Enter your gross annual salary, filing status, and state. The calculator estimates your federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes, and your net take-home pay.

See your effective tax rate, marginal tax rate, and a breakdown of where each dollar goes. Results update instantly as you adjust inputs.

One of the most common misconceptions in personal finance is how tax brackets work. Moving into a higher tax bracket does not mean all your income is taxed at the higher rate — only the income within that bracket is.

Marginal vs. Effective Tax Rate

Your marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar of income — it determines the tax impact of earning more or the tax savings of deductions. Your effective rate is your total tax divided by total income — a blended average that represents what you actually pay overall. Someone in the "24% bracket" typically has an effective federal rate of 12-16%.

FICA Taxes: The Hidden 7.65%

Beyond income tax, you pay Social Security tax (6.2% on income up to $168,600 in 2026) and Medicare tax (1.45% on all income, plus an additional 0.9% on income over $200,000). These FICA taxes are often overlooked when people calculate their "tax rate" but represent a significant portion of total tax burden.

Tax-Advantaged Strategies

Pre-tax 401(k) contributions reduce your taxable income dollar-for-dollar. HSA contributions are triple tax-advantaged (tax-deductible, grow tax-free, and withdrawals for medical expenses are tax-free). Standard deductions ($14,600 single / $29,200 married filing jointly in 2026) also significantly reduce your taxable income.