: 0.05525, limit: 150000 },
{ rate: 0.0637, limit: 500000 },
{ rate: 0.0897, limit: 1000000 },
{ rate: 0.1075, limit: Infinity } // Over 1,000,000
];
}
var remainingIncome = income;
var prevLimit = 0;
for (var i = 0; i 0) {
tax += taxableInBracket * bracket.rate;
remainingIncome -= taxableInBracket;
}
prevLimit = bracket.limit;
if (remainingIncome <= 0) break;
}
return tax;
}
var annualNJStateTax = calculateNJStateTax(njTaxableIncome, njFilingStatus);
// — FICA Taxes (2024 rates) —
var socialSecurityWageBase = 168600; // 2024
var socialSecurityRate = 0.062;
var medicareRate = 0.0145;
var annualSocialSecurityTax = Math.min(annualGrossPay, socialSecurityWageBase) * socialSecurityRate;
var annualMedicareTax = annualGrossPay * medicareRate;
var annualFICATax = annualSocialSecurityTax + annualMedicareTax;
// — Other NJ State Deductions (2024 rates) —
var njStateDeductionWageBase = 42300; // 2024
var uiRate = 0.00425; // Unemployment Insurance
var fliRate = 0.0009; // Family Leave Insurance
var wdpfRate = 0.000425; // Workforce Development Partnership Fund
// TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance) employee rate is 0% for 2024
var annualUI = Math.min(annualGrossPay, njStateDeductionWageBase) * uiRate;
var annualFLI = Math.min(annualGrossPay, njStateDeductionWageBase) * fliRate;
var annualWDPF = Math.min(annualGrossPay, njStateDeductionWageBase) * wdpfRate;
var annualOtherNJDeductions = annualUI + annualFLI + annualWDPF;
// — Total Annual Deductions —
var totalAnnualTaxDeductions = annualFederalTax + annualNJStateTax + annualFICATax + annualOtherNJDeductions;
var totalAnnualDeductions = annualPreTaxDeductions + totalAnnualTaxDeductions + annualPostTaxDeductions;
// — Net Pay —
var annualNetPay = annualGrossPay – totalAnnualDeductions;
// — Per Period Calculations —
var grossPayPerPeriod = annualGrossPay / payFrequency;
var federalTaxPerPeriod = annualFederalTax / payFrequency;
var njStateTaxPerPeriod = annualNJStateTax / payFrequency;
var ficaTaxPerPeriod = annualFICATax / payFrequency;
var otherNJDeductionsPerPeriod = annualOtherNJDeductions / payFrequency;
var preTaxDeductionsPerPeriod = annualPreTaxDeductions / payFrequency;
var postTaxDeductionsPerPeriod = annualPostTaxDeductions / payFrequency;
var totalDeductionsPerPeriod = totalAnnualDeductions / payFrequency;
var netPayPerPeriod = annualNetPay / payFrequency;
// Display Results
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('result');
resultDiv.innerHTML = `
Estimated Paycheck Summary
Based on your inputs, here's an estimate of your pay per period:
- Gross Pay per Period: $${grossPayPerPeriod.toFixed(2)}
- Annual Pre-tax Deductions: $${annualPreTaxDeductions.toFixed(2)}
- Federal Income Tax (Annual): $${annualFederalTax.toFixed(2)}
- NJ State Income Tax (Annual): $${annualNJStateTax.toFixed(2)}
- FICA Taxes (Annual): $${annualFICATax.toFixed(2)}
- Other NJ State Deductions (Annual): $${annualOtherNJDeductions.toFixed(2)}
- Annual Post-tax Deductions: $${annualPostTaxDeductions.toFixed(2)}
- Total Annual Deductions: $${totalAnnualDeductions.toFixed(2)}
- Annual Net Pay: $${annualNetPay.toFixed(2)}
- Net Pay per Period: $${netPayPerPeriod.toFixed(2)}
This is an estimation. Actual deductions may vary based on specific employer benefits, additional withholdings, and changes in tax laws.
`;
}