Employee view
Gross pay minus estimated employee taxes and deductions.
Free business calculator
Free payroll calculator
Estimate take-home pay, payroll taxes, and what an employee really costs after employer taxes, benefits, and workers comp.
net pay
employer cost
state compare
This calculator provides estimates and should not replace professional payroll software or tax advice.
Payroll calculator
Estimate take-home pay, employee taxes, and employer cost.
$22
$
$
$
Employee deductions
$
$
$
$
Employer costs
Payroll taxes
Employer FICA, FUTA, state unemployment, and state employer programs.
Workers comp
Use a percentage of gross wages.
Benefits
Add per-pay-period employer benefits.
$
Other costs
Uniforms, training, admin, or other per-period costs.
$
Net pay estimate
$1,388.79
73.9% of gross reaches the paycheck.
Employer cost
$2,283.95
Approximately 1.2x gross wage.
Employee payroll tax rate
14.4%
$271.21 withheld this pay period.
Effective hourly cost
$28.55
Based on 80 worked hours.
Earnings breakdown
Regular
Tips
Where gross pay goes
Employee taxes$271.21
Deductions$220.00
Net pay$1,388.79
Employer cost stack
Take-home$1,388.79
Employee taxes$271.21
Employer taxes and costs$403.95
Employee taxes
Federal income tax
Estimated from annualized taxable wages and 2026 federal brackets.
$115.35
Social Security
6.2% up to the annual Social Security wage base.
$107.88
Medicare
1.45% of Medicare wages, plus Additional Medicare when annualized wages exceed the threshold.
$25.23
Washington income tax
Washington does not have a broad wage income tax.
$0.00
Paid family and medical leave
Washington PFML is shared by employees and employers.
$11.84
WA Cares long-term care
Washington long-term care contributions are employee-funded.
$10.90
Employer taxes and costs
Employer Social Security
6.2% up to the annual Social Security wage base.
$107.88
Employer Medicare
1.45% of Medicare wages with no wage base.
$25.23
Federal unemployment
Estimated FUTA after the standard state credit.
$1.62
Washington unemployment
Uses a new-employer planning rate. Actual SUTA rates vary by employer history.
$20.68
Paid family and medical leave
Employer PFML share may vary by employer size.
$4.70
Workers compensation
Uses your entered rate. Actual rates depend on job class and insurer.
$33.84
Employer benefits
Uses your entered per-pay-period benefit estimate.
$210.00
State comparison
MetricWashingtonOregon
Employee taxes$271.21$384.18
Net pay$1,388.79$1,275.82
Employer taxes and costs$403.95$431.21
Total employer cost$2,283.95$2,311.21
Biggest difference: employee taxes changes by $112.97 per pay period.
What is Social Security?
Social Security is a federal payroll tax that funds retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. Employees and employers generally each pay 6.2% up to the annual wage base.
What is Medicare?
Medicare payroll tax helps fund Medicare coverage. Employees and employers generally each pay 1.45%, with extra employee withholding for high annualized wages.
Why is Washington different?
Washington does not have a broad wage income tax, so the biggest state differences usually come from unemployment, leave, disability, or local programs.
This calculator provides estimates and should not replace professional payroll software or tax advice. State and local rates can change, and actual withholding depends on Form W-4 details, wage history, employer experience rates, benefits, and local rules.
How to read it
Payroll is more than the hourly wage
A $22 hourly wage is the starting point. The paycheck changes after federal taxes, state programs, and deductions. The employer cost changes again after matching payroll taxes, unemployment, workers comp, and benefits.
Employer view
Gross pay plus employer payroll taxes and optional benefit costs.
State view
State profiles are separated so rates can be updated without rewriting the calculator UI.
Why does take-home pay differ by state?
Some states have no broad wage income tax, while others withhold income tax, disability insurance, paid leave, long-term care, local taxes, or other payroll programs.
Why does employer cost exceed gross pay?
Employers usually owe their own payroll taxes and unemployment taxes on top of wages. Benefits, workers comp, and other labor costs can raise the total further.
Does this replace payroll software?
No. It is an educational planning tool. Actual payroll should use current payroll software, official forms, and professional guidance.
Can I update tax rules later?
Yes. Federal constants, state profiles, unemployment wage bases, and state payroll deductions live outside the calculator UI.
References
Official sources to check before running payroll
CafeTally
Labor cost only helps when it connects to the rest of the business.
CafeTally connects sales, receipts, recipes, inventory, and margins so owners can see what each shift and menu item really costs.
See CafeTally