Salary After Tax Calculator by State

The formula

• Taxable income = gross income − 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly)
• Federal tax = 2026 IRS brackets applied per slice: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 37%
• State tax ≈ gross income × simplified state effective rate (0% in TX, FL, WA, NV, WY, SD, AK, TN, NH)
• FICA = gross income × 7.65% (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare)
• Take-home pay = gross income − federal tax − state estimate − FICA
• Effective rate = total tax ÷ gross income; marginal rate = bracket of the last dollar

A worked example

Single filer in Texas earning $85,000: taxable income is $68,900 after the $16,100 standard deduction, federal tax comes to $9,870 across the 10%, 12% and 22% slices, Texas state tax is $0, FICA is $6,502.50, total tax $16,372.50, take home $68,627.50, about $5,719 a month.

More about the US Income Tax Calculator

How the 2026 federal brackets actually work

The US uses a progressive system: your income is sliced into seven layers, 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37% for 2026, and each layer is taxed at its own rate. Earning enough to touch the 22% bracket does not tax your whole salary at 22%; only the dollars inside that slice pay 22%, while the dollars below it keep their lower rates.

That is why your marginal rate (the rate on your last dollar) is always higher than your effective rate (total tax divided by income). The calculator shows both, because the marginal rate is what matters when you ask "what does a $5,000 raise really give me?" and the effective rate is what matters for budgeting the year.

The standard deduction does the heavy lifting

Before any bracket touches your income, the IRS lets you subtract a flat amount: $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly in 2026. On an $85,000 single salary, that one subtraction wipes out tax on the first $16,100 entirely, which is why the federal bill in the example is $9,870, not the $18,700-plus you would get applying 22% to the whole salary.

About nine in ten filers take the standard deduction rather than itemizing. The calculator assumes it, because that is the reality for most people, but if you itemize mortgage interest, charitable gifts or large medical costs, your real taxable income is lower and so is your real bill.

Why your state changes everything

Federal tax is only half the story. Nine states. Texas, Florida, Washington, Nevada, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, Tennessee and New Hampshire, tax no wage income at all, while California, New York, Oregon and Minnesota take some of the biggest bites in the country. On the same $85,000 salary, the simplified state estimate runs $0 in Texas versus about $5,100 in California, a $5,000-a-year reason job offers in different states are not directly comparable.

The state figure here is deliberately simplified: an approximate effective rate per state, not each state's real brackets, deductions and credits. It also leaves out city and county income taxes (New York City's, for example) and states where local taxes are material, like Maryland and Indiana. Treat it as a directional number for comparing states, not a filing number.

FICA: the tax you never see

FICA, 6.2% for Social Security plus 1.45% for Medicare, 7.65% combined, comes straight out of every paycheck before you ever touch the money, which is why many people underestimate it. Your employer quietly matches it, so the true payroll tax cost of your job is really 15.3%; you just only see half.

The calculator applies the flat 7.65% to your gross as a simplification. In reality Social Security's 6.2% stops at an annual wage base (it was $176,100 for 2025 and rises with inflation), so very high earners pay a slightly lower effective FICA rate than shown here. For most salaries the flat figure is close enough for planning.

What this estimate leaves out

Honesty matters with tax math, so here is the fine print: the calculator ignores above the line adjustments (traditional 401(k) and HSA contributions lower your real taxable income), all tax credits (child tax credit, education credits and the rest reduce the bill dollar for dollar), itemized deductions, local and city income taxes, the alternative minimum tax, and self employment tax, which is 15.3% on freelancers, not 7.65%.

None of that makes the estimate useless; it makes it a starting point. It answers "roughly what lands in my account?", the detailed answer to "exactly what do I owe?" belongs to tax software or a professional with your full return in front of them.

Putting the numbers to work

Three uses pay for themselves. First, comparing offers across states: run the same salary with Texas versus California selected and the gap is your real cost of living adjustment before rent even enters the picture. Second, raises: your marginal rate tells you what fraction of any raise you actually keep. Third, withholding: if the calculator says your total federal burden is about $9,870 and your pay stubs show far less withheld, you are heading for an April surprise, adjust your W-4 now, not next spring.

Run the numbers once a year or whenever income changes. Tax brackets move with inflation and states tinker with rates constantly; a figure that was right last year deserves a fresh thirty seconds this year.

How to use the US Income Tax Calculator

1. Enter your annual gross income, salary before any tax or deductions.
2. Choose single or married filing jointly; it changes the brackets and the standard deduction.
3. Pick your state for the simplified state tax estimate.
4. Press Calculate, every figure is an estimate for planning, not tax advice.