Estimate take-home pay from gross salary after federal, FICA and state tax approximations.
A paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay from gross salary after federal income tax, FICA (Social Security and Medicare), state tax, and 401(k) contributions. It helps you plan a budget based on what actually hits your bank account.
A $75K single filer contributing 6% to a 401(k) in a 5% state tax area takes home roughly $2,120 bi-weekly after federal, FICA, state, and retirement withholding.
FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It covers Social Security (6.2% on wages up to the annual cap) and Medicare (1.45% on all wages). Your employer matches both.
Federal income tax uses progressive brackets — different portions of your income are taxed at different rates. Your 401(k) and other pre-tax deductions reduce taxable income before brackets apply.
At minimum, contribute enough to get the full employer match (free money). After that, higher contributions reduce current tax and grow tax-deferred, but the money is locked until 59½.
Tax calculations depend on dozens of factors including pre-tax health premiums, HSA contributions, local taxes, additional withholding, and deductions. Use this as a planning estimate — your actual pay stub will vary.