Paycheck Calculator: How Much Tax Is Taken Out in Each State?
A $100,000 salary is not $100,000 of spending money. Before a dollar reaches your bank account, up to four different taxes take their slice — and the size of the state slice depends entirely on where you live. This guide breaks down every layer, lists the states that take nothing, and walks through a side-by-side California vs. Texas example on identical income.
The four slices taken from your paycheck
- Federal income tax — the progressive 2026 brackets (10% to 37%) applied to your taxable income after the standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 joint / $24,150 head of household). See our 2026 federal brackets guide.
- FICA payroll tax — Social Security (6.2% on the first $184,500 of 2026 wages) plus Medicare (1.45% on all wages, and an extra 0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 joint). Unlike income tax, there is no standard deduction and your employer pays a matching share.
- State income tax — anything from 0% to 13.3%, depending on the state. Most states have their own brackets and their own standard deduction; a few use a flat rate.
- Local income tax — some cities and counties (notably in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and a few other states) levy their own income tax on top of the state's.
Your take-home pay is what's left after all four. Your effective tax rate is total tax divided by gross income — the single number that lets you compare offers in different states fairly.
Withholding is not your actual tax bill
Each payday, your employer withholds an estimate of your federal and state income tax using IRS tables and the W-4 you filled out, plus the exact FICA amounts. That estimate is frequently wrong — bonuses, a spouse's income, investment gains, and deductions all shift the real number.
The true settlement happens when you file your return: if too much was withheld, you get a refund; too little, and you owe the difference (possibly plus a penalty). So a "paycheck calculator" really answers two different questions:
- What will my employer withhold per paycheck? — a cash-flow question, answered by the withholding tables.
- What will I actually owe for the year? — the real question, answered by the tax brackets.
This guide and our calculator focus on the second question: your estimated annual liability, divided by pay frequency for a per-paycheck figure.
States with no income tax on wages
Nine states levy no tax on wage income:
- Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming
A few caveats before you start browsing Zillow:
- Washington taxes certain capital gains (currently 7% above an exemption threshold) — wages are untouched, but investors should know.
- New Hampshire historically taxed interest and dividends; that tax has been repealed, so wage earners face no state income tax.
- Tennessee repealed its tax on investment income (the "Hall tax") years ago — wages were never taxed.
- No income tax doesn't mean no tax: these states often lean harder on sales and property taxes. Texas, for example, has among the highest effective property tax rates in the country.
Worked example: California vs. Texas on $100,000
Same person, same job, same pay — different state. Assumptions for both: single filer, $100,000 gross salary, 2026 standard deduction ($16,100), no pre-tax deductions. Taxable income is $83,900 in both cases.
Federal income tax (identical): $12,400 × 10% + $38,000 × 12% + $33,500 × 22% = $13,170.
FICA (identical): $100,000 × 6.2% + $100,000 × 1.45% = $7,650.
Texas state tax: $0 — no tax on wage income.
Total tax in Texas: $20,820 → take-home ≈ $79,180/year ($3,046 per biweekly paycheck).
California state tax (simplified estimate): applying California's 2026 brackets (1%–9.3% on this income, $5,540 single standard deduction already reflected in the simplified model) to the $83,900 taxable income gives about $4,241.
Total tax in California: ≈ $25,061 → take-home ≈ $74,939/year ($2,882 per biweekly paycheck).
The gap: about $4,241 a year — roughly 4.2% of gross pay — for the same salary. Note the California figure is a simplified estimate: it uses the state's 2026 brackets but skips California-specific adjustments, credits, and local taxes, so your real number will differ. (Our income tax calculator uses the same transparent method for all 50 states plus D.C.)
Also notice what didn't change: federal tax and FICA are identical in both states. State tax is the only moving piece — which is exactly why comparing state burdens in isolation makes sense.
