Washington Paycheck Calculator

Your estimated take-home pay in Washington, using 2026 federal rules. Washington takes no state income tax out of your paycheck — but two state premiums (Paid Leave and WA Cares) do come out of most Washington checks, and this calculator does not deduct them. See the note under the result.

Quick answers

All three assume a single filer with no pre-tax deductions. The taxes in them are federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare — Washington's Paid Leave and WA Cares premiums are not included (see the note above).

How this calculator works

A Washington paycheck is the federal calculation, plus two state insurance premiums that this calculator leaves out. The steps:

1. Start with gross pay for the period — your salary divided by the number of paychecks in the year, or your hourly rate times the hours in the paycheck.
2. Subtract pre-tax deductions such as a traditional 401(k). What remains is your pay subject to federal income tax. Social Security and Medicare are still figured on your full gross pay.
3. Annualize and apply the IRS schedule. Your taxable pay is multiplied up to a full year and run through the Publication 15-T (2026) Percentage Method schedule for your filing status, with any W-4 adjustments you entered.
4. Divide back into paychecks, after subtracting W-4 Step 3 credits and adding any Step 4(c) extra withholding.
5. Add FICA. Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to $184,500 for 2026; Medicare is 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% withholding on wages from one employer above $200,000.
6. Add Washington state income tax: $0. Washington has no income tax on wages, and no Washington city levies one either. The two state premiums that may still come out — Paid Leave and WA Cares — are covered in the rules section below; they are not part of this estimate.
7. The remainder is your take-home pay — before those two premiums, if your employer charges them to you.

Worked examples

These examples were produced with this calculator's own engine. Unless stated otherwise, they assume no pre-tax deductions and no W-4 adjustments — and, like the calculator, they do not deduct the Washington premiums described below.

Example 1: $95,000 salary, single, with a 401(k)

A Seattle tech salary, paid every two weeks, with a pre-tax 401(k) contribution of $150 per paycheck.

Gross pay per paycheck	$3,653.85
Pre-tax 401(k) contribution	−$150.00
Federal income tax	−$504.00
Social Security (6.2%)	−$226.54
Medicare (1.45%)	−$52.98
Washington state income tax	$0.00
Take-home pay	$2,720.33

Without the 401(k), federal withholding would be $537.00 per paycheck. Contributing $150 cuts it by $33.00 per paycheck — $858.00 over a year — so the contribution costs $117.00 of spendable pay per check, not the full $150. Take-home pay for the year is $70,728.58, plus $3,900 contributed to the 401(k). A real Washington paycheck at this salary would also lose up to about 1.39% to the Paid Leave and WA Cares premiums, which none of these figures include.

Example 2: $28 an hour, married filing jointly, paid weekly

Gross pay per paycheck (40 hours)	$1,120.00
Federal income tax	−$80.32
Social Security (6.2%)	−$69.44
Medicare (1.45%)	−$16.24
Washington state income tax	$0.00
Take-home pay	$954.00

At 40 hours a week, $28 an hour is $58,240 a year before tax. Filing jointly keeps federal withholding low — $80.32 a week — because the joint schedule's lower bands are roughly twice the single ones. Total federal tax and FICA for the year come to $8,632.00, about 14.8% of gross pay, leaving $49,608.00 in take-home pay before the Washington premiums.

Example 3: $130,000 salary, head of household, paid twice a month

Gross pay per paycheck	$5,416.67
Federal income tax	−$760.63
Social Security (6.2%)	−$335.83
Medicare (1.45%)	−$78.54
Washington state income tax	$0.00
Take-home pay	$4,241.66

Twice-a-month pay means 24 paychecks a year, so each check is larger than the every-two-weeks equivalent. Take-home pay for the year is $101,799.84 out of $130,000 gross. Note how much of the gap is FICA: $414.37 of the $1,175.00 withheld per paycheck is Social Security and Medicare, which no state choice can change.

Washington take-home pay by salary

Single filer, paid every two weeks, no pre-tax deductions. Find your salary to see what actually lands in your account — and notice that the state column never appears, because there is no state income tax to put in it. The Paid Leave and WA Cares premiums are not in these figures either.

