How this calculator works
Choose a pay frequency, enter earnings for one period, then enter benefits, retirement and post-tax deductions. Use your federal W-4 information for the withholding estimate. Select Florida or California for a built-in state estimate; for other states, enter the withholding from your payroll records. Enter actual YTD gross and net pay before this period to see running totals. YTD gross and net are separate from YTD taxable wages used for FICA thresholds.
Example calculation
For 80 hours at $25 per hour, biweekly gross pay is $2,000. Under the default Single W-4 and Florida settings with no deductions and no prior taxable wages, estimated net pay is $1,690.85. If actual prior YTD gross is $20,000 and prior YTD net is $16,900, the updated gross total is $22,000 and updated estimated net total is $18,590.85. Prior periods are never extrapolated from the current paycheck.
2026 methodology & assumptions
For regular U.S. employee wages with a 2020-or-later W-4. This estimate uses 52 weekly, 26 biweekly, 24 semi-monthly or 12 monthly pay periods. Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T Worksheet 1A. Amounts are rounded to cents.
Social Security uses a $184,500 wage limit and 6.2% employee rate; Medicare uses 1.45%. Additional Medicare withholding is 0.9% on wages above $200,000 paid by the same employer, regardless of filing status. Enter year-to-date taxable wages before this paycheck to model those thresholds.
California uses EDD Method B annualization, including DE 4 allowances and 1.3% uncapped SDI. Period-specific tables may differ slightly because of rounding. Supplemental wages, nonresident-alien adjustments, self-employment tax, local taxes, special exemptions, and multi-state allocation are not automatically modeled. Overtime is not automatically treated as tax-free.
Frequently asked questions
Is this also an online pay stub estimator?
Yes. Use the calculator to estimate a pay statement before creating a document. Estimates must be checked against actual hours, payroll records and withholding forms.
Does this calculator create a finished pay stub?
The free calculator produces a breakdown. Select the Create Pay Stub button after calculating to review and import supported current-period figures in the separate generator. YTD gross and net totals must be reviewed and entered separately.
Can I use it outside Florida and California?
Yes, with manual state withholding and local or other state payroll deductions. Automatic state tax methods are currently implemented only for Florida and California. Do not leave state withholding at zero unless that matches your actual treatment.
What is the difference between YTD gross and taxable wages?
YTD gross tracks earnings before deductions. Federal income-tax, Social Security and Medicare wages can differ because deductions have different tax treatments. Enter each taxable wage total from your payroll records.
Can an employee replace an employer-issued pay stub with an estimate?
No. An estimate does not verify that wages were paid. Completed documents require accurate, authorized employer and payroll information.
Sources & further reading
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026)
- IRS Social Security and Medicare withholding rates
- California EDD 2026 Method B tables (PDF)
- California SDI rates
- Florida Department of Revenue: personal income tax
- PayStubPro pay stub guide
Tax configuration reviewed September 19, 2026. Applicable tax year: 2026.