US Raise After Tax Calculator
Compare the federal net-pay impact of an ongoing salary raise. Separate the gross increase from additional federal income tax and FICA; state and local taxes are excluded.
Rule year: 2026 · USD · Sources checked
Annual federal net gain from salary raise
Wage-only federal annual liability, standard deduction, unchanged Section 125 and traditional 401(k) deductions. The regular 2026 401(k) cap is supported, not catch-up. No state/local tax, credits, itemizing, other income, spouse wages, W-4 payroll withholding or benefit changes. Pretax retirement does not reduce FICA wages.
For informational purposes only. This estimate is not financial advice, a tax return, a payroll calculation or a lender decision. See the supported circumstances and exclusions below.
How this calculator works
A salary raise changes recurring ordinary wages rather than creating the separate supplemental-withholding choice used for some bonuses. This page compares two annual wage-only federal tax scenarios using the same filing status, standard deduction and unchanged pretax amounts. It isolates the additional federal income tax and payroll liability, including wage caps, instead of applying one guessed percentage to the raise. State and local tax are deliberately not estimated.
Formula and rules
Federal net wages = wages − unchanged qualifying deductions − federal ordinary-income tax − employee FICA liability. Net raise = new federal net wages − old federal net wages. Monthly gain = net raise / 12.
Assumptions and limitations
Wage-only federal annual liability, standard deduction, unchanged Section 125 and traditional 401(k) deductions. The regular 2026 401(k) cap is supported, not catch-up. No state/local tax, credits, itemizing, other income, spouse wages, W-4 payroll withholding or benefit changes. Pretax retirement does not reduce FICA wages.
Worked example
For a single worker increasing annual wages from $50,000 to $51,000 with no pretax deductions, the modeled additional federal Income Tax is $120 and FICA $76.50. The federal net gain is $803.50/year, or $66.96/month.
- Annual federal net gain from salary raise
- $803.50
- Additional federal Income Tax
- $120.00
- Additional employee FICA liability
- $76.50
- Monthly federal net-gain equivalent
- $66.96
Official sources and review
Reviewed against the sources below on 2026-10-07. Rates are held in versioned rule modules. Versioned rules, official source review and year-specific calculation tests.
- IRS Publication 505 (2026) ↗
2026 ordinary-income rate schedules, standard deductions and capital-gain worksheet thresholds.
- IRS: Social Security and Medicare withholding ↗
Employee Social Security 6.2%, Medicare 1.45%; employer Additional Medicare withholding starts above $200,000.
- SSA: Contribution and benefit base ↗
2026 covered-earnings cap: $184,500.
- IRS: Additional Medicare Tax ↗
0.9% additional tax and filing-status thresholds; withholding and final liability differ.
Common questions
Is this the raise on my next payslip?
No. It compares annual federal liability. Payroll timing, W-4 settings, state taxes and employer deductions can change actual payslip gains.
Is this the same as Bonus Tax?
No. Bonus Tax models supplemental withholding. This compares ongoing ordinary salary increases without using a flat supplemental rate.
Why can the tax on a raise cross bands?
Only the slices crossing each bracket use that bracket’s rate. FICA wage caps also matter, so a fixed percentage can misstate the net gain.