Salary Paycheck Calculator - 2024 US Federal

Calculate your net pay or take home pay by entering your per-period or annual salary along with the pertinent federal, state, and local W4 information into this free federal paycheck calculator.

State & Date
State
Federal taxes only
Select a state to include state & local taxes
Earnings
Federal Taxes (enter your W4 info)
State and Local Taxes
No state selected. Select state
Benefits and Deductions (optional)
How Your Paycheck Works

What’s a salary paycheck calculator?

A salary calculator lets you enter your annual income (gross pay) and calculate your net pay (paycheck amount after taxes). You will see what federal and state taxes were deducted based on the information entered. You can use this tool to see how changing your paycheck affects your tax results.

How do I calculate my paycheck taxes?

To calculate a paycheck start with the annual salary amount and divide by the number of pay periods in the year. This number is the gross pay per pay period. Subtract any deductions and payroll taxes from the gross pay to get net pay. Don't want to calculate this by hand? The PaycheckCity salary calculator will do the calculating for you.

What is gross pay and net pay?

Gross pay amount is earnings before taxes and deductions are withheld by the employer. This calculator will take a gross pay and calculate the net pay, which is the employee’s take-home pay.
Gross pay - Taxes - Benefits/deductions = Net pay (take-home pay)

What is the gross pay method?

The gross pay method refers to whether the gross pay is an annual amount or a per period amount. The annual amount is your gross pay for the whole year. Per period amount is your gross pay every payday. For example, if your annual salary were $52,000 and you are paid weekly, your annual amount is $52,000, and your per period amount is $1,000.

If my paycheck has a bonus, is it taxed differently?

Congratulations on your bonus! Unfortunately yes, bonuses use different tax laws which may result in higher taxes. They are taxed with what’s called the supplemental wage rate. Use our Bonus Calculators to see the paycheck taxes on your bonus.

What is pay frequency?

Pay frequency refers to the frequency with which employers pay their employees. The pay frequency starts the entire payroll process and determines when you need to run payroll and withhold taxes.

How is pay frequency used to calculate payroll?

For salaried employees, the number of payrolls in a year is used to determine the gross paycheck amount.
For example, let’s look at a salaried employee who is paid $52,000 per year:

  • If this employee’s pay frequency is weekly (weekly = 52 pay periods per year) the calculation is: $52,000 / 52 payrolls = $1,000 gross pay
  • If this employee’s pay frequency is semi-monthly (semi-weekly = 24 pay periods per year) the calculation is: $52,000 / 24 payrolls = $2,166.67 gross pay

What is the difference between bi-weekly and semi-monthly?

Bi-weekly is once every other week with 26 payrolls per year, or 27 during a leap year like 2024. Semi-monthly is twice per month with 24 payrolls per year.

What are my withholding requirements?

Employers and employees are subject to income tax withholding. There are federal and state withholding requirements. Find federal and state withholding requirements in our Payroll Resources.

How do I know if I’m exempt from federal taxes?

You are tax-exempt when you do not meet the requirements for paying tax. This usually happens because your income is lower than the tax threshold (also known as the standard deduction). For 2024, you need to make less than:

  • single filer or married filing separately: $14,600
  • married joint filers: $29,200
  • head of household: $21,900

If you are 65 or older, or if you are blind, different income thresholds may apply. Check the IRS Publication 505 for current laws.

Claiming exempt from federal tax withholding on your W4 when you aren’t eligible isn’t illegal but it can have major consequences. You might receive a large tax bill and possible penalties after you file your tax return.

What’s the difference between single and head of household?

Someone who qualifies as head of household may be taxed less on their income than if filing as single. This is because the tax brackets are wider meaning you can earn more but be taxed at a lower percentage. This status applies for people who aren’t married, but adhere to special rules. If you’ve paid for more than half the cost of your household (with a qualifying dependent), consider this status. Be sure to double check all the stipulations before selecting, however. Picking the wrong filing status could cost you time and money.

How is Federal Withholding (Federal Income Tax) calculated?

The more taxable income you have, the higher tax rate you are subject to. This calculation process can be complex, so PaycheckCity’s free calculators can do it for you! To learn how to manually calculate federal income tax, use these step-by-step instructions and examples.

The federal income tax is a tax on annual earnings for individuals, businesses, and other legal entities. All wages, salaries, cash gifts from employers, business income, tips, gambling income, bonuses, and unemployment benefits are subject to a federal income tax.

For each payroll, federal income tax is calculated based on the answers provided on the W-4 and year to date income, which is then referenced to the tax tables in IRS Publication 15-T. For 2024, rates are 0%, 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, or 37%.

