Finance calculators

Hourly Paycheck Calculator

Updated Jun 22, 2026 By Jehan Wadia
Formulas
Pay Period & Date
Format MM/DD/YYYY. Defaults to today.
Hourly Wages & Hours
Location & Tax Jurisdiction
Filing Status & W-4 Withholding
W-4 Format

Additional Dollar Withholdings (per period)
Deduction
Amount
Method
Total Pre-Tax Deductions$0.00
Deduction
Amount
Method
Total Post-Tax Deductions$0.00
Are you exempt from any taxes?

Your Paycheck Results

Estimated Take-Home Pay
$0.00
Gross Pay This Period
$0.00
Pay Period
Paycheck Date
Effective Tax Rate
0.00%

Itemized Breakdown

Where Does Your Paycheck Go?

Equivalent data table for the paycheck breakdown chart.
CategoryAmount% of Gross

Step-by-Step Solution


Introduction

This free hourly paycheck calculator shows you how much money you will take home after taxes and deductions. If you get paid by the hour, it can be hard to know your actual net pay before payday. Taxes like federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare all reduce your gross pay. Pre-tax deductions for things like health insurance and 401(k) contributions lower it even more.

This tool does the math for you. Enter your hourly wage, the number of hours you work each pay period, your filing status, and your state. The calculator estimates your federal and state tax withholdings, FICA taxes, and any deductions you add. It then shows your estimated take-home pay with a full breakdown of every dollar that comes out of your paycheck.

You can also add overtime pay, multiple pay rates, tips, bonuses, and both pre-tax and post-tax deductions. The calculator supports all 50 states, both the new W-4 (2020 and later) and the old W-4 format, and common pay frequencies like weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly. Whether you just started a new job or want to plan your budget, use this hourly paycheck calculator to see exactly where your money goes.

How to Use Our Hourly Paycheck Calculator

Enter your hourly wage, hours worked, and tax details below. The calculator will estimate your take-home pay after federal, state, and local taxes plus any deductions.

Paycheck Date: Pick the date you will get paid. This tells the calculator which tax rates to use.

Pay Frequency: Choose how often you get paid. Options include weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, and more. If you are paid every two weeks, our biweekly paycheck calculator can also help, or try the weekly pay calculator for weekly schedules.

Hourly Rate and Hours Per Period: Type in your hourly pay rate and the total hours you work each pay period. Click "Add Another Rate" if you earn different rates for different jobs or shifts. If you need help tracking your hours, use a work hours calculator or time card calculator.

Overtime Rate and Hours: Click "Add Overtime" if you work overtime. Enter your overtime hourly rate and the number of overtime hours per pay period.

Additional Income: Enter any extra money you earn this pay period, such as tips, commissions, or bonuses. If you received a separate bonus, our bonus tax calculator can show how bonuses are taxed differently.

State: Select the state where you work. This sets your state income tax rate. If your state has no income tax, the calculator will tell you. For California-specific withholdings, try our California paycheck calculator.

Local Withholding: Enter the dollar amount your city or county takes out of each paycheck for local taxes. Leave this at zero if your area has no local tax.

W-4 Format: Choose "New W-4" if you filled out a W-4 form in 2020 or later. Choose "Old W-4" if your form is from before 2020. For more help with your withholding settings, see our IRS withholding calculator.

Filing Status: Pick the filing status that matches your W-4 form. Common choices are Single, Married Filing Jointly, or Head of Household.

Step 3 — Dependents Amount: If you use the new W-4, enter the yearly dollar amount from Step 3 for child and dependent tax credits.

Step 4a — Other Income: Enter any extra yearly income not from jobs, such as interest or dividends, from Step 4a of your new W-4.

Step 4b — Additional Deductions: Enter any extra yearly deductions beyond the standard deduction from Step 4b of your new W-4.

Step 4c — Extra Withholding: Enter any extra dollar amount you want taken out of each paycheck for federal taxes.

Federal Allowances: If you use the old W-4, enter the number of federal allowances you claimed.

State and Local Allowances: If you use the old W-4, enter your state allowances, additional state allowances, and local allowances as shown on your state tax forms.

Additional Withholdings: Enter any extra flat dollar amounts you want withheld each pay period for federal, state, or local taxes beyond the normal calculation. Our tax withholding calculator can help you determine the right amount.

Pre-Tax Deductions: Enter amounts for benefits that come out of your pay before taxes. These include medical insurance, dental, vision, 401(k), IRA, HSA, FSA, disability insurance, life insurance, and commuter plans. Pick whether each amount is a flat dollar, a percent of gross pay, a percent of net pay, or a per-hour rate.

Post-Tax Deductions: Enter amounts for items taken out after taxes. These include Roth 401(k) contributions, wage garnishments, and charitable donations.

Tax Exemptions: If you are legally exempt from certain taxes, select "Yes" and check each tax that does not apply to you. Most workers should leave this set to "No."

