Free Net Pay Calculator

Net Pay vs. Gross Pay: What's the Difference?

Gross pay is your salary before anything is taken out. Net pay — also called take-home pay — is what's left after federal income tax, state income tax (if your state has one), Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) are withheld. Net pay is the amount that actually lands in your bank account.

Weekly, Biweekly, Semi-Monthly, or Monthly — Why the Numbers Differ

Your annual net pay is fixed, but how it's split into paychecks depends on your employer's pay schedule:

• Weekly — 52 paychecks/year. Common in hourly and trade jobs.
• Bi-weekly — 26 paychecks/year (every other week). The most common pay schedule in the US.
• Semi-monthly — 24 paychecks/year, typically on fixed dates like the 15th and last day of the month.
• Monthly — 12 paychecks/year. Less common in the US; more typical for salaried roles at smaller employers.

Biweekly and semi-monthly are the two that trip people up: biweekly gives you 2 extra paychecks per year compared to semi-monthly, which is why two months a year have a "3-paycheck" bi-weekly month, but each individual biweekly check is smaller than a semi-monthly one.

How This Calculator Works

Enter your annual gross salary, filing status, and state. The calculator applies the 2026 federal tax brackets, your state's income tax rate (if any), and FICA (Social Security + Medicare), then divides your net annual pay across each common pay schedule so you can see exactly what to expect in any given paycheck.

Frequently Asked Questions