Salary Guides

What common salaries and hourly wages take home after taxes in 2026, and how gross pay turns into net pay.

Why Is My Paycheck Smaller Than Expected?

Taxes, benefits, W-4 settings and pay calendar quirks explain most smaller paychecks. Here's how to find the cause on your stub.

5 min read · October 5, 2026

Salaried pay offers stability, while hourly pay rewards extra hours. Here's how each affects your paycheck, with real take-home numbers.

Divide your salary by 2,080 to find your hourly rate. Here is how to adjust for different schedules and work out what…

Part-time pay is hours times rate, minus the same taxes full-timers pay, but federal withholding is often small or zero.

Your monthly take-home pay is your net paycheck times the number of paychecks per year, divided by 12. Here's how to get…

A line-by-line guide to your pay stub, with a sample Illinois stub showing how gross pay becomes net pay.

Three job offers with salaries $7,000 apart can leave you with nearly the same paycheck. Here's how to compare offers on what…

A step-by-step method for working out your take-home pay by hand, with a full 2026 example for a $72,000 salary in Georgia.

Overtime is at least 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Here's the math and what it…

A breakdown of how much of your salary goes to federal, FICA and state taxes in 2026, by income level, state and…