US take-home pay calculator
Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state tax and 401(k) taken out of a US salary, using the IRS's 2026 brackets.
An estimate for 2026 for an employee taking the standard deduction. It leaves out tax credits, other income, local taxes, health and other pre-tax deductions, the head of household status and a spouse's income. State tax is a flat rate you enter on income after your 401(k). Check the IRS and your state for current figures.
How this calculator works
Federal income tax is charged in slices on taxable income, which is your salary minus any traditional 401(k) contribution and the standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly). The 2026 single rates are 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to $184,500, and Medicare is 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000. A 401(k) lowers income tax but not Social Security or Medicare.
Worked example: a single filer on $85,000 has taxable income of $68,900. Federal tax is $9,870. Social Security is $5,270 and Medicare is $1,232.50, so with no state tax take-home pay is $68,627.50 a year, or about $5,719 a month.
Sources and checks
Our figures and rules follow these official sources:
- IRS: Tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026
- IRS: Topic no. 751, Social Security and Medicare withholding rates
- Social Security Administration: Maximum taxable earnings
State income tax is a flat rate you enter. Credits, other income and local taxes are not included.
Figures last checked: 30 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.