Take-home pay estimate
Take-home pay and wage taxes for your salary, state, tax year, and filing status.
Enter salary and selections on the left, then click Calculate.
Other payroll and local taxes may apply and may not show here. Check your state tax agency for details.
Chart uses IRS federal brackets and Alabama state income tax for ?, for your filing status.
Most local wage taxes are excluded unless you add a local estimate. Payroll add-ons and credits are not included.
Your salary vs. U.S. wage benchmarks
Data sources:
State take-home comparison
Run Compare to load net pay by state.
Top 10 by estimated net pay
Full state ranking
| Rank | State | Est. state tax rate | Est. total tax rate | Net Pay | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 0% | 22.0% | $78,000 | +$9,300 |
| 2 | Nevada | 0% | 22.0% | $78,000 | +$9,300 |
| 3 | Texas | 0% | 22.0% | $78,000 | +$9,300 |
| 4 | Florida | 0% | 22.0% | $78,000 | +$9,300 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 0% | 22.0% | $78,000 | +$9,300 |
| 6 | South Dakota | 0% | 22.0% | $78,000 | +$9,300 |
| 7 | Washington | 0% | 22.0% | $78,000 | +$9,300 |
| 8 | Alaska | 0% | 22.0% | $78,000 | +$9,300 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 0% | 22.0% | $78,000 | +$9,300 |
| 10 | Arizona | 2.5% | 24.5% | $75,500 | +$6,800 |
| 11 | North Dakota | 2.9% | 24.9% | $75,100 | +$6,400 |
| 12 | Indiana | 3.1% | 25.1% | $74,950 | +$6,250 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 3.1% | 25.1% | $74,930 | +$6,230 |
| 14 | Louisiana | 4.3% | 26.3% | $73,750 | +$5,050 |
| 15 | Michigan | 4.3% | 26.3% | $73,750 | +$5,050 |
| 16 | Colorado | 4.4% | 26.4% | $73,600 | +$4,900 |
| 17 | Kentucky | 4.5% | 26.5% | $73,500 | +$4,800 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 4.8% | 26.8% | $73,250 | +$4,550 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | 4.8% | 26.8% | $73,250 | +$4,550 |
| 20 | Missouri | 4.9% | 26.9% | $73,150 | +$4,450 |
Scope Each row matches the main calculator wage estimate. Rate columns are shares of gross. Local tax, credits, and pre-tax deductions often excluded.
Sources:
Living-cost adjustment
Full state table
| Rank | State | Raw Net Pay | Relative index | Adjusted Net Pay | Diff vs comparison state |
|---|
How we calculate net pay by state
Included in this estimate
- Federal income tax: IRS brackets for the selected tax year.
- Federal taxable income: standard deduction and brackets for your filing status.
- State income tax: each state’s wage-tax rules as modeled here. Not a full statutory return.
Often separate or not fully modeled
- Often separate: local wage taxes, school-district taxes, disability and paid-leave payroll taxes, employer-only taxes.
- Not modeled: 401(k), HSA, pre-tax deductions, post-tax benefits.
What this comparison includes
- Wage-income tax estimates across states. Not for filing or tax planning.
Reference basis
Tax Guide
Jump to FAQNotes on wage taxes and take-home pay. Estimates only, not tax advice.
Why Net Pay Varies by State
- The Compare table holds salary, filing status, and tax year constant across states.
- At higher incomes, gaps between states in this model are often larger.
Taxes Included in This Calculator
- Federal Income Tax: Federal progressive brackets for the selected tax year and filing status.
- State Income Tax: Varies by state. Some use progressive rates, some use flat rates, and some have no broad wage income tax.
- Social Security Tax: FICA Social Security on wages, subject to the annual wage base.
- Medicare Tax: FICA Medicare on wages.
Local Tax Coverage
Local wage taxes are not uniform nationwide. Here is how this page handles them: some locations get a numeric estimate in your results; others are explained without a dollar line when rules depend on residence, workplace, district, or county.
