Texas Paycheck Calculator
Enter gross pay, frequency, and filing status to see an estimated take-home paycheck after federal withholding, FICA, and Texas’s zero state income tax — with every deduction broken out separately.
Read the Paycheck and Payroll articles →This texas paycheck calculator — also searched as a paycheck calculator texas tool or a texas paycheck tax calculator — is shaped by one fact: Texas is one of a small number of U.S. states with no state income tax, so take-home pay here comes down to federal withholding and FICA alone, never a state withholding line. FICA combines Social Security (6.2%, up to an annually adjusted wage base — $184,500 for 2026) and Medicare (1.45%), for 7.65% total, matched separately by the employer.
Hourly pay is calculated per period as hours worked times rate, with overtime paid at 1.5x past 40 hours in a workweek under the FLSA; salaried pay instead divides an annual amount evenly across pay periods regardless of hours actually worked that period. For 2025 through 2028, qualifying overtime premium pay also carries a separate federal tax deduction under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — claimed at filing, not reflected in paycheck withholding — which matters most for anyone running this as a texas hourly paycheck calculator scenario. Total annual tax liability doesn’t change based on how often you’re paid; weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, and monthly schedules just spread the same total differently across paychecks, which is why per-check withholding varies by frequency even for an identical salary.
Enter gross pay, pay frequency, filing status, and any pre-tax deductions to get a full line-by-line breakdown of federal withholding, FICA, and net take-home pay.
Texas paycheck calculator results start here: this guide shows exactly how much you take home after federal withholding and FICA, since Texas charges $0 in state income tax. Whether you searched for a texas paycheck calculator, a paycheck calculator texas tool, a texas paycheck tax calculator, or a tax calculator for paycheck texas, you're looking for the same gross-to-net math — salaried or hourly, single or married, with or without overtime.
Texas Paycheck Calculator Basics: Why Texas Has No State Income Tax
Texas is one of only nine states with no state income tax, and since a 2019 constitutional amendment, adding one would require voter approval, not just a legislative vote — see the Texas Comptroller's own tax overview. The state funds its budget instead through sales tax (6.25% state rate, with cities, counties, and special districts layering on local rates up to a combined 8.25% cap) and property taxes, which in Texas run notably higher than the national average to make up the difference.
The practical result for a paycheck: no state withholding line will ever appear on a Texas pay stub, full stop, regardless of income level, filing status, or residency length.
No State Tax ≠ No Taxes
How a Texas Paycheck Calculator Breaks Down Your Deductions (2026 Figures)
With no state or local wage tax anywhere in Texas, only two categories reduce a Texas paycheck: federal income tax withholding (based on your IRS tax brackets and W-4 elections) and FICA, which is fixed by federal law regardless of state.
| Deduction | 2026 rate | Wage base / threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security | 6.2% (employee) + 6.2% (employer) | First $184,500 of wages — max employee tax $11,439 |
| Medicare | 1.45% (employee) + 1.45% (employer) | No wage cap — applies to all earnings |
| Additional Medicare | +0.9% (employee only) | Wages above $200,000 single / $250,000 MFJ |
| Federal income tax | 10% – 37%, seven progressive brackets | 10% bracket starts at $0; 37% bracket begins at $640,600 single / $768,700 MFJ |
| Texas state income tax | 0% | Does not exist — no wage base applies |
The 2026 standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household — all used to reduce taxable income before the bracket percentages above are applied. The Social Security wage base is set annually by the Social Security Administration, and rose to $184,500 for 2026, up from $176,100 in 2025.
Gross per paycheck: $60,000 ÷ 26 = $2,307.69
Social Security (6.2%): −$143.08
Medicare (1.45%): −$33.46
Federal withholding (approx., post-standard-deduction, marginal 12% bracket): −$210
Texas state tax: $0.00
Approximate net pay: ~$1,921 per paycheck
Gross to Net — $60,000 Salary, Biweekly Pay
Texas Hourly Paycheck Calculator: Overtime and the New "No Tax on Overtime" Deduction
Anyone running a texas hourly paycheck calculator scenario in 2026 needs to know about a federal change that didn't exist a few years ago. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed July 4, 2025, created a temporary federal income tax deduction for qualified overtime pay, running from the 2025 through 2028 tax years. It's easy to misread the headline version of this rule, so it's worth being precise about what it actually does.
The deduction applies only to the premium portion of overtime — the extra "half" in "time and a half," not the full overtime wage. Non-exempt employees (the only ones who legally receive FLSA overtime in the first place) can deduct up to $12,500 of qualified overtime premium if filing single, or $25,000 if filing jointly, when they file their federal return. The deduction phases out for higher earners — starting around $150,000 modified adjusted gross income for single filers and $300,000 for joint filers.
Here's the part that trips people up, and it's stated explicitly in IRS guidance on the provision: this is not a change to paycheck withholding. Your employer still withholds federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare from overtime pay exactly as before — the benefit shows up on your tax return, not on the pay stub itself, unless you specifically update your Form W-4 (the 2026 version added a line for anticipated overtime compensation for exactly this purpose). Starting with 2026 wages, employers are also required to report qualified overtime separately on Form W-2, using new Box 12 Code TT.
