The Salary Calculator helps you estimate your take-home pay after taxes and common deductions. It's useful for budgeting, planning, or comparing hourly vs. annual wages, giving a clear overview of net income across different pay frequencies.
To use the tool, select whether you want to convert Salary to Hourly or Hourly to Salary. Enter your annual salary or hourly rate, your tax percentage, and monthly deductions such as 401k contributions, medical costs, child support and other deductions. Then select your paycheck frequency and click "Calculate" to see a breakdown of your net pay weekly, biweekly, monthly and annually.
Personally I never understood celery. Its 95% water, yet somehow super crunchy and works as accidental denatl floss. Wait...what do you mean salary? Have I been saying it wrong my whole life?!
Be sure to check out the Cost of Living Calculator next!
| Item | Amount ($) | Weekly | Biweekly | Monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Pay | $50,000.00 | $961.54 | $1,923.08 | $4,166.67 | Annual salary before deductions |
| 401k Contribution (Monthly) | $2,499.96 | $48.08 | $96.15 | $208.33 | 5% annual contribution, pre-tax |
| Tax | $9,500.01 | $182.69 | $365.38 | $791.67 | 20% tax on gross minus 401k |
| Medical (Monthly) | $1,200.00 | $23.08 | $46.15 | $100.00 | Estimated monthly cost |
| Child Support (Monthly) | $3,000.00 | $57.69 | $115.38 | $250.00 | Monthly payments as per court order |
| Other Deductions (Monthly) | $1,200.00 | $23.08 | $46.15 | $100.00 | Other monthly deductions |
| Net Pay | $32,600.03 | $626.92 | $1,253.85 | $2,716.67 | After all deductions, 401k pre-tax |
Salary Calculator Reference Data
1. Gross Pay
Description: Gross pay is the total amount earned by an employee before any deductions. This includes salary, overtime, bonuses, and other compensation.
Importance:
Represents total earnings.
Used to calculate taxes, benefits, and deductions.
Example Use:
Annual salary of $50,000 is the gross pay before deductions.
2. Net Pay
Description: Net pay is the amount received after all deductions are subtracted from gross pay. Also called "take-home pay."
Calculated As:
Net Pay = Gross Pay − (Taxes + 401k + Medical + Child Support + Other Deductions)
Importance:
Shows actual amount available to the employee.
Helps with budgeting and planning.
3. Taxes
Description: Taxes include federal, state, and local taxes withheld from gross pay.
Key Points:
Rates depend on income, filing status, and exemptions.
Federal exemptions reduce taxable income.
Employees can request extra withholding per paycheck to avoid owing at tax time.
Example:
20% tax on $50,000 gross = $10,000 withheld annually.
4. 401k Contributions (Retirement Savings)
Description: Pre-tax contributions to a retirement account. Reduces taxable income.
Key Points:
Percentage of gross pay is contributed automatically per paycheck.
Reduces current taxes but taxed upon withdrawal in retirement.
Example:
5% of $50,000 = $2,500 annually contributed.
5. Medical / Health Insurance Deduction
Description: Pre-tax or post-tax deductions for health, dental, or vision coverage.
Key Points:
Often listed monthly.
Reduces net pay but provides coverage for medical expenses.
Example:
$100/month deducted = $1,200/year.
6. Child Support
Description: Court-ordered payments deducted from paychecks to support children.
Key Points:
Usually listed as monthly.
Automatically reduces net pay.
Example:
$250/month = $3,000 annually.
7. Other Deductions
Description: Any additional deductions such as union fees, parking, life insurance, or loan repayments.
Key Points:
Can be pre-tax or post-tax.
Reduce net pay and may affect tax liability.
Example:
$100/month = $1,200/year.
8. Paycheck Frequency
Description: Determines how often employees are paid (weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly).
Key Points:
Deductions are distributed across pay periods.
Net pay per period = Net annual ÷ Number of pay periods.
Example:
$31,032 net annual → $596.77/week, $1,193.54/biweekly, $2,586/month.
9. Tax Exemptions & Withholding Adjustments
Description: Employees may claim exemptions or request additional withholding per paycheck.
Key Points:
Exemptions lower taxable income → reduces taxes withheld.
Additional withholding can prevent owing taxes at year-end.
Form W-4 is used to adjust exemptions and extra withholding.
Other Useful Notes for Salary Calculator
Deduction Timing:
Child Support, Medical, 401k, and Other deductions are typically calculated monthly for easier tracking.
Calculator converts these to weekly/biweekly/monthly as needed.
Pre-tax vs Post-tax:
401k and some medical deductions are pre-tax → reduce taxable income.
Child support and other deductions are post-tax → do not reduce taxable income.
Planning & Budgeting:
Gross pay helps understand total earnings.
Net pay shows take-home and available budget.
Extra Withholding:
If you typically owe taxes at year-end, request extra withholding per paycheck to avoid large tax bills.
Adjusting withholding does not affect gross pay, only net take-home.