About

About the Paycheck Breakdown Calculator

The Paycheck Breakdown Calculator is a free tool that shows exactly where your paycheck goes, including federal and state taxes, FICA, Social Security, Medicare, and voluntary deductions like 401k, health insurance, HSA, and FSA. Enter your salary and deductions to see a full breakdown with charts and plain-English explanations of every line item.

Why we built this

Most people do not fully understand their pay stub, and the tools that exist to explain it are either too simplified or require creating an account. We built this to give workers a clear, complete picture of their compensation with no signup required.

Our principles

🆓
Always free
Every tool on this site is free to use with no sign-up, no subscription, and no paywalled features.
🔒
Privacy first
We don't ask for accounts or personal details — calculations happen right in your browser.
📐
Accuracy matters
Every formula and data point is researched and documented. We cite sources and update content when standards change.
📱
Works everywhere
Designed to work on any device — phone, tablet, or desktop — without installing anything.

How this site is supported

Paycheck Breakdown Calculator is built and maintained by the Rytell personal-finance team. It is free to use and always will be, and the site is supported by advertising through Google AdSense. You may see ads displayed on the page — these are served by Google based on general browsing context and help cover the costs of building and maintaining the tool.

The site also includes affiliate links — for example to Amazon — and we may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Advertisers and affiliate partners never influence our tool outputs or recommendations. The tools produce results based purely on the inputs you provide — advertising relationships have no bearing on what the calculator shows you. See our Privacy Policy for full details on how advertising cookies work.

Accuracy and limitations

Tax calculations use current published federal tax brackets and standard state tax rates. Results are estimates for general planning purposes and do not constitute tax advice. Consult a tax professional for personalized guidance.

If you notice an error, outdated information, or have a suggestion for improving the tool, we'd love to hear from you. Use the contact form and we'll review it promptly.

Get in touch

Questions, feedback, corrections, or partnership inquiries — we read everything and respond to most messages. Use the contact form to reach us.