About MyNetPay.org

Michael Torres, SHRM-CP Founder & Lead Researcher — 9 years tracking IRS, SSA, and state revenue agency publications · Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional · Formerly a payroll administrator for a 400-person mid-market company

Why I Built This

I spent several years as a payroll administrator, and one of the most common questions I got from employees was some version of: "Why is my paycheck so much less than my salary?" People were surprised, sometimes alarmed, and often making important financial decisions — whether to take a job, whether to move to another state, whether to increase their 401(k) — without understanding how those decisions actually affected their take-home pay.

I looked at the existing paycheck calculators online. Many were outdated, using prior-year tax tables. Some were bundled inside software products designed to upsell a service. Others were oversimplified — they'd estimate federal tax but skip FICA, ignore state deductions entirely, or fail to account for pre-tax benefits. None of them covered all 50 states with the depth I thought workers deserved.

So I built MyNetPay.org. The goal was straightforward: a completely free, accurate, no-friction paycheck calculator that works for any U.S. worker in any state, with no registration, no paywalls, and no ads burying the tool.

What We Do

MyNetPay.org provides paycheck estimation tools and educational content to help American workers understand what they actually take home from each paycheck. Our core tool covers:

  • Federal income tax — calculated using the current 2026 IRS Publication 15-T withholding tables, updated for the new tax year
  • FICA taxes — Social Security (6.2% up to the $168,600 wage base) and Medicare (1.45%), plus the Additional Medicare Tax (0.9%) for high earners
  • State income tax — covering all 50 states plus Washington D.C., using each state's published withholding schedules
  • Pre-tax deductions — including 401(k), HSA, health insurance premiums, FSA, and dependent care FSA
  • Multiple pay frequencies — weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly paycheck calculations

How We Ensure Accuracy

Paycheck calculation isn't static. Tax brackets adjust for inflation. State legislatures change income tax rates. FICA wage bases update. We maintain accuracy through a structured process:

  • At the start of each calendar year, we pull the updated IRS Publication 15-T and update the federal withholding tables in our calculator
  • We monitor each state's Department of Revenue for withholding schedule updates and implement changes as they're released
  • We verify against the Social Security Administration's annual announcements on FICA wage bases
  • We cross-check our calculations against multiple third-party payroll software outputs to catch discrepancies

Despite our care, this tool is an estimator, not a tax advisor. Final tax liability is determined when you file your annual return. For complex tax situations — multiple jobs, significant investment income, self-employment, or major life events — we strongly recommend consulting a qualified tax professional.

Our Editorial Standards

All content published on MyNetPay.org — including blog articles, state guides, and calculator documentation — is written or reviewed by someone with direct payroll or tax research experience. We cite our sources, link to official government publications, and update content when laws change. We do not publish content designed primarily for search engines; every article and guide is written to answer real questions from real workers.

Who Uses MyNetPay.org

Our users include:

  • Employees evaluating a job offer who want to know what a new salary actually means for their monthly budget
  • Remote workers considering a move to a lower-tax state who want to model the actual after-tax difference
  • HR professionals and managers who need quick estimates when discussing compensation with candidates
  • Recent graduates entering the workforce for the first time and surprised by how much is withheld
  • Workers planning to change their 401(k) contribution rate and wanting to understand the net paycheck impact

Contact & Feedback

Found an error in our calculations? Have a question about a specific state's withholding rules? We want to hear from you. Accuracy is our top priority, and user-reported errors help us maintain it.

Reach us at: hello@mynetpay.org

We typically respond within 2 business days. We are based in Austin, Texas.

Official Sources We Rely On