Updated June 16, 2026 · 5 min read
Take-home pay is what's left after every deduction comes out of your gross pay. The order matters: gross pay → minus pre-tax deductions → minus FICA (7.65%) → minus federal income tax → minus state/local tax = net (take-home) pay. Get the order right and the math is straightforward. Here's each step with a 2026 example.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | $75,000 |
| FICA (7.65%) | − $5,738 |
| Taxable income ($75,000 − $16,100 standard deduction) | $58,900 |
| Federal income tax | − $7,670 |
| State income tax (no-tax state) | − $0 |
| Take-home pay | ≈ $61,592 |
That's an effective total tax rate of about 18% — meaning roughly 82 cents of every gross dollar reaches the bank. In a state with income tax, subtract that too: a 5% state rate would lower take-home by roughly $2,900 more.
Divide annual take-home by your number of pay periods:
| Pay frequency | Periods/year | Per paycheck |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 52 | ≈ $1,184 |
| Biweekly | 26 | ≈ $2,369 |
| Semi-monthly | 24 | ≈ $2,566 |
| Monthly | 12 | ≈ $5,133 |
A pre-tax 401(k) or HSA contribution lowers your taxable income, so the take-home drop is smaller than the contribution itself. Put in $200 and your paycheck might fall by only ~$150 — the rest is tax you didn't pay. (How much to contribute to a 401(k).)
Start with gross pay, subtract pre-tax deductions (401(k), insurance, HSA), then subtract FICA (7.65%), federal income tax, and state/local tax. What remains is your net take-home pay.
Net pay = gross pay − pre-tax deductions − FICA − federal income tax − state/local income tax − any post-tax deductions.
For most workers, roughly 65–80% of gross pay. The exact share depends on your salary, filing status, state, and pre-tax benefits — commonly 20–35% goes to taxes.
It lowers your federal and state income tax (it's pre-tax for those) but not FICA — Social Security and Medicare are still calculated on your full wages including 401(k) deferrals.
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