What does this payroll calculator estimate?

It converts an annual salary into gross pay for a chosen pay frequency, applies flat federal and state tax estimates plus insurance, retirement, and other deductions, and shows resulting net pay and employer cost per period.

How are federal and state tax calculated here?

As simple flat percentages of gross pay that you enter, meant for quick budgeting. For bracket-based US federal withholding and FICA, use the Salary / Paycheck Calculator instead.

What is the employer payroll tax estimate?

It approximates the employer's matching FICA contribution — Social Security (6.2%) plus Medicare (1.45%), about 7.65% of gross pay. Unemployment insurance (FUTA/SUTA) and other benefit costs are not included.

Does this replace a real payroll provider?

No. This is a simplified estimator for planning purposes only, not a substitute for a licensed payroll provider or tax professional who can account for your specific jurisdiction and benefits.

Can I change how often I get paid?

Yes. Choose weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly pay frequency, and gross pay per period is recalculated automatically from your annual salary.

Payroll Calculator — Free Online

About this calculator

A payroll calculator estimates employee net pay and simple employer cost components from gross wages and deduction settings.

Who should use it: Small employers and employees sanity-checking paycheck math.

When to use it: Use it for rough scenarios — production payroll systems remain authoritative.

Gross-to-net payroll estimate

Net = Gross − (Federal% + State%) × Gross − Insurance − Retirement − Other; EmployerCost = Gross + Gross × 7.65%

Gross pay per period is annual salary divided by pay periods per year. Federal and state tax are flat estimates you enter as a percent of gross pay. Employer cost adds an estimated 7.65% employer FICA match (Social Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) on top of gross pay.

Step-by-step

Enter annual salary and pay frequency
Gross pay per period is your annual salary divided by the number of pay periods (weekly = 52, biweekly = 26, semi-monthly = 24, monthly = 12).
Set federal and state tax percentages
Enter flat withholding estimates as a percent of gross pay. These are simplified planning numbers, not exact bracket-based withholding.
Add insurance, retirement, and other deductions
Enter fixed dollar amounts per pay period for each deduction category.
Review net pay and employer cost
See take-home pay per period and annually, plus an estimate of what the employer pays in total including their FICA match.

Worked example: $72,000 salary paid monthly

$72,000 annual salary, paid monthly, 12% federal, 5% state, $150 insurance, $200 retirement, $50 other deductions.

Gross pay: $72,000 ÷ 12 = $6,000/month
Federal tax: $6,000 × 12% = $720
State tax: $6,000 × 5% = $300
Total deductions: $720 + $300 + $150 + $200 + $50 = $1,420
Net pay: $6,000 − $1,420 = $4,580
Employer FICA match: $6,000 × 7.65% = $459

Net pay ≈ $4,580/month; employer cost ≈ $6,459/month.

How to interpret the result

Employer payroll taxes are a cost above employee net pay; compare fully loaded cost when hiring.

Key definitions

Gross pay: Pay before any taxes or deductions are subtracted.
Net pay: Take-home pay after all taxes and deductions.
Employer FICA match: The employer's matching Social Security and Medicare contribution, roughly equal to the employee's FICA withholding.
Pay frequency: How often an employee is paid — weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly.

Common use cases

Budgeting take-home pay for a new job offer
Small business owners estimating true cost per employee
Comparing net pay across different pay frequencies
Quick payroll sanity checks before running real payroll software

Tips

Use this for planning only — run actual payroll through a licensed provider for compliance and exact withholding.
For precise US federal tax brackets and FICA, use the Salary / Paycheck Calculator.
Remember employer cost includes more than gross pay — factor in the FICA match when budgeting.

Common mistakes

Entering a monthly amount as the annual salary

Fix: Always enter the full annual salary; the calculator divides it by pay periods for you.

Assuming employer cost equals gross pay

Fix: Employer cost includes the employer's FICA match on top of gross pay.

Treating flat tax percentages as exact withholding

Fix: These are simplified estimates — use a bracket-based calculator for precise federal withholding.

Limitations

State unemployment and benefits costs may be incomplete.
Not legal payroll compliance advice.