Question 1

What is take-home pay?

Accepted Answer

Take-home pay is the money you actually receive after taxes and deductions are taken out of your gross salary. It is what lands in your bank account each pay period. This calculator subtracts FICA, federal tax, state tax, and any other deductions to estimate it.

Question 2

What is FICA?

Accepted Answer

FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare. For employees it is 7.65 percent of wages, split as 6.2 percent for Social Security and 1.45 percent for Medicare. This calculator applies the 7.65 percent automatically before your other tax rates.

Question 3

What is the difference between gross and net pay?

Accepted Answer

Gross pay is your total salary before anything is withheld. Net pay, or take-home pay, is what remains after FICA, federal and state taxes, and other deductions. The gap between the two is often larger than people expect, which is why this estimate is helpful.

Question 4

How can I increase my take-home pay?

Accepted Answer

You can review your tax withholding so it matches your real liability, contribute to pre-tax accounts that lower taxable income, and claim every deduction and credit you qualify for. If you are self employed, tracking business expenses also reduces what you owe. A tax professional can tailor this to you.

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Estimate your net pay

How it works

Enter your gross salary

Add your tax rates

See your take-home

Frequently Asked Questions

Know your pay, then grow it

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