Texas Paycheck Calculator
Enter your salary to see your actual take-home pay per paycheck — federal tax and FICA only, since Texas doesn’t tax wages at the state level.
Estimate only — assumes the 2026 standard deduction and no pre-tax deductions (401k, health insurance). Actual withholding depends on your W-4 elections.
How This Is Calculated
Texas is one of nine states with no state income tax, so your paycheck here is only reduced by two things: federal income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare). That’s a real, meaningful difference — someone earning $65,000 in a state with a typical 5% income tax loses roughly $3,000 a year that a Texas worker keeps.
Federal income tax is calculated using the 2026 IRS tax brackets, applied progressively — only the portion of income inside each bracket is taxed at that bracket’s rate. This calculator subtracts the standard deduction for your filing status first, then runs the remainder through the bracket schedule.
FICA is separate from income tax entirely. Social Security is withheld at 6.2% up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500 — earn more than that and Social Security withholding stops for the rest of the year. Medicare is 1.45% with no cap, plus an extra 0.9% on income above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn’t Texas have a state income tax?
Texas’s state constitution effectively prohibits a personal income tax without voter approval. Instead, the state relies more heavily on sales tax and property tax to fund government services.
Does this include local or city taxes?
No — and it doesn’t need to. Texas cities and counties don’t levy a local income tax either, so federal tax and FICA are the only payroll deductions that apply almost everywhere in the state.
What if my employer takes out 401(k) or health insurance before taxes?
Those pre-tax deductions lower your taxable income, which means your actual federal tax bill would be a bit lower than this estimate. This calculator doesn’t account for them since amounts vary a lot by employer.
Is this the same as my W-4 withholding?
Not exactly. Employers use IRS withholding tables (Publication 15-T) based on your W-4 form, which can differ slightly from a straight bracket calculation like this one. This tool is a close estimate, not your exact paycheck stub.