Free Paycheck Estimate Calculator
Enter pay details for one pay period and choose a work state to receive a quick simplified paycheck estimate.
How does the free paycheck calculator work?
Enter your hourly rate, regular hours, overtime hours, pay period, and
work state. The calculator estimates regular pay, overtime pay, gross pay,
simplified federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state income
tax, and take-home pay for one pay period.
This free calculator is designed for a quick paycheck estimate. It does
not use complete Form W-4 withholding tables, filing-status calculations,
dependents, tax credits, local taxes, payroll deductions, year-to-date
wage limits, or employer-specific payroll methods.
How is a paycheck calculated?
- Regular pay is calculated from hourly rate and regular hours.
- Overtime pay is calculated at 1.5 times the hourly rate.
- Regular pay and overtime pay are combined into gross pay.
- Estimated federal, Social Security, Medicare, and state taxes are applied.
- Estimated taxes are subtracted to produce estimated take-home pay.
Free paycheck calculator example
An employee earning $25 per hour who works 80 regular hours and 5
overtime hours during one pay period would have:
- Regular pay: $25 × 80 = $2,000
- Overtime pay: $25 × 5 × 1.5 = $187.50
- Gross pay: $2,187.50
The calculator then subtracts simplified tax estimates to show estimated
take-home pay. Actual employer payroll results may differ.
Gross pay vs. take-home pay
Gross pay is total earnings before taxes and deductions. Take-home pay,
also called net pay, is the amount left after payroll withholding and
deductions are removed.
Review the
Gross Pay vs. Net Pay guide
for a more detailed explanation.
Why might my actual paycheck be different?
Actual payroll can differ because of Form W-4 selections, filing status,
dependents, tax credits, state withholding worksheets, local taxes,
insurance, retirement contributions, benefits, garnishments,
year-to-date wage limits, employer rounding, and information not entered
in the calculator.
Choose the correct pay period
Enter the hours and earnings that belong to the pay period you are
estimating. The pay-period selection helps explain the estimate but does
not automatically change the number of hours entered.
- Weekly: one paycheck each week
- Biweekly: one paycheck every two weeks
- Semimonthly: usually two paychecks per month
- Monthly: one paycheck per month
Choose a focused paycheck calculator
Use a focused calculator when you only need to estimate one type of pay:
Need more than a basic paycheck estimate?
Madison Paycheck supports hourly and salary pay, overtime, double time,
holiday pay, shift differential, bonuses, commissions, tips, detailed tax
settings, deductions, saved calculations, multiple employers, history,
and side-by-side scenarios.
Free paycheck calculator questions
Does this calculator estimate take-home pay?
Yes. It shows gross pay and a simplified take-home-pay estimate after
estimated federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state
income tax.
Does the calculator include overtime?
Yes. Overtime is estimated at 1.5 times the hourly rate and added to
regular gross pay.
Does it include exact Form W-4 withholding?
No. It uses a simplified federal estimate and does not include complete
Form W-4 calculations, filing status, dependents, or tax credits.
Does it include local taxes?
No. Local income taxes, city taxes, school-district taxes, and other
local payroll taxes are not included.
Does it include payroll deductions?
No. Insurance, retirement contributions, garnishments, union dues, and
other deductions are not included in this free estimate.
Why is my actual paycheck different?
Employer payroll may use more detailed tax information, deductions,
local taxes, year-to-date wage limits, and employer-specific rounding or
payroll rules.
Estimates only. Results may differ from employer payroll calculations.
This page does not provide tax, legal, payroll, accounting, or financial
advice.