Overtime Pay Calculator for Hourly Workers
Almost everyone remembers their first paycheck shock, a great salary on paper, then taxes took their cut and reality showed up. This overtime pay calculator for hourly wage earners works week by week: it shows exactly where each dollar of your weekly paycheck goes, federal brackets, FICA, and your state's share, including time and a half on every overtime hour, so the number you budget with is the one you actually keep. Enter your hourly rate, regular and overtime hours, how often you're paid, and your state, and it estimates every withholding line plus the net pay in each check, built on the verified 2026 federal brackets, the $16,100 single standard deduction, and the exact 2026 FICA rates.
Last updated: October 22, 2026
Your result
Federal withholding uses the official 2026 single brackets with the $16,100 standard deduction; California, New York and "other" states use rough flat rate approximations clearly labeled as simplified estimates. 401(k) contributions, health insurance, HSA, W-4 settings and local taxes are not included.
The formula
Taxable income = annual gross pay − 2026 single standard deduction ($16,100)Federal withholding (2026 single brackets, verified): 10% to $12,400 · 12% $12,401, $50,400 · 22% $50,401, $105,700 · 24% $105,701, $201,775 · 32% $201,776, $256,225 · 35% $256,226, $640,600 · 37% over $640,600 (progressive: each rate applies only to income inside its slice)Social Security tax = 6.2% × min(gross pay, $184,500 2026 wage base)Medicare tax = 1.45% × gross pay (no cap) + 0.9% on wages over $200,000State withholding (simplified estimate): $0 in TX, FL, WA, NV, WY, SD, AK, TN, NH · IL 4.95% flat · PA 3.07% flat · CA and NY use rough flat approximations, not full bracket schedulesPer paycheck amounts = annual amounts ÷ pay periods: weekly 52, biweekly 26, semimonthly 24, monthly 12Net pay per paycheck = gross pay − federal withholding − FICA − state withholding
A worked example
A single filer in Texas earns $85,000 paid biweekly with no state income tax. Subtracting the $16,100 standard deduction leaves $68,900 of taxable income, which falls into the first three 2026 brackets: 10% on the first $12,400 ($1,240), 12% on the next $38,000 ($4,560), and 22% on the remaining $18,500 ($4,070), for $9,870.00 of federal withholding. FICA takes 6.2% Social Security ($5,270.00, under the $184,500 wage base) plus 1.45% Medicare ($1,232.50), totaling $6,502.50, while Texas takes $0. That leaves $68,627.50 a year, or $2,639.52 in every biweekly paycheck.
More about the Paycheck Calculator
What this calculator actually tells you
Turns a headline salary into the actual number hitting your bank account, after federal, FICA, and state withholdings.
Splits that number by pay period, so you can plan weekly or monthly spending against something realistic.
Treat it as an estimate, not a filing tool, benefits, retirement contributions, and W-4 quirks aren't modeled here.
How federal withholding is estimated
Starts with the verified 2026 single brackets and takes the $16,100 standard deduction off first.
Brackets are progressive, so only the income sitting inside each slice gets taxed at that rate.
The result lands close to what a W-2 employee with a straightforward return would see withheld over the year.
FICA: the tax you cannot escape
Social Security takes 6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base, then it stops for the rest of the year.
Medicare takes 1.45% of every wage dollar with no cap, plus 0.9% extra above $200,000.
Unlike income tax, FICA starts nibbling from your very first paycheck.
State taxes and why location matters
Nine states charge no income tax, so an $85,000 Texas paycheck nets noticeably more than the same salary in California.
Flat tax states like Illinois (4.95%) and Pennsylvania (3.07%) are straightforward to model; progressive states get a careful approximation here.
Move mid year, or work in one state while living in another, and things get tangled, that's payroll department territory.
Picking the right pay frequency
Biweekly is the most common US schedule, and twice a year it hands you a bonus third paycheck in a month.
Weekly pay suits tight budgets; monthly pay works when your bills are monthly and your savings discipline is solid.
Frequency never changes your annual totals, only the size and timing of each check.
Using the result to plan your money
Budget from the net per paycheck, not the salary printed on your offer letter.
