Social Security Tax Calculator
Social Security and Medicare tax, together called FICA, comes out of every paycheck. Social Security applies only up to a wage base, while Medicare has no cap and adds an extra charge above a high-income threshold.
Total FICA tax
$6,120.00
- Social Security tax
- $4,960.00
- Medicare tax
- $1,160.00
- Additional Medicare
- $0.00
- Effective rate
- 7.65%
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
FICA = min(Wages, Base) x 6.2% + Wages x 1.45% + max(0, Wages - Threshold) x 0.9%
- Wages
- Gross annual wages
- Base
- Social Security wage base for the year
- Threshold
- Income above which the extra Medicare tax applies
- FICA
- Combined Social Security and Medicare tax
How to check the result by hand
- 1
Cap the wages at the base
Use the smaller of gross wages and the Social Security wage base.
- 2
Apply the 6.2 percent rate
The result is the Social Security portion of the tax.
- 3
Apply 1.45 percent to all wages
Medicare has no wage cap, so the full amount is charged.
- 4
Add the extra Medicare tax
Apply 0.9 percent to the amount above the additional Medicare threshold, if any.
- 5
Add the three parts
The total is the FICA withheld, and dividing by wages gives the effective rate.
For worked examples, common mistakes and the limits of this formula, read the full How To Calculate Social Security Tax page.