A Paycheck Calculator
Gross pay is what you earn; net pay is what reaches your bank account. The gap is income tax, payroll taxes and any retirement or benefit contributions, and it is often large enough to change how you budget.
Net per paycheck
$2,086.62
- Annual net pay
- $54,252.00
- Total deductions
- $17,748.00
- Deduction rate
- 2465.00%
Values update as you type. This calculator covers the single scenario its formula assumes — see Common Mistakes for what it leaves out.
The formula this calculator uses
Net pay = gross - income tax - payroll tax - contributions
- gross
- Salary before any deductions
- taxRate
- Effective income tax rate
- payroll
- Social insurance rate such as FICA
- contribution
- Retirement or benefit deduction
How to check the result by hand
- 1
Start from gross pay
Use the annual salary, or the hourly rate multiplied by the hours in the period, as the figure before any deduction.
- 2
Subtract income tax
Apply your effective income tax rate, not your marginal bracket. The effective rate reflects tax across all income and is the better estimate.
- 3
Subtract payroll taxes
Apply the social insurance rate, such as 7.65% for FICA in the United States, remembering that part of it caps out at a wage ceiling.
- 4
Subtract contributions
Remove any retirement or benefit contribution. A pre-tax contribution reduces the taxable base, so apply it before the income tax step for accuracy.
- 5
Divide by pay periods
Divide the annual net by twelve for monthly, twenty-six for biweekly, or the appropriate count, to get the amount per paycheck.
For worked examples, common mistakes and the limits of this formula, read the full How To Calculate A Paycheck page.