About this tool
An hourly wage becomes a yearly salary by multiplying by the hours you actually work: 40 hours for 52 weeks is 2,080 hours, so $20 an hour is $41,600 a year. This calculator does that arithmetic for any wage, hours, and number of weeks, adds overtime at time and a half (or the multiplier you choose), and breaks the total into monthly, biweekly, weekly, and daily pay.
It then estimates take-home pay using the current federal brackets, the standard deduction, Social Security, and Medicare, plus a flat state rate you enter, so you can see what a job offer is really worth per month. Common wages have their own pages with full breakdowns: $15, $18, $20, $25, $30, and more an hour.
How to use it
- Enter the hourly wage, hours per week, and weeks worked (52 if vacation is paid).
- Add overtime hours if you regularly work them; they are paid at the multiplier you set.
- Pick your filing status and your state for a take-home estimate. Results update as you type.
Questions
How many working hours are in a year?
2,080 for a 40-hour week over 52 weeks. Two weeks of unpaid time off makes it 2,000, which is why $25 an hour is $52,000 or $50,000 depending on the job.
Does overtime count as time and a half?
In the US, hourly employees covered by the FLSA get at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a week. Some employers pay double time on Sundays or holidays; set the multiplier to match.
How accurate is the tax estimate?
Federal income tax and FICA follow the official brackets, standard deduction, and wage base for the selected year, which makes the estimate close for a single job with no unusual deductions. Credits (child tax credit, EITC), itemized deductions, bonuses withheld at a flat rate, and local taxes are not included, so a real paycheck can differ. Use it to compare options, then confirm with a tax professional or your payroll stub.
What does the state field change?
It applies that state's income tax (its brackets, standard deduction, and personal exemption for the tax year, from the Tax Foundation's yearly tables) and the payroll programs its employees pay into: California SDI at 1.3% of every dollar in 2026, New Jersey TDI and FLI, New York SDI and PFL, and the paid leave premiums in Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, and Minnesota. Nine states tax no wages at all (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming), though Washington and Alaska still have small payroll deductions.
Why is my California paycheck lower than the estimate?
Two usual reasons. The estimate does not know about city taxes or extra withholding on your W-4, and California withholding tables run a little heavy, so the refund catches up at filing time. What it does include is the part most calculators miss: SDI, which comes off every dollar of wages with no cap, on top of the state income tax.
Is anything I type sent anywhere?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser; nothing is stored or transmitted. Refresh the page and it starts clean.
Is it free, are files uploaded, which browsers work: the general questions are answered once for the whole site.