Salary & Paycheck Guides
Plain-English explanations for common payroll questions.
How Paycheck Taxes Work in the US
A paycheck usually starts with gross pay. Payroll systems then apply required taxes and other deductions befor...
Gross Pay vs Net Pay in the US
Gross pay is your earnings before deductions. Net pay is what remains after taxes, payroll contributions and o...
Take-Home Pay vs Salary in the US
Salary is a gross compensation figure. Take-home pay is an after-deduction estimate. Two people with the same ...
What Is FICA Tax?
In the United States, FICA generally refers to Social Security and Medicare taxes. For 2026, the employee Soci...
What Is Form W-4?
Form W-4 tells an employer how to calculate federal income tax withholding from an employee paycheck. A calcul...
What Is Taxable Income?
Taxable income is the amount used to calculate income tax after applicable deductions and adjustments. The def...
Federal Income Tax Withholding in the US
Federal income tax withholding is money an employer sends to the IRS from an employee paycheck. It is a prepay...
Paycheck Deductions in the US
Common deductions include income tax withholding, payroll taxes, retirement contributions, health insurance an...
How to Read a Pay Stub
Look for pay period dates, gross earnings, taxes, deductions, year-to-date totals and net pay. Comparing curre...
How Overtime Pay Works in the US
Overtime rules differ by jurisdiction. In some US situations, eligible employees may receive overtime at a hig...
Biweekly vs Semimonthly Pay in the US
Biweekly pay normally means 26 paychecks per year. Semimonthly pay normally means 24. The difference affects p...
Salary vs Hourly Pay in the US
Hourly workers are generally paid according to hours worked. Salaried workers receive a stated annual or perio...
How Pay Frequency Affects Your Paycheck in the US
Pay frequency changes the amount of each paycheck but usually does not change annual gross salary. Common sche...
Marginal Tax Rate in the US Explained
A marginal tax rate applies to the next portion of taxable income within a tax bracket. Moving into a higher b...
Salary to Hourly Rate in the US
A simple estimate divides annual salary by annual working hours. For example, $60,000 divided by 2,080 hours e...
$25 an Hour Is How Much a Year?
$25 per hour at 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year equals $52,000 gross annually....
$30 an Hour Is How Much a Year?
$30 per hour at 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year equals $62,400 gross annually....
$40 an Hour Is How Much a Year?
$40 per hour at 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year equals $83,200 gross annually....
$50 an Hour Is How Much a Year?
$50 per hour at 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year equals $104,000 gross annually....
$60,000 Salary After Taxes
Your take-home pay on a $60,000 salary depends on location, filing status and deductions. Use the relevant cou...
$100,000 Salary After Taxes
A $100,000 salary does not produce the same take-home pay everywhere. Federal/national tax, payroll contributi...
How to Compare Job Offers in the US
Compare base salary, expected working hours, bonuses, benefits, retirement contributions, paid leave and likel...