Pay Stub Calculator
Enter your pay, hours and deductions to see every line of a 2026 paycheck: gross pay, overtime, 401(k) and health deductions, federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state tax and net pay, with year-to-date totals for each line.
Pay stub calculator
How each line on a pay stub is figured
- Gross pay = regular hours × rate + overtime hours × rate × 1.5 (federal law requires at least time and a half over 40 hours in a workweek) + any bonus. Salaried pay is the annual salary ÷ pay periods.
- Pre-tax deductions: traditional 401(k) contributions lower federal and most state income tax, but not Social Security or Medicare. Section 125 health premiums lower all of them.
- Federal income tax here is the 2026 tax on your annualized pay (after pre-tax deductions and the standard deduction: $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household) divided by your pay periods. Your employer uses the IRS Publication 15-T tables and your W-4, so the withheld amount can differ somewhat.
- Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500; once your year-to-date wages pass it, this line drops to $0. Medicare is 1.45% of all wages, and employers withhold an extra 0.9% on wages over $200,000 in the year.
- Year to date assumes every earlier period this year paid the same as this one, plus any earlier bonuses you enter.
This page gives an estimate to check your own pay. It doesn't create an official pay stub; only your employer or payroll provider can issue one. For a yearly view, use the salary calculator; for a bonus check, the bonus tax calculator.
Common questions
How do I calculate my pay stub?
Start with gross pay (hours × rate, plus overtime and bonuses), subtract pre-tax deductions, then federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%) and state tax, then any after-tax deductions. What's left is net pay.
What does YTD mean on a pay stub?
Year to date: the total of each line from January 1 through this paycheck. It's how you can tell when you've reached the Social Security wage base.
Why is my federal withholding different from this estimate?
Employers use IRS Publication 15-T tables and the details on your W-4 (other jobs, dependents, extra withholding). This page estimates your actual 2026 tax spread over the year.
When does Social Security stop coming out of my paycheck?
Once your wages for 2026 pass $184,500. Medicare continues on all wages.
How is overtime calculated on a pay stub?
Hours over 40 in a workweek are paid at least 1.5 times your regular rate. At $28 an hour, overtime is $42 an hour.
Sources
- IRS: 2026 inflation adjustments (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), via Journal of Accountancy
- Social Security Administration: 2026 contribution and benefit base
- IRS Publication 15-T: Federal income tax withholding methods
- IRS Topic 751: Social Security and Medicare withholding rates
- U.S. Department of Labor: Overtime pay
Related
General information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Check important numbers with the official source before acting on them.