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Washington Paycheck Calculator

Estimate your Washington take-home pay — federal tax, FICA, WA Paid Family & Medical Leave, and WA Cares. No state income tax is deducted.

Your Pay Details

Total gross pay before any deductions.

Pre-tax deductions

Pre-tax retirement contributions — capped at $24,500 per year.

Your share of employer plan premiums, paid pre-tax.

Advanced optionsOvertime, tips, Roth, and special tax situations

Exempt from federal income tax up to $25,000 under OBBBA — but fully taxable on your state return.

After-tax — reduces take-home pay but not your taxes.

Washington has no state income tax — but your paycheck is not deduction-free

Washington does not currently have an individual state income tax, so Washington state income tax is not deducted from a typical paycheck. Employees still see federal income tax, FICA taxes, Paid Family & Medical Leave premiums, WA Cares premiums, and their own benefit deductions. A new law schedules a 9.9% tax on adjusted gross income above $1 million to begin in 2028 — that is not paycheck withholding and does not change current calculations.

How Washington paychecks are calculated

A Washington paycheck starts with gross pay — an annual salary, or an hourly rate multiplied by weekly hours across 52 working weeks. Federal income tax is withheld first, using the current-year brackets after the standard deduction and your W-4 elections. Pre-tax elections such as a traditional 401(k), HSA, and employer health premiums reduce the income your federal tax is based on, but not your FICA wages.

FICA comes next: 6.2% Social Security on wages up to the annual wage base, then 1.45% Medicare on every dollar with no cap, plus 0.9% more above the high-income threshold. Washington then adds its two payroll premiums: the employee share of Paid Family & Medical Leave on wages up to the Social Security wage base, and WA Cares on all gross wages. Neither premium reduces your taxable income.

What is left is your net pay. Because Washington levies no individual income tax and no city or county wage tax, the state-level slice of a Washington paycheck is much smaller than in most states — it is insurance premiums, not income tax.

Washington paycheck deductions explained

WA Paid Family & Medical Leave

The total premium is 1.13% of wages up to $184,500. Employees pay 71.43% of the premium — about 0.8072% of wages — while employers with 50 or more employees pay the remaining 28.57%. The premium funds paid leave for a new child, a serious health condition, and certain military family needs.

WA Cares Fund

WA Cares withholds 0.58% of gross wages with no wage cap — it keeps applying past the Social Security wage base. It funds a lifetime long-term care benefit of up to $36,500 with inflation adjustments. Some workers qualify for exemptions, and this calculator's Advanced options include a FICA-exempt toggle for certain government employees.

Take-home pay vs. gross pay in Washington

Gross pay is your salary or hourly earnings before anything is withheld. Take-home pay is what actually lands in your bank account after federal income tax, FICA, Washington's two payroll premiums, and your own elections like 401(k) contributions and insurance premiums. On a $75,000 salary, a single filer keeps roughly 80.7% of gross pay as take-home.

The gap between gross and net grows with income (federal brackets and the Additional Medicare Tax) but stays flatter than in income-tax states, because Washington's payroll premiums cap out or stay flat-rate. Pre-tax deductions narrow the gap twice over: they reduce the income your federal tax is based on while shifting money into savings you keep.

Hourly and salary paychecks

Hourly workers can model pay directly: enter your hourly rate and hours per week, and the calculator annualizes as rate × hours × 52. At $25/hour and 40 hours — $52,000 per year — a single filer takes home about $1,663 per bi-weekly paycheck. Salaried employees simply enter their annual salary and choose a frequency.

Overtime premium pay belongs under Advanced options. Federal law excludes overtime premium from federal income tax up to the annual OBBBA cap, but it remains full wages for FICA, WA PFML, and WA Cares — the calculator applies each rule correctly.

Weekly vs. biweekly vs. semimonthly pay

Your annual taxes and premiums barely change with pay frequency — only the size and count of each paycheck does. The table below uses a $75,000 single filer with no deductions, computed by this calculator's engine.

Net pay per paycheck by pay frequency
FrequencyPaychecks / yrGross per paycheckNet per paycheck
Weekly52$1,442$1,164
Bi-Weekly26$2,885$2,329
Semi-Monthly24$3,125$2,523
Monthly12$6,250$5,046

Washington paycheck examples

All figures below are computed live by the same engine that powers the calculator above — enter your own numbers and press Calculate.

