Gross-to-Net Income Calculator
Turn gross pay into take-home pay (or work back from the net pay you want) by subtracting pre-tax deductions, tax and post-tax deductions — for any pay period, with a flat rate you choose or a 2026 US federal, Social Security, Medicare and state estimate.
How it works
Taxable = gross − pre-tax deductions · Tax = taxable × rate% (or, in the US estimate, 2026 federal brackets after the standard deduction + 6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare + state rate) · Net = gross − pre-tax − tax − post-tax deductions · Net → gross: gross = (net + post-tax) ÷ (1 − rate) + pre-tax
Take-home pay is what is left after three separate bites: pre-tax deductions that lower the amount tax is applied to, the income and payroll tax itself, and post-tax deductions taken from what remains. Because pre-tax contributions shrink your taxable base, a dollar into a traditional 401(k) costs you less than a dollar of take-home. Enter pay per year, month, pay period or hour — deductions use the same period — and the table converts the result to every other period. The flat-rate method applies one effective rate you supply, which works in any country. The US estimate instead applies the 2026 federal brackets after the standard deduction, the child tax credit, 6.2% Social Security up to $184,500, 1.45% Medicare (plus 0.9% on high pay) and a state rate you enter; health premiums paid through a cafeteria plan also escape Social Security and Medicare, while 401(k) deferrals do not. Switch to Net → gross to find the salary you need for a target take-home amount.
Worked example
On a $75,000 salary with $6,000 of pre-tax deductions, taxable pay is $69,000. A 22% effective rate is $15,180 of tax. Subtracting that plus $1,200 of post-tax deductions leaves $52,620 net — about $4,385 a month, or 70.2% of gross. With the US 2026 estimate instead (single, 4% state tax), federal tax is $6,350, Social Security and Medicare $5,738 and state tax $2,760, leaving $52,953. Working backwards, $52,620 of take-home at a 22% flat rate needs exactly $75,000 gross.
Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — 2026 tax brackets and standard deduction · SSA — 2026 Social Security wage base and tax rates · IRS Publication 15-T — Federal income tax withholding methods
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between gross and net income?
Gross income is your total pay before any deductions. Net income — take-home pay — is what actually reaches your bank account after pre-tax deductions, income and payroll taxes, and post-tax deductions are removed.
Why do pre-tax deductions save more than post-tax ones?
Pre-tax deductions come out before tax is calculated, so they lower your taxable income and therefore your tax bill. Post-tax deductions come out of money that has already been taxed, so they reduce take-home dollar-for-dollar with no tax benefit.
What effective tax rate should I enter?
Use your combined income and payroll tax as a share of taxable pay: total taxes on a recent pay stub divided by gross pay minus pre-tax deductions. In the US, choose the US 2026 estimate instead and the calculator works out federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for you.
How do I find the gross salary I need?
Choose Net → gross, enter the take-home pay you want and your deductions. With a flat rate the answer is (net + post-tax deductions) ÷ (1 − rate) + pre-tax deductions; with the US estimate the calculator searches for the salary whose take-home matches your target.
How do I convert between pay periods?
Pick the period your amounts are in — year, month, half-month, two weeks, week or hour. The table shows gross and net for every period, using 12 months, 24 half-months, 26 biweekly periods, 52 weeks, 260 working days and your weekly hours.
Related calculators
Simplified estimate — not payroll-accurate and not tax advice. The flat-rate method uses the rate you supply; the US estimate uses 2026 federal figures and a flat state rate, and real withholding follows Form W-4, state tables and local taxes.