Annual salary	Gross per paycheck	Federal tax	FICA	Take-home per paycheck	Take-home per year
$40,000	$1,538.46	−$140.46	−$117.69	$1,280.31	$33,288.06
$50,000	$1,923.08	−$186.62	−$147.11	$1,589.34	$41,322.84
$60,000	$2,307.69	−$240.85	−$176.54	$1,890.30	$49,147.80
$75,000	$2,884.62	−$367.77	−$220.68	$2,296.18	$59,700.68
$100,000	$3,846.15	−$579.31	−$294.23	$2,972.61	$77,287.86
$125,000	$4,807.69	−$799.92	−$367.79	$3,639.98	$94,639.48
$150,000	$5,769.23	−$1,030.69	−$441.34	$4,297.19	$111,726.94

Two patterns are worth seeing. First, FICA is a flat 7.65% at every row of this table — it does not rise with income until the Social Security cap, so it is a bigger share of the total tax at $40,000 (about 46% of all tax withheld) than at $150,000 (about 30%). Second, the federal column grows faster than salary: going from $50,000 to $100,000 doubles gross pay but more than triples federal withholding, because more of the pay lands in the 22% band.

Washington take-home pay by the hour

Single filer, paid weekly, 40 hours a week, no pre-tax deductions.

Hourly rate	Gross per week	Federal tax	FICA	Take-home per week	Take-home per year
$15.00	$600.00	−$49.92	−$45.90	$504.18	$26,217.36
$20.00	$800.00	−$73.92	−$61.20	$664.88	$34,573.76
$25.00	$1,000.00	−$97.92	−$76.50	$825.58	$42,930.16
$30.00	$1,200.00	−$130.58	−$91.80	$977.62	$50,836.24
$40.00	$1,600.00	−$218.58	−$122.40	$1,259.02	$65,469.04
$50.00	$2,000.00	−$306.58	−$153.00	$1,540.42	$80,101.84

Hourly workers feel annualization more than salaried workers do: a week with overtime is withheld as if that were your pace all year. If your hours swing a lot, expect bigger refunds or smaller ones at tax time rather than exact withholding — the annual return evens it out. On top of the figures above, a real Washington check also loses the Paid Leave and WA Cares premiums. To work out the overtime itself, use the Overtime Calculator.

Washington pay rules worth knowing

Payday law. Washington employers must pay at least once a month, on regular paydays they establish — the state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) publishes the rules on its “Getting Paid” pages. Many employers pay every two weeks or twice a month, but monthly is the floor. Your employer must also give you an itemized pay statement each period showing hours, rate, gross pay, and every deduction.

Final paychecks. If you leave a Washington job — quit or fired — your final paycheck is due on or before the next regularly scheduled payday. Your employer may not delay it because you still have a uniform, keys, or tools: Washington law requires the wages to be paid and the property to be chased separately. L&I handles wage complaints if a final check does not arrive.

The two premiums this calculator leaves out. Washington workers pay into two state insurance programs through payroll. Paid Family & Medical Leave (“Paid Leave”): the total premium for 2026 is 1.13% of gross wages (excluding tips), applied only up to the Social Security wage cap of $184,500. Employers may charge employees up to 71.43% of that premium — about 0.81% of wages — employers with 50 or more employees must pay the remaining 28.57% themselves, and any employer may voluntarily cover the employee share. WA Cares Fund, the state's long-term care program: a flat 0.58% of all wages, with no wage cap, paid by the employee unless the employer elects to pay it. Together the two can take up to about 1.39% off a Washington paycheck — real money, but a premium, not an income tax.

No Washington W-4. States with an income tax usually have their own withholding form or use the federal elections. Washington has neither: the only withholding paperwork for a Washington job is the federal Form W-4, which is why this calculator only asks federal questions.

Minimum wage and overtime. Washington's minimum wage for 2026 is $17.13 an hour, set by L&I — among the highest state rates in the country — and some cities, including Seattle, set higher local rates. Overtime follows the federal pattern of time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek, and state law also guarantees paid sick leave that accrues as you work. Washington employers pay the state unemployment insurance tax themselves; it is not deducted from employees.

The trade-off. No income tax does not mean no taxes: Washington funds state government mainly through its retail sales tax and the business & occupation (B&O) tax that businesses pay on gross receipts, rather than a tax on wages. Those don't show up in your paycheck, but they are part of the honest comparison if you are weighing a Washington offer against one in a state with an income tax.

