Know Your Take-Home Pay
Calculate your exact take-home pay with our free paystub calculator. Get accurate federal and state tax withholding estimates for any state, filing status, and pay frequency.
Create Your Paystub NowA paystub calculator estimates your net pay (take-home pay) by subtracting all applicable taxes and deductions from your gross earnings. Our calculator uses current federal tax brackets, state tax tables, Social Security rates (6.2%), and Medicare rates (1.45%) to provide accurate estimates. Simply enter your gross pay, filing status, state, and pay frequency, and our calculator shows you exactly how much of each paycheck goes to taxes and how much you take home. It's the fastest way to understand your payroll numbers without creating a full pay stub.
Our calculator provides a comprehensive breakdown of every dollar in your paycheck.
Federal income tax is calculated using a progressive tax system, meaning different portions of your income are taxed at different rates. The tax brackets for 2024-2025 range from 10% to 37%, depending on your filing status and taxable income. Our paystub calculator applies the correct marginal tax rates based on your filing status (single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, or head of household) and the number of allowances you claim. The result is an accurate estimate of your federal tax withholding for each pay period.
State income tax varies significantly across the United States. Nine states — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming — have no state income tax. Other states use flat rates or progressive brackets. Our calculator automatically applies the correct state tax methodology based on the state you select. For example, California uses a progressive system with rates up to 13.3%, while Illinois uses a flat 4.95% rate. This means your take-home pay can differ dramatically depending on where you work.
People use paystub calculators for a wide range of financial planning purposes.
Once you've used our calculator to understand your payroll numbers, you can easily convert your calculation into a professional pay stub document. Our paystub generator uses the same tax calculation engine as the calculator, so the numbers match exactly. This is especially useful for self-employed individuals and freelancers who need to create pay stubs for loan applications, apartment rentals, or other financial purposes. Calculate your numbers first, then generate a professional document you can share with confidence.
Our calculator supports both hourly and salaried pay structures. For hourly workers, enter your hourly rate and hours worked per pay period. For salaried workers, enter your annual salary and we'll calculate the per-period amount based on your pay frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly). The calculator also handles overtime calculations for hourly workers. Overtime is typically paid at 1.5× the regular rate for hours exceeding 40 per week, though some states have different overtime rules.
Yes, our paystub calculator is completely free to use. You can calculate your take-home pay as many times as you want with different scenarios. You only pay if you choose to generate and download a professional PDF pay stub.
Our calculator uses current federal tax brackets, FICA rates, and state-specific tax tables. While the calculations are highly accurate for standard payroll scenarios, actual withholding may vary based on pre-tax deductions, additional withholding requests, or other employer-specific factors.
Yes, our calculator supports all 50 US states. Simply select the state where the employee works, and the calculator applies the correct state tax rates automatically. This is great for comparing take-home pay across different states.
Yes, you can enter overtime hours and the calculator will apply the standard 1.5× overtime rate. This gives you an accurate picture of your total earnings including overtime pay.
Absolutely. After reviewing your calculation, you can proceed to generate a professional PDF pay stub using the same numbers. The transition is seamless — just continue through our generator and download your document.
Generate professional pay stubs with accurate tax calculations for all 50 states. Just $2.49 per stub — use code NEWUSER for your first one free.
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