2024 Tax RateSingleMarried Filing JointlyHead of Household
10%$0 to $11,600$0 to $23,200$0 to $16,550
12%$11,601 to $47,150$23,201 to $94,300$16,551 to $63,100
22%$47,151 to $100,525$94,301 to $201,050$63,101 to $100,500
24%$100,526 to $191,950$201,051 to $383,900$100,501 to $191,950
32%$191,951 to $243,725$383,901 to $487,450$191,951 to $243,700
35%$243,726 to $609,350$487,451 to $731,200$243,701 to $609,350
37%$609,351 or more$731,201 or more$609,351 or more

What’s the W-4 form, and why is important?

You filled out a W-4 form when you were hired. The W4 form determines the amount of federal income tax withheld from your paycheck. Completing it accurately ensures proper withholding. States have their own state withholding forms too.

What is FICA on my paycheck?

FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) includes 2 taxes: Social Security and Medicare. Both Social Security and Medicare taxes are deducted from each paycheck to fund these important government programs.

How much are Social Security and Medicare taxes?

Social Security tax is 6.2% on $147,000 of earned income. The maximum Social Security tax for employees is $9,114.

Medicare tax is 1.45%. There is a 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax for employees on wages earned after $200,000 ($250,000 for married filing jointly, or $125,000 for married filing separately). This means when an employee’s income reaches that threshold in a calendar year, the employer should withhold 2.35% total for Medicare. Learn more about Social Security and Medicare taxes.

What’s the difference between a deduction and withholding?

In addition to withholding federal and state taxes, part of your gross income might also have to contribute to deductions. These are known as “pre-tax deductions” and include contributions to retirement accounts and some health care costs. For example, when you look at your paycheck you might see an amount deducted for your company’s health insurance plan and for your 401k plan. Pre-tax deductions result in lower take-home, but also means less of your income is subject to tax. Some deductions are “post-tax”, like Roth 401(k), and are deducted after being taxed.

In our calculators, you can add deductions under “Benefits and Deductions” and select if it’s a fixed amount, a percentage of the gross-pay, or a percentage of the net pay. For hourly calculators, you can also select a fixed amount per hour. For pre-tax deductions, check the Exempt checkboxes, meaning the deduction will be taxed.

What was updated in the Federal W4 in 2020?

In 2020, the IRS updated the Federal W4 form that eliminated withholding allowances. The redesigned Form W4 makes it easier for your withholding to match your tax liability. Here’s how to answer the new questions:

  • Step 2: check the box if you have more than one job or you and your spouse both have jobs. This will increase withholding.
  • Step 3: enter an amount for dependents.The old W4 used to ask for the number of dependents. The new W4 asks for a dollar amount. Here’s how to calculate it: If your total income will be $200k or less ($400k if married) multiply the number of children under 17 by $2,000 and other dependents by $500. Add up the total.
  • Step 4a: extra income from outside of your job, such as dividends or interest, that usually don't have withholding taken out of them. By entering it here you will withhold for this extra income so you don't owe tax later when filing your tax return.
  • Step 4b: any additional withholding you want taken out. Any other estimated tax to withhold can be entered here. The more is withheld, the bigger your refund may be and you’ll avoid owing penalties.

If your W4 on file is in the old format (2019 or older), toggle "Use new Form W-4" to change the questions back to the previous form. Employees are currently not required to update it. However if you do need to update it for any reason, you must now use the new Form W-4.

Are some deductions not taxed by federal income tax?

Yes, some examples of pre-tax deductions include 401(k), health insurance, and flexible spending accounts (FSA). To calculate pre-tax deductions, check the Exempt checkboxes, meaning the deduction will be taxed.

What are pre-tax and post-tax deductions?

Pre-tax deductions are deducted before federal/state withholding taxes are imposed. Post-tax deductions are deducted after being taxed. An example of a post-tax deduction is a Roth 401(k).

What is Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA)?

FUTA is a payroll tax only paid by employers, not employees. The current FUTA rate is 6% with a wage limit of $7,000 for each employee per year. There’s a Tentative Credit of 5.4%, so most employers pay 0.6%. Find more info about employer taxes in our handy Payroll Resources. For a comprehensive guide check out What is FUTA?

How can I reduce my taxes?

Explore deductions and credits available, such as contributions to retirement accounts, to potentially lower your taxable income.

State Salary Employee Calculators

Select your state from the list below to see its salary employee calculator.

The calculators on this website are provided by Symmetry Software and are designed to provide general guidance and estimates. These calculators should not be relied upon for accuracy, such as to calculate exact taxes, payroll or other financial data. Neither these calculators nor the providers and affiliates thereof are providing tax or legal advice. You should refer to a professional adviser or accountant regarding any specific requirements or concerns.