FICA stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It comprises Social Security tax (6.2% on wages up to $168,600 for 2024) and Medicare tax (1.45% on all wages). These are withheld automatically by employers.

Paycheck Estimator

Free net pay calculator — enter your pay details and see your take-home instantly.

Your Pay Details

Pay Frequency

Filing Status

Gross Pay (USD) — per paycheck Please enter a valid gross pay (≥ 0).

Pre-Tax Deductions (USD) — 401(k), HSA, health ins. Deductions cannot exceed gross pay.

Effective Tax Rate (%) — combined federal + state estimate Tax rate must be 0–100.

Post-Tax Deductions (USD) — Roth 401(k), garnishments

FICA auto-included: Social Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45% = 7.65% of taxable pay.

Pay Breakdown

Fill in your pay details and click Calculate Net Pay to see your breakdown here.

Gross Pay –

Pre-Tax Deductions –

Taxable Pay –

↳ Social Security (6.2%) –

↳ Medicare (1.45%) –

Income Tax (–%) –

Post-Tax Deductions –

Estimated Net Pay –

⚠ Planning estimate only. FICA wage-base limits ($168,600 SS cap for 2024) and additional Medicare tax (0.9% above $200k) not applied. Confirm with your payroll provider or accountant before financial decisions.

Scenario A vs B Comparison

Run two scenarios (e.g. current vs. after a raise, or different 401k contributions) and compare side by side.

Scenario A

Gross Pay

Pre-Tax Deductions

Tax Rate (%)

Scenario B

Gross Pay

Pre-Tax Deductions

Tax Rate (%)

How to Use This Calculator

Choose your Pay Frequency and Filing Status — these affect how FICA is described and how results scale.
Enter your Gross Pay for that period (before any deductions).
Add Pre-Tax Deductions like 401(k) contributions or health insurance — these reduce your taxable income.
Enter your Effective Tax Rate — check last year's return (total tax ÷ total income) for a quick estimate.
Optionally add Post-Tax Deductions (Roth 401k, garnishments) deducted after taxes.
Click Calculate Net Pay to see your full breakdown, including FICA, an annualized view, and a visual chart.

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is this paycheck estimator?

This tool provides a planning estimate using browser-side arithmetic. It auto-calculates FICA (Social Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) but does not account for the Social Security wage-base cap ($168,600 for 2024), the additional 0.9% Medicare surcharge on high earners, state or local taxes, or benefit contribution tiers. Always confirm final figures with your payroll provider.

What is the difference between gross pay and net pay?

Gross pay is your total earnings before any deductions. Net pay (take-home pay) is what remains after pre-tax deductions (401k, health insurance), FICA taxes (Social Security + Medicare), income tax, and any post-tax deductions.

What is FICA and why is it included automatically?

FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) covers Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) taxes — totaling 7.65%. These are mandatory employee contributions that most online calculators omit, leading to overestimates of take-home pay. This tool includes them automatically.

What is an effective tax rate?

Your effective tax rate is the average percentage of your income paid in income tax (not marginal rate). A quick estimate: divide the total tax from your last Form 1040 by your total income. For US employees, a common range is 12–28% combined federal + state.

How do I use the Scenario Comparison?

Enter two different sets of pay details in the Scenario A and B panels — for example, your current paycheck vs. after a proposed raise, or today's 401(k) contribution vs. a higher one. Click Compare to see a side-by-side breakdown with the dollar difference for each row.