For a Texas worker, this deduction interacts with the no-state-tax picture in a specific way: since Texas never had a state overtime tax to begin with, the entire benefit of this provision flows through the federal side only. A texas hourly paycheck calculator run for a non-exempt employee should still withhold normally per paycheck — the deduction's effect shows up as a smaller federal tax bill (or bigger refund) at filing time, not as a bigger number on this week's check.
No Tax on Overtime — Withheld Now, Deducted Later
The FLSA Exempt Salary Threshold Is Back to 2019 Levels — and Texas Is Where That Got Decided
Whether an employee is even eligible for overtime in the first place depends on a separate federal rule: the FLSA's "white collar" exemption test for executive, administrative, and professional employees. That threshold has been through three years of legal back-and-forth, and the court that ultimately settled it sits in Texas.
In April 2024, the Department of Labor tried to raise the minimum salary for exempt status to $844 per week, with a further jump to $1,128 per week planned for January 2025. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas vacated that rule nationwide in November 2024. After the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied further appeals in early May 2026, the DOL formally rescinded the 2024 rule effective May 15, 2026, restoring the older 2019 salary level.
The number that matters today: $684 per week ($35,568 per year) is the current federal minimum salary for exempt status, alongside a $107,432 total-compensation threshold for highly compensated employees. A salaried Texas employee paid less than $684/week is generally non-exempt regardless of job title, which means FLSA overtime protection — and therefore the 1.5x calculation this guide covers — applies to them by default.
Pre-Tax Deductions That Change a Texas Paycheck Calculator's Output
Everything above assumes no pre-tax deductions. In practice, many Texas paychecks are smaller than the raw federal-plus-FICA math would suggest, because contributions to a 401(k), HSA, or FSA come out of gross pay before federal income tax is calculated — though not before FICA, which applies to 401(k) contributions.
| Account | 2026 employee limit | Catch-up (if eligible) |
|---|---|---|
| 401(k) / 403(b) | $24,500 | +$8,000 (age 50+); +$11,250 for ages 60–63 instead |
| HSA — self-only coverage | $4,400 | +$1,000 (age 55+) |
| HSA — family coverage | $8,750 | +$1,000 (age 55+) |
| Traditional / Roth IRA | $7,500 | +$1,100 (age 50+) |
A traditional 401(k) contribution and an HSA contribution both lower the income federal tax is calculated on for that paycheck; a Roth 401(k) contribution does not, since it's already post-tax. This is why two Texas employees with identical gross salaries can show meaningfully different federal withholding — the gap usually traces back to elections like these, not an error in the calculator.
Regular rate: $28/hour · Hours worked: 46 in the week
Regular pay (40 hrs): 40 × $28 = $1,120.00
Overtime pay (6 hrs at 1.5x): 6 × $42 = $252.00
Gross for the week: $1,372.00
Social Security + Medicare (7.65%): −$104.96
Federal withholding (approx., based on W-4 elections): −$95
Texas state tax: $0.00
Take-home this week: ~$1,172 — the $252 overtime premium is withheld normally now; up to that amount becomes a federal deduction when this worker files, subject to the $12,500/$25,000 annual cap.
Common Texas Paycheck Calculator Mistakes
- Assuming "no income tax" means fewer deductions overall. Federal withholding and FICA still apply in full — Texas only removes one line item, not the majority of what's typically withheld.
- Forgetting FICA has two separate caps. Social Security stops being withheld once the annual wage base is hit ($184,500 for 2026); Medicare never stops, and actually adds an extra 0.9% for high earners above $200,000.
- Not accounting for overtime correctly. Under the FLSA, non-exempt hourly employees are owed 1.5x their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek — a rule independent of state tax law entirely.
- Assuming "No Tax on Overtime" means an overtime paycheck arrives untaxed. It doesn't — the 2025–2028 federal deduction is claimed on your tax return, not applied automatically at the paycheck level, unless your W-4 was specifically adjusted for it.
- Confusing gross-up assumptions with actual W-4 elections. Two people with identical salaries can have different take-home pay because of different W-4 filing status, dependents claimed, or additional withholding elections — the paycheck depends on the form, not just the salary number.
Texas Paycheck Calculator: Salaried vs. Hourly, Why the Math Differs
Whether you're running a texas paycheck calculator scenario for salaried or hourly pay, the math differs slightly. Salaried pay divides a fixed annual amount evenly across pay periods regardless of hours actually worked in that period — a salaried employee's paycheck doesn't change if a particular week runs long or short.
Hourly pay is calculated fresh each period as hours worked times the hourly rate, with FLSA overtime rules layered on top for any hours past 40 in a week. Total annual tax liability is the same either way for identical total earnings — what changes is how predictable each individual paycheck is, and, for hourly workers specifically, whether any of that pay qualifies for the overtime deduction above.
