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TAX YEAR 2026 · UPDATED FIGURESPaycheck Calculator
Your salary is not what lands in your bank account. This take-home pay calculator works out your real net pay for 2026 — federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax — per paycheck and per year, in seconds.
- 100% free, no sign-up
- 2026 IRS brackets & standard deduction
- Oklahoma & Ohio state tax included
- Runs privately in your browser
Ohio replaced its graduated brackets with one flat rate above $26,050 of taxable income.
Oklahoma's top income tax rate drops to 4.5%, with a 0% first bracket.
$16,100 single and $32,200 married filing jointly for tax year 2026.
The 6.2% Social Security tax stops once your 2026 wages pass $184,500.
Your pay details
Your gross pay for the whole year, before any tax or deductions.
Used for Oklahoma & Ohio exemptions.
Pre-tax deductions
Taken out before tax. A 401(k) lowers income tax but not Social Security or Medicare; health premiums and HSA contributions lower all three.
Please note: this is an estimate for a single W-2 job using the standard deduction, with no tax credits or other income. Your employer's actual withholding can differ. Ohio city (municipal) taxes and Oklahoma's deduction for federal tax are not included.
State paycheck calculators
Same 2026 engine with one state's rules explained in full — brackets, deductions and worked examples.
How this paycheck calculator works
Three steps, all in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere — change any number and the result updates instantly.
Enter your gross pay
Type your annual salary, or the gross amount on one paycheck, and how often you're paid. Add your filing status, state and dependents.
Add pre-tax deductions
401(k), health insurance and HSA amounts come off the top. The calculator applies each one correctly — a 401(k) skips income tax but never skips FICA.
See your real take-home
Federal tax is worked out bracket by bracket for 2026, Social Security stops at the $184,500 cap, and Oklahoma and Ohio state tax use their real 2026 rules.
Methodology — the 2026 rules behind the numbers
Every figure in this salary paycheck calculator comes from the published 2026 rules below — not last year's tables. Amounts are calculated for the full year first, then split across your pay frequency.
Federal income tax — 2026
Taxable income is your gross pay minus pre-tax deductions and the 2026 standard deduction, then taxed through the progressive brackets (10% up to 37%).
| Filing status | 2026 standard deduction |
|---|---|
| Single | $16,100 |
| Married filing jointly | $32,200 |
| Married filing separately | $16,100 |
| Head of household | $24,150 |
For a single filer, the first $12,400 of taxable income is taxed at 10%, then 12% up to $50,400, 22% up to $105,700, and so on up to 37% above $640,600.
FICA — Social Security & Medicare
- Social Security: 6.2% of wages, stopping at the 2026 wage cap of $184,500. Earn more than that and this line drops to the cap amount — $11,439 for the year.
- Medicare: 1.45% of all wages, no cap.
- Additional Medicare: an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 ($250,000 if married filing jointly).
- 401(k) contributions do not reduce FICA — health premiums and HSA contributions do.
Oklahoma — 2026 (HB 2764)
Oklahoma gets its own calculation: a standard deduction of $6,350 single / $12,700 joint / $9,350 head of household, plus a $1,000 personal exemption per person (you, your spouse if filing jointly, and each dependent). Rates run 0% on the first slice, then 2.5%, 3.5%, and a top rate of 4.5%.
One simplification: Oklahoma also lets you deduct federal tax paid. That deduction is not included here, so the Oklahoma figure is a deliberate slight over-estimate rather than a surprise.
Ohio — 2026 (HB 96) & no-tax states
Ohio scrapped its graduated brackets for a flat 2.75%: no tax at all on the first $26,050 of taxable income, then $332 plus 2.75% of the excess. There is no standard deduction; instead each person (you, spouse, dependents) gets an exemption of $2,400, $2,150 or $1,900 depending on your income, phasing out above $500,000. Ohio city taxes are not included.
No state income tax ($0, exactly): Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Every other state currently shows federal tax and FICA only, labelled clearly on the result — we never invent a state number.
Data sources
- Federal brackets & standard deductions: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (tax year 2026).
- Social Security wage cap $184,500: Social Security Administration, 2026 COLA fact sheet.
- Oklahoma: House Bill 2764 (2026 rates, standard deduction and $1,000 exemption).
- Ohio: House Bill 96 (flat 2.75% rate and personal exemption tiers).
Common uses for a take-home pay calculator
- Checking a job offer: a $5,000 raise is not $5,000 — see what it is actually worth per paycheck in your state before you sign.
- Setting a budget: build your monthly budget on real net pay, not the salary figure in your contract.
- Tuning your 401(k): watch take-home fall by less than your contribution grows, thanks to the tax saving.
- Comparing two states: the same salary keeps more in Texas than Oklahoma — run both before a move.
- Understanding a raise or bonus: check whether a pay rise pushes your last dollars into a higher marginal bracket.
- Spotting pay stub errors: if your real check is far from the estimate, the difference usually points to a deduction you forgot — or one payroll did.
Paycheck calculator — frequently asked questions
How accurate is this paycheck calculator?
It uses the official 2026 federal brackets and standard deductions (IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32), the 2026 Social Security wage cap of $184,500, Oklahoma's 2026 rates under HB 2764 and Ohio's flat 2.75% tax under HB 96. For a single W-2 job with the standard deduction and no credits, the estimate should land very close to your real paycheck — but employer withholding tables, pre-tax benefits we don't list, and credits can move your actual check by a few dollars.
Why is my real paycheck different from the estimate?
Employers withhold using IRS percentage-method tables and your W-4, which spreads allowances and extra withholding differently from a straight annual calculation. Other common gaps: pre-tax benefits not entered here (dental, vision, parking, FSA), bonuses withheld at the flat 22% supplemental rate, union dues, garnishments, state or city taxes we don't cover yet, and mid-year job changes that restart the Social Security cap.
Which states does the calculator include?
Oklahoma and Ohio are calculated in full with their 2026 rules. Nine states — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming — have no state income tax, so state tax is exactly $0. For every other state the calculator currently shows federal tax and FICA only, and says so clearly on the result; state calculations for those states are being added state by state.
What is the difference between bi-weekly and semi-monthly pay?
Bi-weekly means every two weeks — 26 paychecks a year, so two months have three checks. Semi-monthly means twice a month, usually on the 1st and 15th — 24 paychecks a year, each one slightly larger. The annual totals are identical; only the size and timing of each check change. Pick the one your employer uses, because it changes the per-paycheck figure.
Does contributing to a 401(k) change my paycheck?
Yes — a traditional 401(k) contribution comes out before federal and state income tax, so it lowers your taxable pay and your income tax, and your take-home drops by less than the amount you contributed. It does not reduce Social Security or Medicare tax: FICA is still charged on your full wages. Try it above — raise the 401(k) percentage and watch the federal tax line fall while the Social Security line stays put.
What changed for paychecks in 2026?
Four things matter most: the federal standard deduction rose to $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly; the Social Security wage cap rose to $184,500; Ohio replaced its graduated brackets with a flat 2.75% tax above $26,050 of taxable income (HB 96); and Oklahoma's top income tax rate fell to 4.5% under HB 2764. This calculator is built entirely on the 2026 figures.