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Blog › Paycheck Calculator guide

How US Paycheck Tax Works: Federal, FICA and State — in Plain English

Your offer letter says $75,000. Your first paycheck says something noticeably smaller. Nothing went wrong — between the two numbers sit three layers of tax, each with its own rules, and your state quietly steering the total. This guide explains each layer the same way our free Paycheck Calculator applies it, so you can predict any paycheck before it arrives.

Layer 1 — federal income tax

Federal tax is progressive: your pay is sliced into brackets, and each slice is taxed at its own rate. First, the standard deduction comes off the top — $15,750 if you file single in 2025 ($31,500 married filing jointly); in 2024 it was $14,600 / $29,200. Only what remains is taxed: 10% on the first slice, then 12%, 22%, 24% and upward to 37%.

That is why your "tax bracket" is not your tax rate. A single filer on $75,000 in 2025 sits in the 22% bracket, but pays roughly 13% of gross pay in federal tax, because the lower slices were taxed at 10% and 12% and the first $15,750 was not taxed at all. The calculator shows this as your effective rate.

Layer 2 — FICA: Social Security and Medicare

Social Security: 6.2% — but only up to a wage cap that rises each year: $168,600 in 2024, $176,100 in 2025. Earn more than the cap and this line simply stops for the rest of the year.
Medicare: 1.45% on every dollar, no cap — plus an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married).
Your employer pays the same again on their side — it never appears on your stub, but it is part of your real compensation cost.

Layer 3 — state tax, the wild card

States run three different systems. Nine states (including Texas, Florida and Washington) take nothing from wages. Flat-tax states take one rate — Pennsylvania 3.07%, Illinois 4.95%, North Carolina 4.25% in 2025 (down from 4.50% in 2024). Bracket states tax in slices like the federal system — California climbs to 9.3% and beyond, New York to about 6% for most earners, with city tax on top in New York City.

States also change their rules between years, which is why the calculator asks for the tax year: Iowa replaced its graduated brackets with a flat 3.8% for 2025, Louisiana moved to a flat 3% with a much bigger standard deduction, and several flat-tax states trimmed their rates. A 2024 estimate with 2025 rates can be hundreds of dollars off.

What the estimate does not include

Real payroll also subtracts what you chose: 401(k) and HSA contributions, health insurance premiums, union dues, garnishments. And your W-4 settings decide how much is withheld during the year versus settled at tax time. Treat the calculator's answer as the clean benchmark — compare two job offers, two states, or a raise — and expect your actual stub to land close, with the differences explained by those personal choices.

Try it now: the free Paycheck Calculator covers all 50 states plus DC, both filing statuses, and the 2024 and 2025 tax years. Comparing offers across states? Pair it with the Salary to Hourly Calculator to normalise the pay itself.