If the estimate doesn't match your actual stub, the gap is usually 401(k), insurance, or HSA deductions.
Re run the numbers with every raise, so lifestyle creep doesn't quietly swallow the whole increase.
State income tax: PA, OH, GA, NC, NJ, VA, MI, AZ, CO
Nine states, nine different systems. Pennsylvania charges a flat 3.07% on wages, simple. The others mix flat and graduated structures, and several allow local income taxes on top: Ohio municipalities and Pennsylvania localities are the big ones people miss.
Two things trip people up. First, flat vs graduated: a flat rate taxes every dollar the same, while graduated brackets only tax the income inside each band. Second, local taxes, which many calculators omit, enter your work ZIP, not just your state.
State rules change with legislation. Treat the calculator's defaults as estimates and check your state's current tax tables when filing.
How to use the Paycheck Calculator
- Enter your annual gross salary, before any deductions.
- Pick how often you're paid, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly.
- Choose your state: nine no tax states, Illinois, Pennsylvania, California, New York, or a simplified estimate for anywhere else.
- Hit Calculate to see every tax line and your take home pay per paycheck.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this estimate?
Pretty solid as a ballpark. It uses the verified 2026 federal brackets, the $16,100 single standard deduction, and the exact 2026 FICA rates. Where real paychecks drift is the pre tax stuff this tool doesn't model, 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, your W-4 settings, local taxes. Use it to plan, not as tax advice.
How does pay frequency change my paycheck?
It doesn't change your yearly totals at all, just how they're sliced. Weekly divides everything 52 ways, biweekly 26, semimonthly 24, monthly 12. Monthly checks look biggest and weekly smallest, but the yearly totals match. Semimonthly simply lands slightly bigger than biweekly.
Why does Texas show $0 for state withholding?
Because Texas genuinely has no state income tax on wages, there's nothing to withhold. Florida, Washington, Nevada, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, Tennessee, and New Hampshire are in the same boat. The trade off: these states often lean harder on sales or property taxes instead.
What is the FICA breakdown on my paycheck?
From your side, FICA is 7.65% of wages: 6.2% for Social Security up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, plus 1.45% for Medicare on every dollar with no cap. Earn over $200,000 and an extra 0.9% Medicare tax kicks in above that line. Your employer quietly matches the 7.65% separately. You never see that half on your stub.
Does a higher tax bracket mean all my income is taxed more?
No, this trips up a lot of people. US brackets are marginal, so a 22% rate only touches the dollars sitting inside that bracket's range, never your whole salary. Climbing into a higher bracket just means the extra income above the threshold gets taxed at the higher rate.
How is the 2026 standard deduction used here?
For a single filer, the verified 2026 standard deduction of $16,100 comes off your gross pay before any federal bracket is applied, which matches what most employees who don't itemize would see. If you do itemize, your taxable income could be lower, and this estimate would run a touch high.
Will my bonus get taxed at a higher rate than my normal pay?
It can look that way on the check. Employers often withhold on bonuses at a flat supplemental rate instead of your usual bracket rate, so the bonus check lands smaller than you expected. But at tax time your bonus just joins your total income and gets taxed at your normal progressive rates, if too much was withheld, the difference comes back to you as a refund.
How do 401(k) contributions change my take home pay?
Traditional 401(k) money comes out before federal, and usually state, income tax is calculated, so it shrinks both your tax bill and your paycheck, but not dollar for dollar. Every dollar you contribute typically costs your take home less than a dollar, because part of that dollar would have gone to taxes anyway. Try the calculator above with and without your contribution amount to see the real cost.
How does my W-4 form affect the size of my paycheck?
Your W-4 tells your employer how much federal tax to withhold from each check. More withholding shrinks your paychecks but grows your refund; less can fatten each check while risking a bill at tax time. A new job, a marriage, or a second income stream are all good reasons to revisit it and re run your numbers above.
How do I calculate my take home pay?
Subtract federal and state income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to the wage base), Medicare (1.45%), and pre tax deductions like 401(k) and health premiums from gross pay. A $75,000 salary typically nets about $55,000, $58,000 after taxes and deductions, depending on state and benefits.