Estimate your take-home pay after taxes and deductions.
Weekly
Bi-Weekly
Semi-Monthly
Monthly
Single
Married Filing Jointly
Head of Household
Gross Pay:0.00
Federal Income Tax:0.00
Social Security (6.2%):0.00
Medicare (1.45%):0.00
State Income Tax:0.00
Pre-Tax Deductions:0.00
Take-Home Pay (Net):0.00
Understanding Your Paystub
A paystub is a document provided by an employer that outlines an employee's earnings and deductions for a specific pay period. Understanding each line item is crucial for financial planning and verifying that you are being compensated correctly.
Gross Pay vs. Net Pay
Gross Pay is the total amount of money you earn before any taxes or deductions are removed. If you are salaried, this is usually your annual salary divided by the number of pay periods. If you are hourly, it is your hourly rate multiplied by the hours worked.
Net Pay, often called "take-home pay," is the actual amount that ends up in your bank account after all mandatory and voluntary deductions are taken out.
Common Payroll Deductions
Federal Income Tax: Based on your W-4 information and filing status.
FICA (Social Security & Medicare): A mandatory federal payroll tax. Social Security is typically 6.2%, and Medicare is 1.45% for the employee.
State Tax: Varies by state; some states like Florida or Texas have no state income tax, while others like California or New York have progressive rates.
Pre-Tax Deductions: Contributions made to 401(k) plans, Health Savings Accounts (HSA), or health insurance premiums. These reduce your taxable income.
Paystub Calculation Example
Imagine you earn 2,500 per bi-weekly period as a single filer in a state with a 5% tax rate, and you contribute 100 to a 401(k):
Gross: 2,500.00
Pre-Tax Deduction: 100.00 (Taxable income becomes 2,400.00)
Federal Tax (est 12%): 288.00
Social Security (6.2% of 2500): 155.00
Medicare (1.45% of 2500): 36.25
State Tax (5% of 2400): 120.00
Net Take-Home: 1,800.75
function calculatePaystub() {
var grossPay = parseFloat(document.getElementById('grossPay').value);
var stateRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('stateTaxRate').value) / 100;
var fedRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('filingStatus').value);
var preTax = parseFloat(document.getElementById('preTaxDeductions').value);
var postTax = parseFloat(document.getElementById('postTaxDeductions').value);
if (isNaN(grossPay) || grossPay <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Gross Pay amount.");
return;
}
// FICA is usually calculated on gross before pre-tax deductions for most types
var socSec = grossPay * 0.062;
var medicare = grossPay * 0.0145;
// Taxable Income for Income Taxes
var taxableIncome = grossPay – preTax;
if (taxableIncome < 0) taxableIncome = 0;
var federalTax = taxableIncome * fedRate;
var stateTax = taxableIncome * stateRate;
// Calculate Net
var totalDeductions = federalTax + socSec + medicare + stateTax + preTax + postTax;
var netPay = grossPay – (federalTax + socSec + medicare + stateTax + postTax + preTax);
if (netPay < 0) netPay = 0;
// Display results
document.getElementById('resGross').innerText = '$' + grossPay.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('resFed').innerText = '- $' + federalTax.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('resSoc').innerText = '- $' + socSec.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('resMed').innerText = '- $' + medicare.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('resState').innerText = '- $' + stateTax.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('resPreTax').innerText = '- $' + preTax.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('resNet').innerText = '$' + netPay.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('resultsArea').style.display = 'block';
}