2026 state income tax rates at a glance
Below are the 2026 rate structures (Tax Foundation's 50-state table, as of January 1, 2026). "Flat" means one rate on all taxable income; the rest are graduated brackets. Remember: the top rate is not what most people pay — check the brackets.
| State | 2026 structure |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 2% – 5% |
| Alaska | No wage tax |
| Arizona | 2.5% flat |
| Arkansas | 2% – 3.9% |
| California | 1% – 13.3% |
| Colorado | 4.4% flat |
| Connecticut | 2% – 6.99% |
| Delaware | 2.2% – 6.6% |
| District of Columbia | 4% – 10.75% |
| Florida | No wage tax |
| Georgia | 5.19% flat |
| Hawaii | 1.4% – 11% |
| Idaho | 5.3% flat |
| Illinois | 4.95% flat |
| Indiana | 2.95% flat |
| Iowa | 3.8% flat |
| Kansas | 5.2% – 5.58% |
| Kentucky | 3.5% flat |
| Louisiana | 3% flat |
| Maine | 5.8% – 7.15% |
| Maryland | 2% – 6.5% |
| Massachusetts | 5% flat (+4% over ~$1.08M) |
| Michigan | 4.25% flat |
| Minnesota | 5.35% – 9.85% |
| Mississippi | 4% flat (over $10k) |
| Missouri | 2% – 4.7% |
| Montana | 4.7% – 5.65% |
| Nebraska | 2.46% – 4.55% |
| Nevada | No wage tax |
| New Hampshire | No wage tax |
| New Jersey | 1.4% – 10.75% |
| New Mexico | 1.5% – 5.9% |
| New York | 3.9% – 10.9% |
| North Carolina | 3.99% flat |
| North Dakota | 1.95% – 2.5% |
| Ohio | 2.75% flat (over $26,050) |
| Oklahoma | 2.5% – 4.5% |
| Oregon | 4.75% – 9.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 3.07% flat |
| Rhode Island | 3.75% – 5.99% |
| South Carolina | 0% – 6% |
| South Dakota | No wage tax |
| Tennessee | No wage tax |
| Texas | No wage tax |
| Utah | 4.5% flat |
| Vermont | 3.35% – 8.75% |
| Virginia | 2% – 5.75% |
| Washington | No wage tax |
| West Virginia | 2.22% – 4.82% |
| Wisconsin | 3.5% – 7.65% |
| Wyoming | No wage tax |
Source: Tax Foundation, "2026 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets" (as of January 1, 2026).
Don't forget local taxes
State tables don't tell the whole story. Many Ohio cities charge around 2% on wages; New York City adds its own 3–3.9% on top of state tax; Maryland counties piggyback 2–3.2%; Pennsylvania municipalities add roughly 1%. If you live in one of these places, your real state-and-local bite is meaningfully higher than the state table suggests. Our calculator's state figure excludes local taxes — treat it as a floor, not a ceiling.
FAQ
Which state takes the least tax from my paycheck?
The nine states with no wage income tax — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming — take $0 in state income tax. But total cost of living (property tax, sales tax, housing) matters more than any single tax.
Is it better to live in a state with no income tax?
Not automatically. States without income taxes still fund themselves — often through higher sales or property taxes. Compare your total tax burden and cost of living, not just the income tax line.
Why does my actual refund differ from paycheck estimates?
Withholding is an estimate based on IRS tables and your W-4. Bonuses, investment income, a working spouse, and deductions all move the real number. The refund (or amount owed) is the difference between the estimate and your actual liability.
Do I pay state tax where I work or where I live?
Generally where you live, but many states tax nonresident earnings too, with credits to avoid double taxation. Remote workers should check both states' rules — and any reciprocity agreements between neighboring states.
How accurate is a state tax estimate?
A bracket-based estimate gets you in the right ballpark — usually within a few hundred dollars for straightforward wage income. State-specific deductions, credits, and local taxes are the main sources of error, which is why no online estimate replaces an actual return.
Ready for your numbers? Enter your income, filing status, and state in our 2026 Income Tax Calculator for a full federal + state + FICA breakdown and per-paycheck take-home pay.