What is my gross pay?
Work out gross pay from your hourly rate, hours, and overtime, or turn a take-home amount into the gross pay that leaves it after federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare, and state tax. An estimate, not tax advice.
- Gross pay a paycheck
- $1,600.00
Your gross pay is $1,600.00 a paycheck, $41,600.00 a year.
- Gross pay a year
- $41,600.00
- Gross pay a week
- $800.00
- Overtime pay a week
- $0.00
Answer for the example date Wednesday, September 30, 2026. It changes to today's date when the page loads.
Gross pay a paycheck: $1,600.00. Your gross pay is $1,600.00 a paycheck, $41,600.00 a year.
Where does the gross pay go?
The results are estimates for information only. They are not financial, tax, or legal advice. Check the numbers with your lender or a qualified professional before you decide. Terms of use
How to calculate
Computes gross pay per paycheck, week, and year from hours, hourly rate, and overtime, or the gross pay needed for a take-home amount after federal and state taxes.
Example with the default inputs (Work out gross pay from Hours and rate, Hourly rate $20.00, Regular hours a week 40, Overtime hours a week 0, Overtime rate (times the hourly rate) 1.5, Pay frequency Every two weeks) on the example date Wednesday, September 30, 2026: Your gross pay is $1,600.00 a paycheck, $41,600.00 a year.
Method: Hours: weekly gross = rate × regular hours + rate × overtime multiplier × overtime hours; yearly = weekly × 52; per paycheck = yearly ÷ paychecks a year. Take-home: find the gross pay G whose take-home pay G − federal withholding (Pub 15-T Worksheet 1A) − Social Security and Medicare − G × state rate equals the amount you want (bisection to a trillionth).
- An estimate, not tax advice. A year has 52 weeks; every paycheck is the same.
- Take-home mode: a 2020 or later Form W-4 with Step 3 = $2,200 per child under 17, no pre-tax deductions, and state and local tax as one flat rate on gross pay. Social Security and Medicare are the year’s amounts spread evenly.
- Overtime: the multiplier you choose (the Fair Labor Standards Act requires at least 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 a week for non-exempt employees).
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Work out gross pay from Hours and rate, Hourly rate $20.00, Regular hours a week 40, Overtime hours a week 5, Overtime rate (times the hourly rate) 1.5, Pay frequency Every two weeks gives Overtime pay a week $150.00, Gross pay a week $950.00, Gross pay a year $49,400.00, Gross pay a paycheck $1,900.00.
- Work out gross pay from Hours and rate, Hourly rate $30.00, Regular hours a week 37.5, Pay frequency Twice a month gives Gross pay a week $1,125.00, Gross pay a year $58,500.00, Gross pay a paycheck $2,437.50.
- Work out gross pay from Take-home pay, Take-home pay a paycheck $1,690.85, Pay frequency Every two weeks, Filing status (W-4) Single or married separately, Pay date 2026-03-13 gives Gross pay a paycheck $2,000.00, Federal income tax $156.15, Social Security and Medicare $153.00.Source: IRS Pub 15-T (2026) Worksheet 1A and Pub 15: $2,000 every two weeks, single, leaves $1,690.85
- Work out gross pay from Take-home pay, Take-home pay a paycheck $2,563.83, Pay frequency Twice a month, Filing status (W-4) Married filing jointly, Children under 17 1, State and local tax rate 4%, Pay date 2026-03-13 gives Gross pay a paycheck $3,000.00, Federal income tax $86.67, Social Security and Medicare $229.50, State and local tax $120.00.Source: IRS Pub 15-T (2026) Worksheet 1A and Pub 15: $3,000 twice a month, married, 1 child, 4% state leaves $2,563.83
How it works
From hours and rate
- Overtime pay a week = hourly rate × overtime multiplier (1.5 unless you change it) × overtime hours.
- Weekly gross = hourly rate × regular hours + overtime pay a week.
- Yearly gross = weekly gross × 52.
- Gross per paycheck = yearly gross ÷ paychecks a year (weekly 52, every two weeks 26, twice a month 24, monthly 12).
From take-home pay (net to gross)
For a gross paycheck G with P paychecks a year:
- Federal income tax withholding = IRS Publication 15-T (2026) Worksheet 1A on G, for a 2020 or later Form W-4 with the filing status chosen and Step 3 = $2,200 × children under 17 (see the federal tax withholding calculator for the tables).
- Social Security and Medicare = [6.2% × min(G × P, 184,500) + 1.45% × G × P + 0.9% × max(0, G × P − 200,000)] ÷ P.
- State and local tax = G × the rate you type.
- Take-home = G − all three.
The pay date must be in 2026 or later: the page has the 2026 withholding and payroll tables only, so an earlier date is refused rather than worked out with 2026 rules; a later date uses the 2026 tables until new ones are added.
Take-home pay always rises with G, so the calculator finds the G that gives the take-home pay you want by bisection, to within a trillionth of G.
Worked examples by hand
- $20 an hour, 40 hours and 5 overtime hours a week, every two weeks. Overtime 20 × 1.5 × 5 = 150. Weekly 20 × 40 + 150 = 950. Yearly 950 × 52 = 49,400. Per paycheck 49,400 ÷ 26 = $1,900.
- $30 an hour, 37.5 hours, twice a month. Weekly 1,125; yearly 58,500; per paycheck ÷ 24 = $2,437.50.
- Take-home $1,690.85 every two weeks, single. Try G = 2,000: federal (52,000 − 8,600 = 43,400; 1,240 + 12% × 23,500 = 4,060; ÷ 26) = 156.15; Social Security 124 + Medicare 29 = 153; take-home 2,000 − 156.15 − 153 = 1,690.85. So gross pay is $2,000.
- Take-home $2,563.83 twice a month, married filing jointly, 1 child, 4% state. Try G = 3,000: 72,000 − 12,900 = 59,100; 2,480 + 12% × 15,000 = 4,280; ÷ 24 = 178.33; less 2,200 ÷ 24 = 91.67 gives federal 86.67. Social Security and Medicare 7.65% × 3,000 = 229.50. State 120. Take-home 3,000 − 86.67 − 229.50 − 120 = 2,563.83, so gross pay is $3,000.
Other questions people ask
What is gross pay?
Gross pay is what you earn before anything is taken out: your hours times your rate, plus overtime, or your salary for the pay period. Net pay, or take-home pay, is what is left after taxes and deductions.
How do I work out gross pay from hours?
Multiply your regular hours by your hourly rate, then add overtime hours times the overtime rate (usually 1.5 times the regular rate). That is your weekly gross pay. Multiply by 52 for a year, and divide the year by your paychecks: 26 every two weeks, 24 twice a month.
How is overtime paid?
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees get at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a work week. Some employers or states pay double time for some hours; set the overtime rate to 2 for those.
How does net to gross work?
You enter the take-home pay you want. The calculator tries gross amounts until the federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, and your state and local rate taken from one leave exactly that take-home pay. Employers use the same idea to "gross up" a payment.
How is this different from the gross income calculator?
The gross income calculator adds up income from any pay period and other sources, such as tips or rent, and shows gross monthly income for loan forms. This page works from hours and overtime, and can work backward from take-home pay.