Calculate your exact take-home pay after federal income taxes, FICA (Social Security & Medicare), state taxes, and pre-tax deductions.
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A paycheck calculator determines your net take-home earnings from your gross wages by deducting federal income tax withholding, mandatory FICA payroll contributions (Social Security and Medicare), applicable state/local income taxes, and voluntary pre-tax deductions like 401(k) and health insurance.
\text{Net Pay} = \text{Gross Pay} - (\text{Federal Tax} + \text{FICA} + \text{State Tax} + \text{Pre-Tax Deductions})FICA consists of 6.2% Social Security (up to annual statutory wage cap) and 1.45% Medicare. Federal tax uses marginal progressive tax brackets.
Scenario: Bi-weekly gross paycheck of $3,000 for a Single filer with zero pre-tax deductions.
Annualized Gross: $3,000 × 26 = $78,000.
FICA: 6.2% SS ($186.00) + 1.45% Medicare ($43.50) = $229.50/check.
Federal Withholding: ~$337.00/check based on 2025 tax brackets.
Net Take-Home Pay: $3,000 - $229.50 - $337.00 = ~$2,433.50 per bi-weekly check.
Gross pay is your total earned compensation before any withholdings. Net pay (take-home pay) is the remaining money deposited into your bank account after all taxes and deductions.
FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It finances Social Security (6.2% on wages up to $176,100 in 2025) and Medicare (1.45% on all earnings).
There are 26 bi-weekly pay periods in a standard calendar year (52 weeks divided by 2).
Health insurance and FSA contributions reduce both income tax and FICA taxes. However, 401(k) retirement contributions only reduce federal/state income tax; FICA is still paid on 401(k) amounts.
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