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Take-Home Pay Calculator 2026 (US)

Your take-home pay per period: federal withholding + FICA + traditional 401(k), using the 2026 Pub 15-T percentage method.

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Results

Take-home pay

$1,651.15

Federal income tax

$195.85

FICA (SS + Medicare)

$153.00

401(k) deferral

$0.00

Net as % of gross

82.6%

Take-home = gross $2,000.00 − 401(k) $0.00 − federal income tax $195.85 − FICA $153.00 = $1,651.15.

Educational first-look estimate: IRS Pub 15-T (2026) percentage method for federal withholding; FICA at 6.2% Social Security (up to the $184,500 wage base) plus 1.45% Medicare. Excludes W-4 Steps 3/4, Additional Medicare Tax (0.9%), Roth 401(k), state and local taxes. Not tax advice.

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Take-Home Pay Calculator 2026 (US)

Gross pay is not what lands in your bank account. Between your gross wages and your net pay sit three main cuts: federal income tax withholding, FICA (Social Security + Medicare), and your own pre-tax deductions like a traditional 401(k). This calculator runs all three in one pass, using the same engines as our dedicated tools:

  • Federal withholding: the 2026 Percentage Method Tables from IRS Publication 15-T
  • FICA: 6.2% Social Security (up to the $184,500 wage base) + 1.45% Medicare with no cap
Take-home pay (one period)

net = gross − traditional 401(k) − other pre-tax − federal withholding − FICA

federal withholding wages = gross − pre-tax deductions

FICA wages = gross − Section 125/HSA deductions (401(k) still counts!)

The 401(k) catch most people miss

A traditional 401(k) deferral lowers your federal income tax, but it does not lower FICA — Social Security and Medicare still apply to the money you defer. Medical premiums under a Section 125 cafeteria plan (and HSA) do lower FICA wages. That asymmetry is why two $200 pre-tax deductions can show up differently on your paycheck stub.

Worked example

Single, biweekly, gross $2,000, 10% traditional 401(k), Step 2 not checked:

  • 401(k): $2,000 × 10% = $200
  • Federal withholding wages: $1,800 → annualized $46,800 → withholding $171.85 per period
  • FICA: $2,000 × 7.65% = $153.00 (401(k) doesn't help here)
  • Take-home: $1,475.15 — about 73.8% of gross
First look, not the final bill

This estimate excludes W-4 Step 3 (dependents credit), Step 4(a) other income, Step 4(b) itemized deductions, Step 4(c) extra withholding, Roth 401(k) (it's after-tax, so it doesn't change withholding), Additional Medicare Tax (0.9%), and all state or local taxes. Educational estimate from IRS Pub 15-T (Rev. Dec. 2025) and 26 U.S.C. § 3101; not tax advice.

Official sources

Related tools (United States):

Federal income tax withholding (2026 Pub 15-T percentage method tables), FICA (6.2% Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base plus 1.45% Medicare), and traditional 401(k) deferrals.

No. Traditional 401(k) deferrals lower federal income tax withholding but are still subject to Social Security and Medicare. Only pre-tax deductions like medical premiums (Section 125) or HSA reduce FICA wages.

This version excludes the dependents credit (Step 3), other income (Step 4a), itemized deductions (Step 4b), extra withholding (Step 4c), Roth 401(k), and state or local taxes. It is an educational estimate, not tax advice.