Where Did My Paycheck Go?
Visual breakdown showing exactly how every dollar of your paycheck is allocated.
By the Easy Guides Editorial Team
Grab your latest pay stub and enter the numbers from one pay period. We will show your take-home pay and exactly where every dollar of your gross pay went, as a share of the total.
Estimate gross and FICAWhat FICA isPre-tax deductions
Uses the figures you enter from your own pay stub, so the breakdown is exact for that paycheck. Nothing is saved. Educational only, not tax advice.
How to use this tool
Enter your gross paycheck amount and the typical deductions you see on your stub. The tool breaks down each category as a percentage of your total, federal tax, FICA, state tax, retirement, health insurance, and your final take-home.
Seeing the visual proportions makes it easier to understand where your money goes, and where you might want to make changes.
What the visual tells you
Most people are surprised by three things when they see their paycheck breakdown:
- Taxes are usually 25, 35% combined, federal + FICA + state
- Pre-tax deductions take a bigger bite than expected, but they save tax money AND build long-term value
- Take-home is usually 65, 75% of gross, for most workers in most states
Use this to spot opportunities
Once you can see your breakdown clearly, you can spot opportunities:
- Federal tax slice too big? See if you're missing pre-tax contributions or if your W-4 is set up wrong
- Retirement slice too small? Most experts recommend 10, 15% of gross to retirement long-term
- HSA opportunity? If you have a high-deductible plan, an HSA is the most tax-efficient account in existence
- State tax disproportionate? If you're a remote worker, verify it's being calculated correctly
Common questions
Where does my paycheck money actually go?
In order: pre-tax benefits, federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state income tax, then post-tax deductions. For most workers taxes take 20% to 30% of gross, and benefits take the rest of the gap.
Why is so much taken out of my paycheck?
FICA alone is a flat 7.65%, federal withholding is usually the largest single line, and 41 states add income tax. Benefits you enrolled in come out on top of all three.
How can I take home more of my paycheck?
Check your W-4 first, since a big refund means too much is being withheld all year. Then look at pre-tax benefits, which stretch each dollar further, and confirm every deduction on your stub is one you actually chose.