How this paycheck estimate works
This calculator first works out your annual gross pay, then divides it by the number of paychecks in a year for your chosen frequency. You can optionally subtract pre-tax deductions, an estimated tax rate and post-tax deductions for an approximate take-home figure.
- Annual gross — salary, or (wage × hours + overtime) × 52 for hourly workers.
- Gross per paycheck — annual gross ÷ 52, 26, 24 or 12.
- Taxable pay — gross minus pre-tax deductions.
- Estimated tax — taxable pay × your estimated rate.
- Take-home — gross − pre-tax deductions − tax − post-tax deductions.
Example: A $65,000 salary paid biweekly is $2,500 gross per paycheck. With $150 pre-tax retirement savings and a 20% estimated tax rate, tax is $470, giving an estimated take-home of $1,880.
Important: taxes are approximate
Real paychecks involve progressive income-tax brackets, Social Security and Medicare (or national insurance and pension contributions outside the US), state or provincial taxes, local taxes and individual circumstances. A single flat rate can't capture all of that. Use this estimate for budgeting only — it is not tax advice and shouldn't be relied on as a guarantee of your net pay. For exact figures, check your pay stub, your employer's payroll team or a tax professional.
Tips
- Compare the estimate with a real pay stub and adjust the tax rate until they match.
- Thinking about a raise? See how it changes each paycheck with the raise calculator.