# How much is my hourly paycheck?

Take-home pay per paycheck after federal withholding (Pub 15-T), Social Security, Medicare, and state and local tax.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/hourly-paycheck-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/hourly-paycheck-calculator.json
- Version: e040f0aa1e8b

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Paid by Hourly, Hourly rate $20.00, Hours a week 40, Overtime hours a week 0, Pay frequency Every two weeks, Filing status (W-4) Single or married separately, Children under 17 0, Other dependents 0, Two jobs (W-4 Step 2) No, Other income (Step 4a) $0.00, Deductions (Step 4b) $0.00, Extra withholding (Step 4c) $0.00, 401(k) or 403(b), % of pay 0%, Health premiums a paycheck $0.00, HSA or FSA a paycheck $0.00, Other local tax rate 0%, Pay date September 30, 2026, State income tax rate 0%) on the example date Wednesday, September 30, 2026: On $1,600.00 of gross pay per paycheck, your take-home pay is $1,369.45.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pay | Paid by | Salary, or hourly rate and hours. |
| salary | Yearly salary | Yearly gross pay. |
| rate | Hourly rate | Pay for one regular hour. |
| hours | Hours a week | Regular hours each week. |
| ot | Overtime hours a week | Hours each week paid at 1.5 times the rate. |
| freq | Pay frequency | Paychecks a year: 52, 26, 24, or 12. |
| status | Filing status (W-4) | Form W-4 filing status. |
| kids | Children under 17 | W-4 Step 3: $2,200 each. |
| deps | Other dependents | W-4 Step 3: $500 each. |
| twoJobs | Two jobs (W-4 Step 2) | W-4 Step 2(c) box checked. |
| w4a | Other income (Step 4a) | W-4 Step 4(a). |
| w4b | Deductions (Step 4b) | W-4 Step 4(b). |
| w4c | Extra withholding (Step 4c) | W-4 Step 4(c). |
| k401 | 401(k) or 403(b), % of pay | Pre-tax retirement contribution. |
| health | Health premiums a paycheck | Pre-tax premiums (section 125). |
| hsa | HSA or FSA a paycheck | Pre-tax HSA or FSA contribution. |
| localRate | Other local tax rate | Other local tax. |
| date | Pay date | Its year picks the tax year. |
| stateRate | State income tax rate | Flat rate on taxable wages. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| net | Take-home pay | Net pay per paycheck. |
| gross | Gross pay | Pay before tax and deductions. |
| federal | Federal income tax | Pub 15-T withholding, with Step 4(c). |
| fica | Social Security and Medicare | Social Security plus Medicare. |
| socialSecurity | Social Security | 6.2% up to the wage base. |
| medicare | Medicare | 1.45%, plus 0.9% over $200,000. |
| stateLocal | State and local tax | State and local total. |
| stateTax | State income tax | State income tax. |
| statePayroll | State payroll contributions | State contributions. |
| localTax | Local income tax | Local income tax. |
| deductions | Pre-tax deductions | 401(k), health, HSA or FSA. |

## Method

Gross = salary (or rate × (hours + 1.5 × overtime) × 52) ÷ paychecks. Federal: Pub 15-T Worksheet 1A. Social Security and Medicare: the year’s ÷ paychecks. State and local = taxable wages × your rates.

## Assumptions

- An estimate, not tax advice. A 2020 or later Form W-4.
- Not modelled: Roth and after-tax deductions, garnishments, bonuses, tips, AMT, the premium tax credit, education credits.
- State and local tax is a flat rate you type; each state has its own page.

## Worked examples

1. pay = salary, salary = $52,000.00, freq = biweekly, status = single, date = 2026-03-13, stateRate = 0% gives gross = $2,000.00, federal = $156.15, socialSecurity = $124.00, medicare = $29.00, net = $1,690.85. Source: IRS Pub 15-T (2026) Worksheet 1A.
2. pay = salary, salary = $85,000.00, freq = semimonthly, status = mfj, kids = 2, k401 = 5%, health = $150.00, date = 2026-03-13, stateRate = 5%, localRate = 1% gives federal = $20.75, socialSecurity = $210.28, medicare = $49.18, stateTax = $160.73, localTax = $32.15, net = $2,741.50. Source: IRS Pub 15-T (2026) Worksheet 1A.
3. pay = hourly, rate = $25.00, hours = 40, ot = 5, freq = weekly, status = hoh, kids = 1, hsa = $20.00, w4c = $10.00, date = 2026-03-13, stateRate = 3% gives gross = $1,187.50, federal = $45.25, socialSecurity = $72.39, medicare = $16.93, stateTax = $35.03, net = $997.91. Source: IRS Pub 15-T (2026) Worksheet 1A.

## FAQ

### How is an hourly paycheck worked out?

Gross pay for the week is the hourly rate times regular hours, plus 1.5 times the rate for each overtime hour. A year is 52 weeks, so a paycheck is the weekly pay times 52 divided by the paychecks in a year: every two weeks is 26, twice a month is 24. Taxes and deductions then come off that gross pay.

### Is overtime taxed more than regular pay?

No. Overtime is added to the paycheck and withholding is worked out on the total, so a paycheck with overtime may reach a higher rate in the withholding table. The yearly tax is the same as if the pay came evenly. The federal overtime deduction (2025 to 2028) lowers the tax on your return, not the withholding in this calculator.

### How is federal income tax withholding worked out?

By IRS Publication 15-T Worksheet 1A, the method payroll software uses. Your taxable pay is multiplied by the paychecks in a year, the Form W-4 Step 4(a) income is added, and $8,600 ($12,900 if married filing jointly) plus the Step 4(b) deductions are taken off, unless the Step 2 box is checked. The yearly amount is looked up in the 2026 percentage method table, divided by the paychecks, reduced by the Step 3 credit per paycheck, and the Step 4(c) extra amount is added.

### How much Social Security and Medicare comes out of each paycheck?

Social Security is 6.2% of wages until the year’s wages reach $184,500 (2026). Medicare is 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000 in the year. Health premiums and HSA or FSA contributions through a cafeteria plan are not taxed; 401(k) contributions are. The calculator spreads the year’s amounts evenly over your paychecks.

### How do 401(k), health, and HSA deductions change my paycheck?

A traditional 401(k) or 403(b) contribution comes out before income tax, so it lowers federal and state income tax but not Social Security and Medicare. Health, dental, and vision premiums and HSA or FSA contributions through a section 125 plan lower all of them. Each dollar you put in lowers your take-home pay by less than a dollar.

### What does this paycheck calculator leave out?

Roth and after-tax deductions, garnishments, bonuses and other supplemental wages (see the bonus tax calculator), tips, and the federal items the tax engine leaves out: the alternative minimum tax, the premium tax credit, and education and other credits. State and local tax is a flat rate you type. A pay date before 2026 is refused, because the page has the 2026 tables only; a later date uses the 2026 tables until new ones are added.

### Why might my real paycheck differ?

Employers round each step, some use the wage bracket tables instead of the percentage method, and the calculator spreads Social Security and state tax evenly over the year. Roth and after-tax deductions, wage garnishments, and bonuses are not included. This is an estimate, not tax advice.

## Sources

- IRS, Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods: Worksheet 1A and the Annual Percentage Method tables. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf
- IRS, Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E), Employer’s Tax Guide: Social Security 6.2% to $184,500, Medicare 1.45%, Additional Medicare 0.9% over $200,000. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15.pdf
- IRS, Form W-4 (2026), Employee’s Withholding Certificate: $2,200 per child under 17 and $500 per other dependent in Step 3. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf