About the Paycheck Calculator
This Paycheck Calculator estimates gross and net pay for a specific pay period using your hourly wage, hours worked, and estimated tax/deduction percentages. It’s ideal for hourly employees, freelancers logging billable hours, and anyone planning cash flow between paychecks.
Enter your hourly rate and total hours for the period (include overtime if applicable). Provide estimated percentages for federal taxes, state taxes, and other deductions to approximate net pay. Real payroll systems may apply overtime rules (e.g., 1.5×), pre‑tax benefits, credits, and tiered tax brackets; use official employer or government tools for precise withholding.
Use this estimate to budget for bills, savings, and debt payments. Pair it with the Payroll Calculator if you’re on a salaried plan, and with our finance tools to set savings goals or plan loan repayments.
Key features
- Quick gross and net paycheck estimate from hourly inputs
- Supports simple tax and deduction percentage assumptions
- Great for budgeting, offer comparison, and shift planning
- Educational approximation—actual payroll may differ
How to use
- Enter your hourly rate and hours this period.
- Enter your estimated tax rate and other deductions.
- Review gross pay, taxes, deductions, and net pay.
Formula
Gross Pay = Hourly Rate × Hours. Net Pay = Gross − (Federal + State + Other). This simplified model ignores bracketed withholding and pre‑tax adjustments applied by employer systems.
Variables
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hourly Rate | Wage per hour before taxes and deductions |
| Hours | Total hours worked in the pay period (include overtime if applicable) |
| Federal % | Estimated federal withholding percentage |
| State % | Estimated state withholding percentage |
| Other % | Other deductions (local tax, benefits) as a percentage |
Examples
- At $22/hour for 80 hours, gross is $1,760. With 12% federal, 4% state, and 2% other, net is gross minus those amounts.
- If 10 hours are overtime at 1.5×, your actual payroll system will compute a higher gross than this simple model.
Tips
- Overtime, bonuses, and pre‑tax benefits change withholding—treat this as a planning estimate only.
- Use official calculators for exact withholding, credits, and local taxes.
- Allocate part of each paycheck to savings or debt to improve financial resilience.