Your paycheck the easy way
Calculate your real take-home pay and see exactly where every dollar goes — in plain English, in under 2 minutes.
Paycheck Made Easy →Why your paycheck is smaller than your salary
If your salary is $60,000 a year, your gross paycheck is roughly $2,308 every two weeks. But your net paycheck — what actually hits your bank account — is usually $1,650 to $1,800. The other $500 to $700 goes to taxes and deductions before you ever see it.
Where does it go? Federal income tax takes the largest bite (typically 10–22% depending on your bracket). Social Security and Medicare together take 7.65% (FICA). State income tax varies by state — anywhere from 0% (Florida, Texas) to over 10% (California). Then there are pre-tax deductions: 401(k), health insurance, HSA, FSA.
The good news: most of those deductions are working for you. Pre-tax retirement contributions reduce your tax bill AND build long-term wealth. Health insurance premiums protect you from catastrophic costs. The only line on your stub that doesn't help you is the tax — and even that funds Social Security and Medicare for your future.
Quick answers to common paycheck questions
Where Did My Paycheck Go?
Wonder why $5,000 in gross pay turns into $3,400 in your bank account? Our visual breakdown tool shows exactly where every dollar lands — taxes, retirement, insurance, and finally your take-home. Each category shown as a percentage of the whole, so you can see at a glance what's eating your paycheck.
Open the Breakdown Tool →