Why Numbers Might Differ Between This and Other Texas Paycheck Calculators
If a different texas paycheck calculator tool gives you a slightly different net-pay figure for the same inputs, it's rarely because one of them is "wrong." The usual causes are: rounding methodology on federal withholding (annualized vs. per-period tables produce small differences), whether pre-tax deductions were included at all, and whether a tool has updated its FICA wage base and bracket thresholds for the current tax year yet. Older or unmaintained calculators are the most common source of discrepancy — a tool still using 2025's $176,100 Social Security wage base instead of 2026's $184,500 will overstate Social Security withholding for anyone earning between those two figures.
Federal bracket, standard deduction, and Social Security wage-base figures are verified against IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 and the Social Security Administration's official 2026 wage-base announcement. Texas sales tax figures are verified directly against the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts' published guidance. The "No Tax on Overtime" section reflects the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21, enacted July 4, 2025) and subsequent IRS and Treasury guidance on withholding, Form W-4, and Form W-2 Box 12 Code TT reporting for the 2026 tax year. The FLSA exempt-salary-threshold section reflects the Department of Labor's May 15, 2026 Federal Register notice restoring the 2019 salary level following the Eastern District of Texas's 2024 vacatur and the Fifth Circuit's May 2026 dismissal of further appeal. 401(k), HSA, and IRA limits reflect IRS Notice 2025-67 and Revenue Procedure 2025-19. This page performs payroll estimation only and is not tax or legal advice — for a specific filing situation, consult the IRS, the Department of Labor, or a licensed tax professional. Page last fact-checked August 12, 2026.
This Texas paycheck calculator breakdown updates each year to reflect current federal tax brackets, FICA rates, and any newly enacted federal provisions like the 2025–2028 overtime deduction, so the numbers above stay accurate for 2026 filing.
Common questions
Why is there no state income tax line for Texas?
Texas is one of a small number of U.S. states that levies no state income tax on wages, funding state government instead through sales and property taxes. A Texas paycheck only ever shows federal withholding and FICA — never a state withholding line.
Why does a bonus check sometimes look smaller than expected?
Bonuses are often withheld at a flat supplemental rate rather than your regular graduated rate, which can make the withholding on that one check look disproportionately high — your annual tax liability evens out when you file, but the single paycheck can be misleading.
What is FICA, and how much is withheld from a Texas paycheck?
FICA combines Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) for 7.65% total, matched by your employer. Since Texas has no state income tax, FICA and federal withholding are the only two mandatory deductions on a Texas paycheck.
What's the Social Security wage base limit?
Social Security tax only applies up to an annually adjusted wage cap — $184,500 for 2026. Once your year-to-date earnings cross that threshold, the 6.2% Social Security withholding stops for the remainder of the calendar year.
How does a texas hourly paycheck calculator handle overtime?
Hourly pay is calculated per pay period as hours worked times rate, with overtime paid at 1.5x past 40 hours in a week under the FLSA. Salaried pay instead divides the annual salary evenly across pay periods, regardless of the exact hours worked that period.
Does the new "No Tax on Overtime" deduction change my paycheck withholding?
No — this is the most common misunderstanding about the 2025–2028 federal overtime deduction. Your employer still withholds federal tax, Social Security, and Medicare from overtime pay as usual. The deduction (up to $12,500 single / $25,000 joint, phasing out above $150K / $300K MAGI) is claimed when you file your tax return, unless you specifically update your W-4 to account for it during the year.
Does pay frequency change how much total tax I pay?
No — your total annual tax liability stays the same no matter how often you're paid. What changes is how that total is spread across paychecks, which is exactly why weekly, biweekly, and semimonthly withholding calculations differ even for identical salaries.
Are there any Texas county or city income taxes?
No. Texas has no state, county, or city-level tax on wage income. A Texas paycheck reflects federal withholding and FICA only — nothing else is deducted for income tax purposes at any local level.
How does my W-4 filing status affect withholding?
Filing status — single, married filing jointly, or head of household — changes which federal tax bracket thresholds apply to your income, which is why two employees with identical gross pay can see different take-home amounts.
Is a paycheck calculator texas tool different from a general U.S. paycheck calculator?
Only in one respect: it skips the state withholding step entirely, since Texas has none. Every other input — filing status, pay frequency, FICA, federal brackets — works exactly the same as a paycheck calculator for any other state.
Where does the qualified overtime amount show up on my W-2?
Starting with 2026 wages, employers report qualified overtime compensation separately using Box 12 Code TT on Form W-2, which makes it easier to apply the federal deduction correctly when filing.
What salary do I need to be exempt from overtime in Texas?
As of May 15, 2026, the federal threshold is $684 per week ($35,568 per year) — the older 2019 level, restored after the Eastern District of Texas vacated a 2024 rule that would have raised it. A salaried Texas employee paid below that amount is generally non-exempt and owed overtime under the FLSA, regardless of job title.
Do 401(k) or HSA contributions change my Texas paycheck calculator results?
Yes. Traditional 401(k) and HSA contributions reduce the income federal tax is calculated on for that paycheck (though not FICA, for 401(k) contributions), so two employees with identical gross pay can see different net pay based on their elections. 2026 limits are $24,500 for a 401(k) and $4,400/$8,750 for self-only/family HSA coverage.