Take-Home Pay Calculator
Net annual pay, monthly take home, and tax burden from gross pay and tax rates.
What it does
Take-home pay is what survives federal tax, state tax, and FICA on the way from gross salary to bank deposit. Each slice uses its own base: income taxes apply after pretax deductions while Social Security and Medicare take 7.65% of gross.
The tool above takes gross annual pay with federal and state percents plus yearly pretax deductions. It returns net annual pay with the monthly figure and the effective total burden beside them.
The default of $80,000 at 22% federal and 5% state with no pretax keeps $52,280.00, or $4,356.67 a month at a 34.65% burden. Adding $5,000 of pretax drops take home to $48,630.00 while saving income tax on that slice.
The structure follows IRS withholding and supplemental wage guidance with Social Security payroll rate data matching the 7.65% employee share. Both treat pretax retirement and health dollars as income tax free but FICA taxable.
How to use
- Enter gross annual salary before anything.
- Enter federal and state rates as percents.
- Enter yearly pretax deductions, 0 if none.
- Read take home first for the yearly figure.
- Read monthly to set the household budget.
Formula
- taxable
- Pay after pretax items, base for income tax.
- 7.65%
- Employee FICA: 6.2% Social Security plus 1.45% Medicare.
- pretax
- 401(k), premiums, HSA: skips income tax, not FICA.
Flat planning rates throughout, so progressive brackets need the effective percent entered by hand. High earners past the Social Security wage base overpay FICA slightly here; local taxes and benefits sit outside.
Worked example
Example: $80,000 at 22% and 5%
Defaults: gross 80000, federal 22%, state 5%, pretax 0.
- Taxable: 80,000 - 0 = $80,000.
- Federal: 80,000 x 22% = $17,600. State: 80,000 x 5% = $4,000.
- FICA: 80,000 x 7.65% = $6,120.
- Net: 80,000 - 17,600 - 4,000 - 6,120 = $52,280.00 ($4,356.67 a month).
- Tool shows $52,280.00, $4,356.67, 34.65 % total burden.
Reference table
| Rates / pretax | Take home | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 22% / 5% / $0 | $52,280.00 | $4,356.67 |
| 22% / 5% / $5,000 | $48,630.00 | $4,052.50 |
| 12% / 0% / $0 | $64,280.00 | $5,356.67 |
Limits
- Flat rates only; real brackets need effective percents.
- FICA wage base cap ignored past high earnings.
- Local taxes, benefits, and garnishments excluded.
- State rules differ: some states have no income tax.
Common mistakes
- Applying income tax to gross instead of taxable pay.
- Forgetting FICA entirely from the burden.
- Counting employer match as take home.
- Using marginal rate where the effective rate belongs.
- Budgeting gross instead of net monthly.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
$80,000 with $5,000 pretax at 22/5?
Taxable $75,000: take home $48,630.00 ($4,052.50 a month).
FICA on $80,000?
80,000 x 7.65% = $6,120.00.
12% federal, no state, no pretax?
80,000 - 9,600 - 6,120 = $64,280.00.
Questions
How do I calculate take-home pay?
Subtract pretax, income taxes, and 7.65% FICA from gross. $80,000 at 22/5 keeps $52,280.
What is FICA?
Federal payroll tax: 6.2% Social Security plus 1.45% Medicare on wages, 7.65% combined.
Do pretax deductions skip FICA?
No. They skip income tax but FICA still applies to the gross slice.
Marginal or effective rate?
Enter the effective percent here: total income tax divided by taxable pay.
Why is my check smaller?
Benefits, local taxes, and garnishments ride outside this math.
Does overtime change it?
Yes through gross: rerun with the higher yearly total for the new net.