Hourly Paycheck Calculator
Enter your hourly rate and weekly hours to see take-home pay after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax, per paycheck and per year. Uses the 2026 IRS tax tables.
| 2026 estimate | Per paycheck | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,000.00 | $52,000 |
| Pre-tax retirement | $0.00 | $0 |
| Pre-tax benefits | $0.00 | $0 |
| Federal income tax | -$156.15 | -$4,060 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | -$124.00 | -$3,224 |
| Medicare | -$29.00 | -$754 |
| State and local tax | $0.00 | $0 |
| After-tax deductions | $0.00 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $1,690.85 | $43,962 |
Federal bracket on your last dollar: 12%. Taxable income after the standard deduction: $35,900. State tax is set to 0%.
How an hourly wage becomes take-home pay
Gross pay = hourly rate x hours per week x 52. The calculator treats that as your yearly income, works out the tax on it, and divides by the number of paychecks. A $20 hourly rate at 40 hours is $41,600 a year; at 25 hours it is $26,000.
How a paycheck is calculated
- Start with gross pay, the amount before anything is taken out.
- Subtract pre-tax deductions. Retirement contributions such as a 401(k) lower the pay your income tax is based on. Health premiums and similar benefits also lower the pay Social Security and Medicare are based on.
- Subtract the standard deduction to get taxable income ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household in 2026).
- Apply the tax brackets. Each rate applies only to the slice of income inside its bracket, not to all of it.
- Add Social Security and Medicare (together called FICA).
- Add state and local tax, then any after-tax deductions. What is left is take-home pay.
2026 federal income tax brackets
The rate applies to taxable income inside each range. These are the figures the IRS published for 2026 in Revenue Procedure 2025-32.
| Rate | Single or married filing separately | Married filing jointly | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 to $12,400 | $0 to $24,800 | $0 to $17,700 |
| 12% | $12,400 to $50,400 | $24,800 to $100,800 | $17,700 to $67,450 |
| 22% | $50,400 to $105,700 | $100,800 to $211,400 | $67,450 to $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,700 to $201,775 | $211,400 to $403,550 | $105,700 to $201,750 |
| 32% | $201,775 to $256,225 | $403,550 to $512,450 | $201,750 to $256,200 |
| 35% | $256,225 to $640,600 | $512,450 to $768,700 | $256,200 to $640,600 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 | Over $640,600 |
Social Security and Medicare
- Social Security: 6.2% of wages, up to $184,500 a year in 2026. Pay above that is not charged Social Security tax.
- Medicare: 1.45% of all wages, plus an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000.
- Your employer pays a matching share on top. It does not come out of your check.
State income tax
State rules differ, so this is the part to check against your own state. 9 states do not tax wages: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming. 15 states charge one flat rate, and the calculator fills those in when you pick the state. The rest use graduated rates, so enter your own percentage. Many cities and counties add a local tax, which you can include in the same box.
| State with a flat rate | 2026 rate |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 2.5% |
| Colorado | 4.4% |
| Georgia | 5.19% |
| Idaho | 5.3% |
| Illinois | 4.95% |
| Indiana | 2.95% |
| Iowa | 3.8% |
| Kentucky | 3.5% |
| Louisiana | 3% |
| Michigan | 4.25% |
| Mississippi | 4% |
| North Carolina | 3.99% |
| Ohio | 2.75% |
| Pennsylvania | 3.07% |
| Utah | 4.5% |
What this estimate leaves out
Real withholding depends on the Form W-4 you gave your employer and on IRS Publication 15-T, so a paycheck can differ from this estimate by a few dollars. The calculator does not include the child tax credit or other credits, extra income, overtime or bonuses, state standard deductions or exemptions, or payroll taxes some states add (such as state disability insurance). Use it to plan, and your pay stub for the exact figure.
Sources
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (brackets and standard deduction), checked 4 November 2026.
- Social Security Administration: contribution and benefit base, checked 4 November 2026.
- IRS Topic 751: Social Security and Medicare withholding rates.
- Tax Foundation: state income tax rates for 2026, checked 4 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate an hourly paycheck?
Multiply your hourly rate by the hours you work in a week, then by 52 for the year. Subtract pre-tax deductions and the standard deduction, apply the federal brackets, and add Social Security, Medicare and state tax. Divide by your number of paychecks for the amount per check.
How much is $20 an hour after taxes?
At 40 hours a week, $20 an hour is $41,600 a year before tax. Enter 20 and 40 above to see the take-home pay for your filing status and state.
Does this include overtime?
No. It assumes the same hours every week. To estimate a week with overtime, work out the gross pay with the overtime calculator, then use the average hours per week here for a rough take-home figure.
Why does my hourly paycheck change from week to week?
Hours change, and the tax withheld changes with them. Employers also annualise each paycheck to decide the withholding, so a larger check can look taxed more heavily even though the final tax is calculated on the whole year.
Do part-time workers pay Social Security and Medicare?
Yes. Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) are charged on every dollar of wages. Income tax may be zero if your yearly pay stays under the standard deduction.