Hourly — $25/hr

40 hrs/week · single · bi-weekly

Hourly employee paycheck breakdown
Line itemPer paycheck
Gross pay (bi-weekly)$2,000
Federal income tax−$156
FICA (Social Security + Medicare)−$153
WA Paid Family & Medical Leave−$16
WA Cares−$12
Net take-home$1,663

Salary — $$75,000

single · bi-weekly

Salaried employee paycheck breakdown
Line itemPer paycheck
Gross pay (bi-weekly)$2,885
Federal income tax−$295
FICA (Social Security + Medicare)−$221
WA Paid Family & Medical Leave−$23
WA Cares−$17
Net take-home$2,329

Higher income — $$250,000

married · monthly · $$10,000 401(k)

Higher-income paycheck breakdown
Line itemPer paycheck
Gross pay (monthly)$20,833
Federal income tax−$2,940
FICA (Social Security + Medicare)−$1,255
WA Paid Family & Medical Leave−$124
WA Cares−$121
Net take-home$15,560

Notice the higher-income example: Social Security stops at the wage base, the Additional Medicare Tax kicks in above $250,000, and WA PFML caps out at $184,500 of wages — while WA Cares keeps applying to every dollar.

Not Washington, D.C.?

This page is for Washington State employees and employers. Washington, D.C. is a separate jurisdiction with its own graduated income tax (up to 10.75%), and its paychecks are calculated completely differently. If you work in D.C., use a D.C.-specific calculator instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Washington have state income tax?
No. Washington does not currently have an individual state income tax, so no state income tax is withheld from a typical paycheck. Your paycheck deductions come from federal income tax, FICA, and Washington state payroll premiums — Paid Family & Medical Leave and WA Cares — plus any benefits you elect. (A new law schedules a 9.9% tax on adjusted gross income above $1 million starting in 2028; it is not paycheck withholding and does not affect current calculations.)
How much tax is taken from a paycheck in Washington?
For a single filer earning $75,000 with no pre-tax deductions, this calculator estimates about $7,670 per year in federal income tax, $5,738 in FICA, and $1,040 in Washington payroll premiums (Paid Family & Medical Leave plus WA Cares) — roughly $2,329 take-home per bi-weekly paycheck. There is no state or local income tax on top.
Does Washington have payroll taxes?
Yes — two state payroll premiums apply to most employees, and neither is an income tax. Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave withholds the employee share of a 1.13% premium (71.43% of it, or about 0.8072%) on wages up to the Social Security wage base. WA Cares withholds 0.58% of gross wages with no wage cap. Certain workers — for example some self-employed, tribal, or out-of-state workers — may be exempt.
What is WA Cares?
WA Cares is Washington's public long-term care insurance program. Employees contribute 0.58% of every paycheck — $580 per year on a $100,000 salary — with no wage cap, in exchange for a lifetime long-term care benefit of up to $36,500 that adjusts with inflation. Workers can apply for exemptions in limited situations (such as having comparable private coverage, before the program's original deadline).
What is Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave?
Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) is a state insurance program that replaces part of your wages when you take leave for a new child, a serious health condition, or certain military family needs. The total premium is 1.13% of wages up to the Social Security wage base ($184,500). The employee share is 71.43% of that premium — about 0.8072% of wages — with employers with 50 or more employees paying the remaining 28.57%. This calculator estimates the employee share only.
How much is taken out for Social Security and Medicare?
Every Washington employee pays federal FICA: 6.2% Social Security on wages up to the annual wage base ($184,500), and 1.45% Medicare on all wages with no cap. High earners pay an additional 0.9% on wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly).
How does the Washington paycheck calculator work for hourly employees?
Switch "How are you paid?" to Hourly, enter your rate and weekly hours, and the calculator computes your annual gross as rate × hours × 52 weeks. For example, $25/hour at 40 hours is $52,000 per year, which produces about $1,663 of take-home per bi-weekly paycheck as a single filer. Overtime premium pay can be entered under Advanced options — it is exempt from federal income tax up to the OBBBA cap but remains fully subject to FICA, WA PFML, and WA Cares.
How do I calculate my Washington paycheck?
Enter your salary or hourly pay, choose your pay frequency and filing status, and add any 401(k), HSA, or insurance deductions. Press Calculate to see your estimated take-home pay with a full breakdown — federal tax, FICA, WA Paid Family & Medical Leave, WA Cares, and your deductions. If you change any input, press Calculate again to refresh the results. Nothing is submitted or stored.

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⚠️ Disclaimer

This calculator provides estimates only. For personal financial advice, consult a licensed professional. Actual results may vary based on individual circumstances and current market conditions.