Texas Paycheck Calculator 2026

Texas has no state income tax, so your take-home pay is decided entirely by federal withholding and FICA. This calculator shows each line separately so you can see exactly where the money goes.

What comes out of a Texas paycheck

Three deductions apply to Texas wages: federal income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare. There is no state income tax, no state disability insurance and no city or county income tax, so those lines are genuinely zero rather than small.

Federal income tax withholding is not the same as the tax you owe. Your employer withholds using the percentage-method tables in IRS Publication 15-T, which already assume a standard deduction, and the final figure is settled when you file Form 1040. That is why a refund or a balance due appears every spring even when the withholding was correct all year.

For 2026 the standard deduction built into those tables is $16,100 for a single filer and $32,200 for a married couple filing jointly. The calculator applies the table directly rather than approximating it.

Social Security and Medicare

Social Security takes 6.2% of wages up to an annual wage base of $184,500 in 2026. Once your year-to-date wages pass that figure the deduction stops for the rest of the year, which is why a high earner's December paycheck is larger than January's. Enter your year-to-date pay in the calculator to see that cliff exactly.

Medicare takes 1.45% of all wages with no cap. Above $200,000 of wages from a single employer, an additional 0.9% applies. That threshold is not adjusted for filing status at the withholding stage — married couples each get their own $200,000 employer-level threshold, and any shortfall is reconciled on the tax return.

Worked examples

The table below is produced by the same engine that powers the calculator above, so the figures are consistent by construction. It assumes a single filer, biweekly pay, no pre-tax deductions and the standard withholding election.

Figures recomputed at build time by the same engine that powers the calculator. Verified 2026-10-30.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my Texas paycheck still taxed if Texas has no income tax?

Because the federal government still taxes it. Texas taxes neither wages nor income at the state level, but federal income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare all apply exactly as they do in any other state.

Does Texas tax overtime differently?

No. Texas has no wage tax at all, so overtime is treated like any other wage. Federal withholding applies to the combined amount, which is why an overtime-heavy check can look heavily taxed: the extra pay is withheld as if it were your normal rate of pay for the year.

Are bonuses taxed differently?

Bonuses are supplemental wages. Employers may withhold a flat 22% federal rate on them, or fold them into the regular calculation, and must use 37% once supplemental wages pass $1 million in a year. The bonus is not taxed more than salary in the end — it is withheld differently, and the difference settles on your return.

Do 401(k) contributions reduce my Texas take-home pay calculation?

They reduce taxable wages, so they lower federal withholding and FICA. Traditional 401(k) contributions come out before tax, which is why a 5% contribution costs less than 5% of your net pay. Roth contributions do not reduce taxable wages and are not modelled here.

Does Texas have any local income tax?

No city or county in Texas levies an income tax on wages.

Why does my first paycheck of the year differ from later ones?

Two reasons. Social Security stops once year-to-date wages pass $184,500, and additional Medicare starts once they pass $200,000. Enter your year-to-date wages in the calculator to reproduce either.