Paycheck Breakdown Calculator

Get a detailed analysis of your paycheck with comprehensive breakdown of taxes, deductions, and take-home pay. Visualize where every dollar goes.

Paycheck Breakdown Analysis

Enter your salary information to see a detailed breakdown of your paycheck

Salary Information

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Tax Settings

Deductions (Optional)

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Dental, vision, FSA, etc.
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Life insurance, parking, etc.

Understanding Your Paycheck Breakdown

Pre-Tax Deductions

401(k) Contributions: Reduces taxable income, lowering your tax burden while saving for retirement.
Health Insurance: Employer-sponsored health premiums are typically pre-tax, reducing your taxable income.
FSA/HSA: Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account contributions are pre-tax.

Tax Calculations

Federal Income Tax: Progressive tax based on 2025 tax brackets and your filing status.
Social Security (6.2%): Applied to wages up to $176,100 in 2025.
Medicare (1.45%): Applied to all wages, plus 0.9% additional tax on wages over $200,000.

Post-Tax Deductions

Roth 401(k): After-tax retirement contributions that grow tax-free.
Life Insurance: Employer-provided life insurance premiums over $50,000 coverage.
Parking/Transit: Employee-paid parking or transit benefits.

Paycheck Analysis & Optimization Tips

Reading Your Paycheck Breakdown

Gross Pay: Your total earnings before any deductions. This includes salary, overtime, bonuses, and commissions.
Pre-Tax Deductions: Money taken out before taxes are calculated, reducing your taxable income (401k, health insurance, FSA).
Taxable Income: Gross pay minus pre-tax deductions. This is what federal and FICA taxes are calculated on.
Net Pay: Your final take-home amount after all taxes and deductions.

Maximizing Your Take-Home Pay

Increase 401(k) Contributions: Every dollar contributed pre-tax reduces your taxable income. Aim for at least the employer match.
Use HSA if Available: Triple tax advantage - deductible, tax-free growth, tax-free withdrawals for medical expenses.
Optimize W-4 Withholding: Avoid large refunds by adjusting withholding to keep more money in each paycheck.
Consider Dependent Care FSA: Use pre-tax dollars for childcare expenses (up to $5,000 annually).

Understanding Tax Efficiency

Marginal vs Effective Rate: Your marginal rate is the tax on your last dollar earned. Your effective rate is your average tax rate.
Tax Bracket Misconceptions: Moving to a higher tax bracket doesn't mean all your income is taxed at that rate - only the income in that bracket.
FICA Tax Caps: Social Security tax stops at $176,100 (2025), but Medicare tax continues on all income.
Additional Medicare Tax: High earners pay extra 0.9% Medicare tax on income over $200,000.

Financial Planning with Your Breakdown

Budget Planning: Use your net pay to create a realistic monthly budget. The 50/30/20 rule: 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings.
Emergency Fund: Aim to save 3-6 months of net pay in an emergency fund before investing.
Retirement Planning: Save at least 10-15% of gross income for retirement, including employer match.
Tax Planning: Review your breakdown quarterly to ensure optimal tax withholding and deductions.

2025 Contribution & Deduction Limits

Retirement Contributions

401(k) Employee Contribution $23,500
401(k) Catch-up (50+) +$7,500
IRA Contribution $7,000
IRA Catch-up (50+) +$1,000

Health & Dependent Care

HSA Individual $4,300
HSA Family $8,550
Medical FSA $3,300
Dependent Care FSA $5,000

FICA Tax Limits

Social Security Wage Base $176,100
Social Security Rate 6.2%
Medicare Rate 1.45%
Additional Medicare (Single) 0.9% over $200K

Paycheck Breakdown FAQ

Your take-home pay is your gross salary minus all deductions including federal taxes, FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare), and any pre-tax or post-tax deductions like health insurance or 401(k) contributions.

You can increase take-home pay by maximizing pre-tax deductions (401k, health insurance, FSA), adjusting your W-4 withholdings, or negotiating salary increases. Pre-tax deductions reduce your taxable income.

Pre-tax deductions (like traditional 401k, health insurance) reduce your taxable income and are taken before taxes are calculated. Post-tax deductions (like Roth 401k, life insurance) are taken after taxes are calculated.

Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system. Current workers pay into the system to support current retirees, and you'll receive benefits when you retire based on your earnings history and contributions.

High earners pay an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on wages over $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly). This is in addition to the standard 1.45% Medicare tax on all wages.

Our calculator uses current 2025 tax rates and standard deduction amounts. Results are estimates for planning purposes. Actual paychecks may vary due to employer-specific policies, state taxes, or other factors.

The pie chart visualization shows the proportion of your gross pay that goes to different categories: federal taxes, FICA taxes, pre-tax deductions, post-tax deductions, and your final take-home pay. This helps you understand where every dollar goes.

Yes! You can export your breakdown as a PDF, print the results, or share a link to your calculation. This is useful for financial planning, comparing job offers, or discussing with a financial advisor.

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