Loan Paycheck Calculator
Turn a salary or an hourly wage (overtime included) into an honest take-home estimate — and see every pay frequency at once instead of converting one at a time.
How it works
Gross pay is annualized first (hourly rate × hours × 52, with overtime at your multiplier). The federal estimate applies the 2025 IRS standard deduction ($15,750 single / $31,500 married filing jointly) and the 2025 marginal brackets to what remains. FICA adds 6.2% Social Security on wages up to $176,100 plus 1.45% Medicare on all wages. State tax uses the flat effective rate you enter, since every state differs. Net pay is then divided into weekly (÷52), biweekly (÷26), semi-monthly (÷24) and monthly (÷12) amounts so you can compare offers paid on different cycles.
Formula & worked example
Formula: Gross pay is annualized, the 2025 federal standard deduction ($15,750 single / $31,500 married filing jointly) and 2025 marginal brackets are applied, then FICA: 6.2% Social Security on wages up to $176,100 plus 1.45% Medicare on all wages.
Worked example: On a $100,000 gross salary, FICA alone takes $6,200 of Social Security plus $1,450 of Medicare — $7,650/year before any federal or state income tax.
When to use this
- A job offer lands and you want take-home, not the headline salary, before you negotiate.
- You are comparing offers paid on different cycles — weekly vs biweekly vs monthly.
- You picked up overtime and want its real after-tax weight.
- You are sanity-checking a first payslip against the estimate.
How to use it, step by step
- Choose salary or hourly mode.
- Enter the salary, or rate × hours with overtime separated.
- Pick filing status and a state flat-rate estimate.
- Read net per cycle — the number that has to cover rent.
- Run the competing offer through the same settings before comparing.
What the inputs mean
| Input | What it is | Typical values |
|---|---|---|
| Annual salary / hourly rate | Gross pay before any deductions | Offer letter figures |
| Filing status | Federal standard deduction and brackets follow it | Single $15,750 / joint $31,500 (2025) |
| State tax % | Flat effective estimate — states vary too much for one table | 0% (no income tax) to ~8% effective |
| Overtime | Extra hours and their multiplier | 1.5× is the standard premium |
Another worked example
A $52,000 salary, single filer, no state tax: the 2025 federal estimate is $4,111.50 (after the $15,750 standard deduction), FICA takes $3,978.00, and take-home lands at $43,910.50 a year — $1,688.87 per biweekly paycheck, $3,659.21 monthly. The gross-to-net gap of about 15.5% is normal at this income, not a payroll error.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my real paycheck smaller than this estimate?
Most paychecks also lose money to retirement contributions, health insurance premiums and other pre-tax or post-tax deductions. This calculator covers taxes only, so treat it as the ceiling of your take-home, then subtract your benefits.
What is the difference between biweekly and semi-monthly?
Biweekly means every two weeks — 26 paychecks a year, so two months have three checks. Semi-monthly means twice a month (say the 1st and 15th) — 24 checks, each slightly larger. Employers choose the cycle; this tool shows both.
How is overtime taxed?
Overtime is taxed as ordinary income at your marginal rate — there is no special overtime tax. Withholding can look heavier on big OT checks because payroll annualizes them, but it evens out at tax time.
Which pay frequency do employers use most?
Biweekly is the most common in the US, followed by weekly, then semi-monthly and monthly. When comparing job offers, always convert to annual take-home — this page — rather than comparing single checks.
🏖️ Put that paycheck to work
The Retirement Calculator projects what your contributions plus employer match grow into by retirement age.
Why is my real paycheck lower than this estimate?
This covers federal tax and FICA only. Real slips also subtract 401(k) contributions, health and dental premiums, HSA/FSA amounts and any garnishments — each one is yours and mostly pre-tax, which also lowers the tax lines slightly.
Biweekly or semi-monthly — does it matter?
Biweekly is 26 checks a year; semi-monthly is 24 slightly larger ones. Annual pay is identical, but biweekly creates two 'extra' paycheck months a year that budgeters love for savings or debt.