Calculate My Paycheck: Press this button to see your results. The calculator will show your estimated net pay, a full tax breakdown, a donut chart, and a step-by-step explanation of how your paycheck was calculated.

Clear / Start Over: Press this button to reset all fields back to their default values.

How Your Hourly Paycheck Is Calculated

An hourly paycheck is the money you take home after taxes and deductions are removed from your gross pay. Gross pay is the total amount you earn before anything is taken out. You find it by multiplying your hourly rate by the number of hours you worked. If you worked overtime, that pay gets added in too, along with any tips, bonuses, or commissions. If you want to convert your hourly earnings into an annual figure, use our hourly to salary calculator, or go the other direction with our salary to hourly calculator.

Once your gross pay is calculated, several things get subtracted from it. First come pre-tax deductions. These are things like health insurance premiums, 401(k) contributions, and HSA deposits. They come out before taxes are applied, which lowers the amount of income you pay taxes on.

Next, federal income tax is withheld based on your W-4 form, your filing status, and the IRS tax brackets. The more you earn, the higher the tax rate on your top dollars. Your employer also withholds Social Security tax at 6.2% of your wages (up to a yearly cap of $176,100 in 2025) and Medicare tax at 1.45%. If you earn over $200,000 a year, an extra 0.9% Medicare tax applies. You can see all of these combined using our payroll tax calculator.

Most states also charge a state income tax. The rate depends on where you work. Nine states — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming — have no state income tax at all. Some cities and counties add a local income tax on top of that. A few states also withhold for disability insurance or family leave programs.

After all taxes are removed, post-tax deductions come out. These include things like Roth 401(k) contributions, wage garnishments, and charitable donations. What remains after every deduction and tax is your net pay — the actual amount deposited into your bank account. If you know your net pay and need to find the gross, our net to gross calculator can help.

Your pay frequency matters because it changes how much you receive per paycheck. Someone paid biweekly gets 26 paychecks a year, while someone paid semimonthly gets 24. The same yearly salary results in different paycheck amounts depending on how often you are paid. To see your earnings on a different time scale, try our annual income calculator or monthly income calculator.

This hourly paycheck calculator estimates your net take-home pay for a single pay period. It accounts for federal and state income taxes, FICA taxes, pre-tax and post-tax deductions, overtime, and additional income. Use it to plan your budget, compare job offers, or check that your pay stub looks right. For salaried employees, our general paycheck calculator may be a better fit. If you are self-employed, the self-employment tax calculator covers the additional taxes you owe. And to see how much of your gross pay actually goes to taxes, check out the effective tax rate calculator.


Formulas used

Gross Pay
\text{Gross} = \sum_{i}(r_i \times h_i) + r_{OT} \times h_{OT} + \text{Additional Income}
Taxable Wages (after pre-tax deductions)
\text{Taxable} = \max\!\left(0,\; \text{Gross} - \text{Pre-Tax Deductions}\right)
Federal Income Tax per Period (New W-4)
\text{FIT} = \frac{\max\!\left(0,\; T\!\left(\text{Taxable} \times P + S_{4a} - D_{std} - S_{4b}\right) - S_3\right)}{P} + S_{4c}
Social Security Tax per Period
\text{SS} = \frac{0.062 \times \min\!\left(\text{FICA Wages} \times P,\; \$176{,}100\right)}{P}
Medicare Tax per Period
\text{Medicare} = 0.0145 \times \text{FICA Wages} + \frac{0.009 \times \max\!\left(0,\; \text{FICA Wages} \times P - \$200{,}000\right)}{P}
Net Take-Home Pay
\text{Net} = \text{Gross} - \text{Pre-Tax Ded.} - \text{Total Taxes} - \text{Post-Tax Ded.}
Effective Tax Rate
\text{Effective Rate} = \frac{\text{Total Taxes}}{\text{Gross}} \times 100\%

Frequently asked questions

What is gross pay vs net pay?

Gross pay is the total money you earn before any taxes or deductions are taken out. It equals your hourly rate times the hours you worked, plus any overtime, tips, or bonuses. Net pay is what you actually take home after federal tax, state tax, Social Security, Medicare, and all deductions are subtracted from your gross pay.

Why does my take-home pay look lower than I expected?

Several things reduce your paycheck. Federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) are taken out of every paycheck by law. If you also have pre-tax deductions like health insurance or a 401(k), those reduce your pay further. All of these combined can take 25% to 40% or more of your gross pay, depending on your income and state.

What is the difference between the new W-4 and the old W-4?

The new W-4 (2020 and later) does not use allowances. Instead, it uses dollar amounts for dependents, other income, and extra deductions in Steps 2 through 4. The old W-4 (before 2020) uses a number of allowances to figure out how much federal tax to withhold. If you filled out your W-4 form in 2020 or after, choose the new format. If your form is from before 2020, choose the old format.