- Numeric local estimate available: Detroit city tax; selected Indiana counties; selected Maryland flat local jurisdictions when you choose those locations.
- Guidance only (not shown as a dollar amount in this calculator): Ohio school district income tax; Pennsylvania Act 32 local earned income tax.
- Local systems vary by residence, work location, district, county, and filing context, so coverage is not the same in every state. This page does not assume a numeric local amount unless the tool explicitly shows one for the location you selected.
No Income Tax States
They are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
- Some states still have other taxes or non-wage rules outside the wage-tax line modeled here.
- Example: Washington has a separate capital-gains framework for some taxpayers. This wage-tax comparison does not model every non-wage state tax rule.
This page estimates wage taxes for comparison, not every state tax or filing obligation.
States with higher wage tax in this model
- Higher wage tax in the model lowers estimated net pay. Housing, local taxes, and commute costs still matter for a move.
- Use the calculator above to compare estimated take-home pay across states under the same salary and filing assumptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my net pay by state change so much?
State income tax rules vary widely. Some states have no broad wage income tax, while others use flat or progressive structures. For higher salaries, estimated differences between states can be substantial depending on the states compared and the assumptions used.
How do I compare states for my salary?
Enter annual salary and click Compare. The table ranks all states and D.C. by estimated net pay and shows the gap versus your comparison state.
What states have no income tax?
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming have no broad wage income tax in this model. Some of these states may still have other taxes or non-wage rules outside this wage-tax comparison.
Which states have the highest take-home pay?
States with no broad wage income tax often rank near the top in this wage-tax comparison. Enter your salary and run Compare to see an estimated ranking for your inputs. This is still a state-level wage-tax comparison, not a full paycheck.
How accurate are these estimates?
These are simplified wage-tax estimates. For filing-ready numbers, use state agency tools, your employer, tax software, or a tax professional.
Why can this estimate differ from my paycheck?
This calculator estimates annual wage taxes for comparison. Your paycheck uses withholding tables and your employer’s payroll settings (deductions, frequency, elections). Your pay stub can differ even when annual totals are in a similar range.
Why doesn’t this page show local tax for every state?
Many local systems need city, county, school-district, or workplace detail that varies by address. Where this calculator supports a numeric local estimate for your selection, you will see it in results. Elsewhere we explain coverage in Tax Guide → Local Tax Coverage instead of guessing one amount for every place. Many locations have no local wage tax in this estimate at all.
How does this page handle school district income tax?
Not always as a calculated dollar line. Some school-district or highly location-specific taxes are summarized in guidance (see Local Tax Coverage) when we do not model that district directly; where we do model them, that is noted there too.
Is this a full tax return calculation?
No. This is a simplified wage-tax estimate for comparing states, not every Form 1040 line, schedule, credit, exemption, or non-wage income type. It does not replace a full federal or state return or every local filing rule that could apply to you.
Why is Pennsylvania local tax not included as a dollar amount?
Pennsylvania Act 32 depends on PSD, collector, rate, and workplace vs. residence mapping that varies by employer and locality. This page provides clear guidance rather than a single statewide dollar estimate that could mislead.
Why are some Maryland local jurisdictions not shown?
The Maryland local estimate here covers supported flat jurisdictions with a consistent numeric path in this calculator. Other localities may use different rules or are not shown as dollar estimates in this calculator. Use official Maryland guidance for your situation.
Coverage & updates
Recent updates
- Added numeric local estimates for Detroit, selected Indiana counties, and selected Maryland jurisdictions
- Clearer local-tax coverage guidance for Ohio school district income tax and Pennsylvania Act 32
- Expanded filing-aware deduction handling for selected rules in Maryland, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Oregon
- Updated 2025/2026 review dates and methodology notes
- Supported tax years: 2025, 2026
- Main calculator methodology reviewed: March 2026
- Benchmark data reviewed: March 2026
- Compare and purchasing-power sections reviewed: March 2026
- State and local coverage varies by calculator section, selected location, and supported tax year.