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Paycheck Calculator by State
Your pay
Estimate only — not payroll advice. Real paychecks also have health insurance, retirement and other pre-tax deductions, plus any local or city tax. State tax here uses one simplified rate per state (see the table below), not each state’s full bracket schedule.
Example: $5,000 a month ($60,000 a year), single, California — $418.33 federal + $157.50 California + $382.50 FICA = $958.33 in deductions, for $4,041.67 take-home a month. The same pay in Texas, which has no state income tax, is $4,199.17 a month.
Behind the numbers
How your paycheck is calculated
The calculator starts with your yearly gross pay (pay per paycheck × the number of paychecks a year). Federal income tax uses the 2026 rules: subtract any pre-tax deductions, then subtract the standard deduction — $16,100 for a single filer, $32,200 for married filing jointly — and apply the 2026 marginal brackets (10% to $12,400, 12% to $50,400, 22% to $105,700 for single filers; the married brackets are roughly double). State income tax uses one simplified effective rate per state, applied to your full gross pay: the nine states with no income tax are $0, flat-tax states use their flat rate, and graduated states use an approximate effective rate for a $60,000 salary. FICA is 6.2% Social Security on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, plus 1.45% Medicare on all wages, plus 0.9% additional Medicare on wages over $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married). Yearly amounts are split by your pay frequency to give the amounts per paycheck.
California example, $5,000 a month: yearly gross = $5,000 × 12 = $60,000. Federal taxable income = $60,000 − $16,100 = $43,900. Federal tax = ($12,400 × 10%) + ($31,500 × 12%) = $1,240 + $3,780 = $5,020 a year ($418.33 a month). California tax = $60,000 × 3.15% = $1,890 a year ($157.50 a month). FICA = $60,000 × 7.65% = $4,590 a year ($382.50 a month). Total deductions = $958.33 a month, so net pay = $5,000 − $958.33 = $4,041.67 a month ($48,500 a year). Texas example: same federal and FICA, $0 state tax, so deductions are $800.83 a month and net pay is $4,199.17 a month ($50,390 a year).
Examples
Example paychecks (single filer, California, monthly pay)
| Gross pay / month | Federal tax / mo | California tax / mo | FICA / mo | Net pay / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | $178.33 | $94.50 | $229.50 | $2,497.67 |
| $4,000 | $298.33 | $126.00 | $306.00 | $3,269.67 |
| $5,000 | $418.33 | $157.50 | $382.50 | $4,041.67 |
| $6,000 | $584.17 | $189.00 | $459.00 | $4,767.83 |
| $8,000 | $1,024.17 | $252.00 | $612.00 | $6,111.83 |
Same $5,000 a month in Texas (no state income tax): $418.33 federal + $0 state + $382.50 FICA = $4,199.17 net a month. Paid every 2 weeks in California, the same $60,000 salary is $2,307.69 gross and $1,865.38 net per paycheck.
The state rates
Simplified state income tax rates used
Each state uses one simplified effective rate applied to gross pay. States marked “no income tax” charge $0. Flat-tax states use their flat rate. Graduated states use an approximate effective rate for a $60,000 single salary — your real state tax will differ a little because real state brackets, standard deductions and credits are not modeled here.
| State | Rate used | How it was set |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3.2% | Simplified effective rate |
| Alaska | 0% | No state income tax |
| Arizona | 2.5% | Flat rate |
| Arkansas | 3.3% | Simplified effective rate |
| California | 3.15% | Simplified effective rate |
| Colorado | 4.4% | Flat rate |
| Connecticut | 3.6% | Simplified effective rate |
| Delaware | 4.2% | Simplified effective rate |
| District of Columbia | 5% | Simplified effective rate |
| Florida | 0% | No state income tax |
| Georgia | 5.19% | Flat rate |
| Hawaii | 4.9% | Simplified effective rate |
| Idaho | 5.7% | Flat rate |
| Illinois | 4.95% | Flat rate |
| Indiana | 3% | Flat rate |
| Iowa | 3.8% | Flat rate |
| Kansas | 4.3% | Simplified effective rate |
| Kentucky | 4% | Flat rate |
| Louisiana | 3% | Flat rate |
| Maine | 5% | Simplified effective rate |
| Maryland | 4.5% | Simplified effective rate |
| Massachusetts | 5% | Flat rate |
| Michigan | 4.25% | Flat rate |
| Minnesota | 5.2% | Simplified effective rate |
| Mississippi | 4% | Flat rate |
| Missouri | 3.5% | Simplified effective rate |
| Montana | 4.7% | Simplified effective rate |
| Nebraska | 4.5% | Simplified effective rate |
| Nevada | 0% | No state income tax |
| New Hampshire | 0% | No state income tax |
| New Jersey | 3.5% | Simplified effective rate |
| New Mexico | 3.6% | Simplified effective rate |
| New York | 4.6% | Simplified effective rate |
| North Carolina | 3.99% | Flat rate |
| North Dakota | 1.8% | Simplified effective rate |
| Ohio | 2.6% | Simplified effective rate |
| Oklahoma | 3.6% | Simplified effective rate |
| Oregon | 6.5% | Simplified effective rate |
| Pennsylvania | 3.07% | Flat rate |
| Rhode Island | 3.9% | Simplified effective rate |
| South Carolina | 5.2% | Simplified effective rate |
| South Dakota | 0% | No state income tax |
| Tennessee | 0% | No state income tax |
| Texas | 0% | No state income tax |
| Utah | 4.55% | Flat rate |
| Vermont | 4.4% | Simplified effective rate |
| Virginia | 4.4% | Simplified effective rate |
| Washington | 0% | No state income tax |
| West Virginia | 4% | Simplified effective rate |
| Wisconsin | 3.9% | Simplified effective rate |
| Wyoming | 0% | No state income tax |
Keeping more of each paycheck
Pre-tax 401(k) or HSA contributions lower your federal taxable income, so they cut your federal tax in the year you make them — enter them above to see the effect.
Check your W-4: too little withholding means a tax bill in April, too much means an interest-free loan to the IRS all year.
Moving states changes your take-home pay even on the same salary — compare the state rate table above before accepting a job in a new state.
Your employer may also deduct health insurance, retirement or other benefits, and some cities charge local income tax — none of those are in this estimate, so your real paycheck will be lower if you have them.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Why does my state change my take-home pay?
Because nine states charge no income tax at all, while others charge up to roughly 5% or more on a typical salary. On $60,000 a year, the difference between California (about $1,890 in this simplified estimate) and Texas ($0) is $157.50 a month — $4,041.67 net in California versus $4,199.17 in Texas.
What is FICA, and is there a limit?
FICA is the payroll tax that funds Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%), 7.65% in total. Social Security stops at the 2026 wage base of $184,500, so very high earners pay no Social Security tax above that amount. Medicare has no cap, and there is an extra 0.9% Medicare tax on wages over $200,000 for single filers ($250,000 married). Your employer pays a matching 7.65%, which never shows on your pay stub.
Why is my real paycheck lower than this estimate?
Most likely because of deductions this calculator does not include: health insurance premiums, 401(k) contributions beyond what you entered, dental or vision plans, and any local or city income tax. Add those on top of this estimate for a closer match.
Is this exact, or payroll advice?
No. It is a simplified 2026 estimate for planning: federal tax uses the published 2026 brackets and standard deduction, but state tax uses one simplified rate per state instead of each state’s full bracket schedule, and it does not model credits, exemptions or local taxes. Check current figures at irs.gov and your state tax agency, or ask a tax professional, before acting.