What pay frequency should I choose?

Pick the option that matches how often your employer pays you. Weekly means you get 52 paychecks a year. Bi-weekly means every two weeks, or 26 paychecks. Semi-monthly means twice a month, or 24 paychecks. Monthly means 12 paychecks. Your pay frequency changes the size of each paycheck and how taxes are split across the year.

How is overtime pay calculated?

Overtime pay is your overtime hourly rate times the number of overtime hours you worked in the pay period. Most employers pay 1.5 times your regular rate for overtime hours (hours over 40 per week). This calculator lets you enter your actual overtime rate and hours. The overtime amount is added to your gross pay and taxed the same way as regular wages.

What are pre-tax deductions?

Pre-tax deductions are amounts taken from your paycheck before taxes are calculated. Common examples include health insurance premiums, dental and vision coverage, 401(k) contributions, HSA deposits, and FSA contributions. Because they come out before taxes, they lower your taxable income and reduce the taxes you owe.

What are post-tax deductions?

Post-tax deductions are amounts taken from your paycheck after taxes have already been calculated and withheld. Examples include Roth 401(k) contributions, wage garnishments, and charitable donations. These do not lower your taxable income, so they do not reduce the taxes on your paycheck.

What is FICA tax?

FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It includes two taxes: Social Security tax at 6.2% of your wages (up to $176,100 per year) and Medicare tax at 1.45% of all wages. Your employer pays the same amounts on top of yours. If you earn over $200,000 per year, an extra 0.9% Medicare tax is also withheld from your pay.

Which states have no income tax?

Nine states do not charge a state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. If you live and work in one of these states, only federal taxes and FICA will be withheld from your paycheck. The calculator will notify you when you select one of these states.

What is the effective tax rate shown in the results?

Your effective tax rate is the total percentage of your gross pay that goes to all taxes combined. It is calculated by dividing your total tax withholdings (federal, state, local, Social Security, and Medicare) by your gross pay. This single number tells you how much of every dollar you earn goes to taxes overall.

Can I add multiple hourly rates?

Yes. Click the Add Another Rate button to enter a second hourly rate and its hours. This is useful if you earn different rates for different shifts, jobs, or roles within the same pay period. You can add up to six separate rate rows.

What does the local withholding field mean?

Some cities, counties, and school districts charge a local income tax on top of federal and state taxes. The local withholding field is where you enter the dollar amount your employer takes out each pay period for those local taxes. If your area does not have a local income tax, leave this field at zero.

How do I know if I am exempt from taxes?

Most workers are not exempt from taxes. You may qualify for a federal income tax exemption only if you had no tax liability last year and expect none this year. Some workers, like certain nonresident aliens or religious group members, may be exempt from Social Security or Medicare. If you are unsure, leave exemptions unchecked or talk to a tax professional.

Does this calculator account for year-to-date earnings?

No. This calculator estimates taxes for a single pay period and assumes each paycheck throughout the year is the same. It does not track how much you have already earned this year. This means it may not perfectly reflect changes like hitting the Social Security wage cap or the additional Medicare threshold partway through the year.

Is the result from this calculator exact?

This calculator provides an estimate. Actual paycheck amounts can vary because employers may use slightly different rounding, withholding tables, or payroll software. State tax calculations are simplified using a flat effective rate. For exact numbers, compare your results with your actual pay stub or ask your employer's payroll department.

What is the annual projection in the results?

The annual projection multiplies your estimated take-home pay for one pay period by the number of pay periods in a year. For example, if you are paid bi-weekly and your net pay is $1,200, the projection shows $1,200 × 26 = $31,200 per year. It assumes every paycheck is the same, so it may differ if your hours or pay change throughout the year.

Why do 401(k) deductions not lower my Social Security and Medicare taxes?

Traditional 401(k) and IRA contributions reduce your federal and state income tax, but they do not reduce your Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes. Only Section 125 benefits like health insurance, HSA, and FSA contributions are exempt from FICA. This is how the IRS rules work, and the calculator follows these rules.

What should I enter in the additional income field?

Enter any extra money you expect to receive this pay period beyond your hourly wages. This includes tips, commissions, bonuses, or any other supplemental pay. The amount is added to your gross pay and taxed like regular income.

Can I use this calculator for a salaried job?

This calculator is built for hourly workers. If you are salaried, you can still use it by dividing your salary per pay period by a set number of hours (like 80 for bi-weekly) to get an equivalent hourly rate. However, a dedicated salary paycheck calculator will give you more accurate results for salaried positions.

What does the donut chart in the results show?

The donut chart gives you a visual picture of where your gross pay goes. It breaks your paycheck into five parts: take-home pay, federal taxes, state and local taxes, pre-tax deductions, and post-tax deductions. Each colored section shows how big that portion is compared to your total earnings. A data table below the chart shows the exact dollar amounts and percentages.