Frequently asked questions

Does Washington have a state income tax?
No. Washington does not levy a personal income tax, so no state income tax is withheld from a Washington paycheck, and no Washington city adds a local income tax on wages. Two state premiums — Paid Family & Medical Leave and WA Cares — can still come out of your pay; they are insurance premiums, not income tax, and this calculator does not deduct them.

Is there a Washington W-4 form?
No. Because there is no state income tax withholding, Washington has no state version of the W-4. The only withholding form you fill out for a Washington job is the federal Form W-4, which is what this calculator's filing status and adjustment fields mirror. The Paid Leave and WA Cares premiums are set by law, not by a form you file.

How much is $100,000 a year after taxes in Washington?
For a single filer paid every two weeks with no pre-tax deductions: $2,972.61 take-home per paycheck and $77,287.86 over a full year. The only taxes are federal withholding ($15,062.06 a year) and FICA — Social Security and Medicare ($7,649.98 a year). A real Washington paycheck would also be reduced by the Paid Leave and WA Cares premiums — up to about 1.39% of pay combined if your employer passes on the full employee shares.

What comes out of a Washington paycheck?
Federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500 of wages in 2026), and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% withholding on wages from one employer above $200,000). Washington adds no income tax, but most Washington paychecks also show two state premiums: Paid Leave (employees can be charged up to about 0.81% of wages in 2026) and WA Cares (0.58% of wages) — neither is included in this calculator's estimate. Beyond taxes, many paychecks also have voluntary or court-ordered deductions such as 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, and garnishments.

How often does my employer have to pay me in Washington?
Washington law requires employers to pay at least once a month, on a regular schedule of paydays the employer sets. Many Washington employers pay every two weeks or twice a month, but once a month is the legal floor for most jobs.

When is my final paycheck due if I leave a Washington job?
Your final paycheck is due on or before the next regularly scheduled payday after your last day, whether you quit or were fired. A Washington employer also may not hold your final pay until you return uniforms, tools, or other company property — it has to pay you and pursue the property separately.

Is overtime pay taxed less in 2026?
Not in your paycheck. Withholding on overtime works exactly like withholding on regular pay. A newer federal deduction for the premium half of overtime pay (the extra 0.5×) applies when you file your tax return for 2025 through 2028 — it lowers your tax bill at filing time, but it does not change the withholding this calculator estimates.

Why is my Washington paycheck a little different from this estimate?
Employers may round differently, and your actual W-4 entries, benefit premiums, 401(k) contributions, or garnishments may differ from what you entered here. Pay frequency matters too: the same salary produces different per-check amounts weekly, every two weeks, twice a month, or monthly. In Washington the most common extra reason is the Paid Leave and WA Cares premiums, which this estimate leaves out.

Sources

Federal withholding follows the IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods. FICA rates are from the IRS page Social Security and Medicare Withholding Rates (Topic No. 751), and the 2026 Social Security wage base of $184,500 is from the Social Security Administration. Payday and final-pay rules are from the Washington Department of Labor & Industries' “Getting Paid” guidance, and the 2026 minimum wage of $17.13 is from L&I's minimum wage history. The 2026 Paid Leave premium split is from the Washington Employment Security Department's Paid Leave employer guidance, and the WA Cares 0.58% rate is from the WA Cares Fund employer page. Overtime rules are from the U.S. Department of Labor's Fair Labor Standards Act pages. Calculation details are on our methodology page.

Related calculators

Compare take-home pay in every state on the Paycheck Calculators by State hub. Texas and Florida run the same federal-only math with no state premiums on top — see the Texas Paycheck Calculator and Florida Paycheck Calculator. For the opposite end of the scale, the California Paycheck Calculator shows what a state income tax does to the same pay. For hourly work specifically, see the Hourly Paycheck Calculator and the Overtime Calculator.

Estimate for general information only — not tax, legal, or financial advice. Federal method: IRS Publication 15-T (2026). Social Security wage base 2026: $184,500 (SSA). Washington state income tax on wages: none. The Washington Paid Leave and WA Cares premiums are not deducted by this calculator. See our methodology & sources.