Independent salary research for US workers

Understand what your pay is really worth.

SalaryLabs turns IRS, BLS, SSA, Department of Labor, and state data into transparent calculators and practical research for understanding pay, taxes, overtime, and job offers.

See how the calculations work
Quick salary conversion
/year
$40.87Hourly gross
$7,083.33Monthly gross
$3,269.23Biweekly gross

40 hours/week · 52 weeks/year · Gross pay only. Taxes and deductions are not included.

Example result
$85,000 annual salary
Monthly gross
$7,083
Estimated deductions
$1,966
Estimated take-home
$5,117

Single filer · Example state · Standard deduction

Sources: IRS · SSA · State data

Illustrative specimen, not a live result.

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.

Trust ledger

What you can verify

Every claim below links to the page that documents it.

Independent

Researched and maintained independently since 2024.

Project story
Public methodology

Formulas, assumptions, and known limitations are documented.

Read methodology
Official sources

IRS, BLS, SSA, DOL, BEA, and state agencies are used by topic.

Source standards
Privacy-conscious

No account is required, and core calculator inputs are not stored.

Privacy policy
Correctable

Calculation issues can be reported and documented through a public policy.

Corrections policy
Updated for 2026

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, SalaryLabs maintainer
Wahyu Agustiar
Independent researcher and builder
  1. 2024Research and engineering project began
  2. 2025Methodology and source architecture expanded
  3. 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.

Read the calculation methodology

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.