💰 Take-Home Pay Calculator (US)
See your exact salary after all taxes and deductions — updated for 2026/27 tax rules in the USA, UK, and South Africa.
US take-home pay is gross income minus federal income tax (10-37% bracketed), FICA (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare + 0.9% Additional Medicare over $200k), state income tax (0-13.3%), and pre-tax deductions (401(k), HSA, FSA). IRS Publication 15 is the authoritative rate reference.
US take-home pay has more moving parts than most countries because of the federal-state stack, the choice between pre-tax and post-tax retirement contributions, and the relatively high mandatory withholding for FICA.
The deduction stack, in order applied:
1. Pre-tax deductions — reduce taxable income for federal and most state purposes: - Traditional 401(k) up to the annual elective deferral limit, plus catch-up over age 50 - HSA, when paired with a High-Deductible Health Plan - FSA (medical and dependent care) - Pre-tax employer health, dental, vision premiums - Commuter benefits
2. FICA — calculated on gross less pre-tax 401(k)/HSA reductions: - Social Security: 6.2% up to the annual wage base (indexed each year — see SSA.gov) - Medicare: 1.45% on all wages - Additional Medicare: 0.9% on wages above $200k single / $250k MFJ
3. Federal income tax — seven brackets, 10% / 12% / 22% / 24% / 32% / 35% / 37%, with the standard deduction subtracted first (or itemised deductions where higher). IRS publishes brackets each November for the following year.
4. State income tax — ranges from 0% (TX, FL, NV, TN, SD, WY, AK, plus NH after its Interest & Dividends Tax was repealed at the end of 2024) up to 13.3% (CA top bracket). Washington has no broad income tax but does levy a 7% long-term capital gains tax above an annual exemption. Some states (NY, NJ, CT, OR, CA) also stack a SDI or similar payroll levy.
5. Post-tax deductions — Roth 401(k), Roth IRA, disability insurance, supplemental life.
The calculator handles all 50 states plus DC, all four W-4 filing statuses (single, MFJ, MFS, HoH), the pre-tax vs. post-tax retirement allocation toggle, and the Additional Medicare and Net Investment Income Tax thresholds for higher earners. Output includes annual gross-to-net, monthly take-home, marginal rate on the next dollar earned (useful for raises, RSU vests, and bonus-tax-rate decisions), and effective rate.
For underlying rate schedules, IRS Publication 15, Publication 17 (Your Federal Income Tax), and the SSA wage-base announcement are the authoritative federal references; state revenue departments publish their own bracket tables.
See your exact salary after all taxes and deductions — updated for 2026/27 tax rules in the USA, UK, and South Africa.
🌍 Compare across USA, UK, and South Africa side-by-side →
How is take-home pay calculated?
Take-home pay is your gross salary minus income tax, social security or national insurance, and any pre-tax pension or retirement contributions. UK: income-tax bands + 8% National Insurance above £12,570. USA: federal/state tax + 7.65% FICA. South Africa: PAYE per SARS tax tables + 1% UIF, less rebates.
Use our dedicated SA Tax Calculator →| Deduction | Annual | Per Period |
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How to use this calculator
Takes about 2 minutes.
- Pick your region — USA, UK, or South Africa — to load the right tax tables
- Enter your gross annual salary and choose your pay frequency
- USA: pick your filing status and state, then add 401(k) % and pre-tax deductions
- UK: enter your pension contribution % and choose any student loan plan
- South Africa: select your age band, medical aid members, and any monthly RA contribution
- Review your monthly and annual take-home pay plus the full tax breakdown
Try these scenarios
Tap a scenario to load it into the calculator above.
Methodology & Sources
This calculator implements progressive income tax with NI/FICA/PAYE bands: Take-home = Gross − Σ(bracket_i × marginal_rate_i) − NI/FICA contributions. Region-specific tax and rate defaults are sourced directly from each country's primary government source and reviewed against the publication date below.
- USA: IRS — federal income tax brackets and contribution limits.
- UK: GOV.UK — HMRC personal allowance, National Insurance, and dividend rates.
- SA: SARS — personal income tax brackets and tax rebates.
Last verified: May 2026.
Key concepts
Gross vs. net. Your gross salary is the headline figure on your contract; your net (take-home) is what lands in your bank account after income tax, social-security contributions, and any pre-tax deductions like pension or health insurance.
Marginal vs. effective rate. Your marginal rate is the tax on your next dollar earned; your effective rate is your total tax divided by total income. Most people quote marginal but plan with effective. Progressive systems (IRS, HMRC) tax higher slices of income at higher rates, so the average is always below the top marginal bracket.
Pre-tax vs. post-tax contributions. US 401(k) and UK pension salary-sacrifice contributions come off gross — they reduce taxable income and increase take-home relative to the equivalent post-tax saving. Roth contributions are post-tax but grow tax-free.
State and regional layers. The US adds state income tax (zero in TX, FL, WA; up to 13% in CA). The UK has separate Scottish bands. The calculator applies the right layer based on your selection.
FICA / National Insurance. Social-security contributions are flat or near-flat rate up to a cap — 7.65% FICA in the US (until the SS wage base) and 8% Class 1 NI in the UK above the primary threshold.
Frequently Asked Questions
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