Guides: understanding your US pay
In-depth articles on paycheck anatomy, payroll taxes and pre-tax deductions — every figure computed with verified 2026 parameters.
Rates verified on 10/3/2026 — official sources
A calculator gives you a number; these guides explain where it comes from. Each article starts from a concrete situation — a pay stub to decode, a withholding line to understand, a 401(k) election to evaluate — and walks through it using the official 2026 parameters our calculators run on: IRS brackets from Revenue Procedure 2025-32, the SSA wage base, published state schedules.
The worked examples are not borrowed averages: they are computed to the cent by the same engine as the salary calculator, on amounts you will also find in the salary pages. When a rate or a ceiling changes, the article is regenerated with it — the verification date at the top of each page is the parameter's verification date, not a drafting guess. Start with the paycheck anatomy if the topic is new, or jump to the guide that answers your question.
Understanding your paycheck: every line explained
Federal tax, FICA, state tax, pre-tax deductions — what each withholding on your stub actually is.
FICA explained: Social Security and Medicare in 2026
6.2% Social Security capped at $184,500, 1.45% Medicare, plus 0.9% over $200,000 — the full picture.
How a 401(k) changes your take-home pay
Contributing pre-tax costs less than it looks — a dollar-for-dollar example on a $60,000 salary.
State income tax: same salary, different paycheck
TX, FL or WA take nothing; CA, NY or IL take real money — the same salary compared across states.