U.S. Federal Salary Calculator
Enter an annual salary or monthly wage on the left and choose a filing status to see estimated federal paycheck deductions and average monthly take-home pay on the right.
Payroll inputs
Enter a salary to see the federal take-home estimate.
Take-home estimate
- Monthly gross
- —
- Taxable income
- —
- Federal deduction rate
- 0%
Federal deduction breakdownaverage per month
- Social Security
- 0%—
- Medicare
- 0%—
- Additional Medicare
- 0%—
- Federal income tax
- 0%—
This is a federal-only payroll estimate for a single regular-employment job using 2026 IRS brackets, standard deduction, and SSA wage base. It excludes state and local income tax, benefits, retirement contributions, itemized deductions, credits beyond the simplified child/dependent credit, and actual Form W-4 adjustments.
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How U.S. federal payroll deductions reach your take-home pay
This salary calculator estimates U.S. federal take-home pay for a regular employee with one job. It applies 2026 Social Security, Medicare, and federal income-tax withholding rules to an annual salary and shows the average monthly result.
The sections below explain each deduction, the official sources behind the rates, and the limitations you should check before comparing the estimate to an actual pay stub.
Start with gross annual salary
Enter total regular cash compensation before any deductions. If you know only a monthly figure, switch to monthly mode and the tool annualizes it by multiplying by 12.
- Annual mode divides by 12 for monthly
- Monthly mode multiplies by 12 for annual
- Bonuses, commissions, and overtime are not modeled
Social Security — 6.2% up to $184,500
The employee pays 6.2% of wages up to the Social Security wage base, which is $184,500 for 2026. The employer pays another 6.2%. Wages above the cap are not subject to this tax.
- Employee 6.2%
- Wage base $184,500
- Maximum employee contribution $11,439
Medicare — 1.45% with no cap
Medicare tax applies to all wages at 1.45% for the employee. Unlike Social Security, there is no wage-base limit.
- Employee 1.45%
- No wage-base cap
- Employer matches 1.45%
Additional Medicare — 0.9% above $200,000
When wages from a single employer exceed $200,000 in a calendar year, the employer withholds an additional 0.9% on the excess. The final liability on a tax return uses filing-status thresholds that may differ.
- Withholding threshold $200,000
- Return threshold varies by filing status
- Employee only; no employer match
Federal income tax — brackets and standard deduction
The 2026 standard deduction for a single filer is $16,100. Taxable income is the annual gross minus the standard deduction, and the result is taxed through seven progressive brackets from 10% to 37%.
- Single $16,100
- MFJ $32,200
- HOH $24,150
- Seven brackets 10%–37%
Child and dependent credits
Each qualifying child may provide up to $2,200 in credit, and each other eligible dependent up to $500. These are simplified maximum estimates. Actual eligibility depends on age, SSN, relationship, residency, and income phaseouts.
- Qualifying child up to $2,200
- Other dependent up to $500
- Phaseouts and eligibility not modeled
$60,000 example — single, no dependents
With a $60,000 annual salary, single filing status, and no pre-tax deductions or dependents, taxable income is about $43,900. Federal income tax is about $5,020, Social Security $3,720, and Medicare $870, for an average monthly take-home of about $4,199.
- Monthly gross $5,000
- Federal deductions ~$9,610/year
- Monthly take-home ~$4,199
What this estimate excludes
State and local income taxes, employer-sponsored health insurance, retirement contributions (401k, 403b, IRA), HSA/FSA, disability insurance, union dues, garnishments, and actual Form W-4 Step 2–4 entries are all outside this federal-only model.
- No state or local tax
- No benefit deductions
- No retirement plan modeling
Multiple jobs and spouse income
This tool assumes one employer and one job. If you have multiple jobs or your spouse works, the Social Security cap, Additional Medicare threshold, and bracket utilization on your actual return may differ from what one-job withholding produces.
- Social Security cap is per worker, not per employer
- Bracket widths change for MFJ and MFS
- Form W-4 Step 2 addresses multiple jobs
Before relying on the result
Confirm the current tax year, your actual filing status, W-4 entries, any pre-tax benefit elections, state/local tax obligations, and whether your situation requires a tax professional.
- Check current IRS Pub. 15-T
- Confirm SSA wage base
- Review state withholding separately
- Consult a tax professional if complex
Salary calculator frequently asked questions
Which country does this calculate?
United States federal payroll only. It does not apply another country's tax or insurance rules, and it excludes state and local taxes.
Why is there no state tax line?
State and local income-tax rates vary by jurisdiction and cannot be represented by a single nationwide figure. The result is labeled federal only.
What filing status should I choose?
Filing status determines the standard deduction and bracket widths. Head of household and qualifying surviving spouse have eligibility requirements beyond this estimate.
How is Social Security calculated?
The employee pays 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500. Wages above that amount are not subject to Social Security tax.
What triggers Additional Medicare?
When wages from one employer exceed $200,000 in a year, the employer withholds an extra 0.9%. Final liability depends on filing status and total Medicare wages.
Do the child and dependent counts replace Form W-4?
No. They feed a simplified credit estimate. Actual withholding depends on your Form W-4 entries, including Step 2 for multiple jobs and Step 4 for other adjustments.
Does this include retirement or health benefits?
No. 401(k), HSA, FSA, health premiums, and other employer-plan deductions are excluded. They would further reduce taxable income and change the result.
Why might this differ from my paycheck?
Actual paychecks vary by pay period, year-to-date wages (Social Security cap), Form W-4 elections, pre-tax benefits, state/local withholding, and employer rounding.
Checked August 20, 2026. Brackets and standard deductions come from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32; 2026 FICA rates and the Social Security wage base come from IRS Pub. 15. Refresh from official sources for any new tax year.