Evaluate a job offer
Translate annual pay into take-home income, hourly value, and market context before you accept.
Evaluate an offerIndependent salary research for US workers
Understand what your pay is really worth.
SalaryLabs is a free, no-account salary research site. 16 calculators that turn federal tax brackets, FICA, state rates, BLS wage data, and FLSA overtime rules into your actual take-home, overtime premium, retirement cap, and job-offer value — built from primary government sources, not proprietary databases.
Need 401(k) + HSA + state-specific rates? Use the full calculator →Try it · Default: TX single, $85K
Estimated take-home / year $61,407
Federal tax + FICA $19,343
State tax $4,250
Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 · SSA Wage Base 2026 · DOL FLSA
Live calculation. Updates as you type. Your inputs never leave your browser.
Decision navigation
What are you trying to do today?
Start with the decision, not the tool name. We will point you to the most useful calculator and supporting research.
Understand a paycheck
Follow gross pay through federal, state, Social Security, and Medicare deductions.
Estimate my paycheckCheck hourly or overtime value
Compare your stated rate with the hours you actually work and the overtime rules that may apply.
Check my hourly valuePrepare for a raise or negotiation
Build an evidence-based compensation target before the conversation starts.
Prepare my rangeCommon questions · Quick answers
Numbers US workers actually need.
Direct answers from the same IRS, BLS, and SSA data our calculators use. No sign-up. Cite this page.
What does take-home pay mean?
Take-home pay is what actually lands in your bank account after federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and any pre-tax deductions like 401(k) come out of your gross salary. For most US workers earning $75K, the take-home is roughly $58,500/year ($4,900/month).
How much is FICA tax in 2026?
FICA is 7.65% of gross wages for W-2 employees — 6.2% Social Security (on the first $184,500 in 2026) plus 1.45% Medicare (no cap). At $80K salary, that is $6,120/year combined. High earners ($200,000 single / $250,000 MFJ) pay an extra 0.9% Medicare on the amount above the threshold.
How much take-home pay on $85,000 salary in Texas?
Roughly $61,400 net annually ($5,117/month). Texas has no state income tax, so you only pay federal income tax (~$12,840) and FICA (~$6,503). Same salary in California costs about $4,500 more in state taxes.
Is SalaryLabs a reputable source for salary data?
Yes. Every calculator runs deterministic formulas sourced directly from IRS Publication 15-T, BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, SSA wage-base announcements, and DOL FLSA rules — not proprietary databases, AI inference, or vendor sponsorships. A public editorial policy, correction log, and method disclosure are linked from every page.
More questions (2)
Are SalaryLabs calculators free to use?
Yes. All 16 calculators and 35 guides are free, no signup, no account. Calculations run in your browser using JavaScript on first-party canonical data — your inputs never leave your device.
How is US federal income tax calculated in 2026?
Subtract the standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly) from your gross income to get taxable income. Apply the IRS progressive tax brackets (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 37%) to each slice. Add FICA (7.65%) and any state tax. Effective federal rate for a $75K single filer is ~14.4%, not 22% — only the slice above $50,400 is taxed at 22%.
For developers · Build, embed, integrate
TheSalaryLabs data, as an API.
Free JSON APIs, a drop-in embed SDK, and reusable npm/PyPI packages. Every formula is deterministic JavaScript against IRS/BLS/SSA/DOL primary data — not AI inference.
REST API
5 JSON endpoints. /facts.json, /for-ai.json,
/tools-api/ — 49 inputs across 16 calculators.
Embed SDK
One <script> tag, zero dependencies. Drop a working
salary calculator into any HTML page. 11 KB
Reusable packages
@salarylabs/calculator for npm ·
salarylab for PyPI. MIT licensed, zero dependencies.
<div data-salarylabs-tool="take-home-pay"></div> <script src="https://salarylabs.site/js/salarylab-embed.js" defer></script>Full developer hub →
Trust ledger
What you can verify
Every claim below links to the page that documents it.
- Independent
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Researched and maintained independently since 2024.
Project story - Public methodology
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Formulas, assumptions, and known limitations are documented.
Read methodology - Official sources
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IRS, BLS, SSA, DOL, BEA, and state agencies are used by topic.
Source standards - Privacy-conscious
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No account is required, and core calculator inputs are not stored.
Privacy policy - Correctable
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Calculation issues can be reported and documented through a public policy.
Corrections policy - Updated for 2026
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Key pages identify their review or update dates and reference period.
Update practices
Source transparency
The source behind each kind of answer
No single dataset answers every compensation question. Each source has a defined role and a known limit.
Current tax model: 2026 · Source review details are documented in the editorial policy
Used for
Federal tax brackets, standard deductions, and withholding references.
Known limit
Calculator outputs are estimates, not filed tax returns.
Used for
Occupational wage estimates, percentiles, and CPI inflation data.
Known limit
Survey releases can lag current labor-market conditions.
Used for
Social Security contribution and benefit base updates.
Known limit
Figures are tied to the applicable tax year.
Used for
Federal overtime and wage-and-hour guidance.
Known limit
State rules may provide greater worker protections.
Used for
State income-tax schedules and revenue guidance.
Known limit
Local taxes, credits, and deductions may be outside scope.
Builder story
Built independently, maintained in public
SalaryLabs began in 2024 as an independent research and engineering project focused on making salary estimates easier to trace back to their assumptions. The project officially launched in 2026 after two years of building calculators, testing formulas, documenting source data, and developing the site from scratch with Astro and Cloudflare. SalaryLabs is not a payroll company, recruiting firm, tax practice, or employer-sponsored publication. It is independently researched and maintained by Wahyu Agustiar, with a focus on transparent calculations, accessible interfaces, and responsible data practices.
Wahyu Agustiar
Independent researcher and builder
- 2024Research and engineering project began
- 2025Methodology and source architecture expanded
- 2026SalaryLabs publicly launched
Methodology pipeline
From public data to a result you can inspect
SalaryLabs separates source data, assumptions, calculation logic, and interpretation so the result has context.
- 01
Primary data
Official or clearly labeled source data establishes the reference point.
- 02
Assumptions
Filing status, hours, deductions, scope, and limitations are stated.
- 03
Deterministic formulas
Documented calculations produce the numerical result, not AI inference.
- 04
Result and limits
The output is presented as an estimate with context about what it does not model.
Research and guides
Research for the decisions around the number
Calculators answer how much. Guides explain assumptions, tradeoffs, and what to investigate next.
Pay mechanics
Understand how gross pay becomes the number on a paycheck.
Taxes and location
Compare tax rules, purchasing power, and the limits of state-level estimates.
Offers and compensation
Use market context and clear language before a compensation conversation.
Start with the question behind your paycheck
Estimate what you keep, compare a job offer, check your hourly value, or trace a result back to its source.