How to use the new jersey paycheck calculator
- Enter gross pay for one check and pick the pay frequency.
- Pick the NJ-W4 status and rate letter. New Jersey does not use the federal W-4 for its own tax.
- Enter allowances from line 4 and any extra amount from line 5.
- Add 401(k) and health premiums per check, then any federal W-4 entries.
- Read net pay, including unemployment, workforce, disability and family leave lines.
Five rate tables, picked by the NJ-W4
New Jersey withholding comes from five percentage-method tables, Rate A to Rate E, and which one applies depends on the NJ-W4 you gave your employer. Single filers and married partners filing separately use Rate A. Joint, head of household and qualifying widow(er) filers use Rate B, unless they write a letter on line 3 after using the wage chart on the form, which sends two-income households to Rate C, D or E. A $2,800 biweekly check with a $140 401(k) deferral and one allowance withholds $97.10 of New Jersey tax here, plus $23.66 of unemployment, workforce, disability and family leave contributions. This New Jersey paycheck calculator shows take-home pay of $2,079.46. For other states, see the general paycheck calculator.
Allowances and the additional amount
Each allowance on line 4 is worth $1,000 a year. The tables express that per pay period: $19.20 weekly, $38.40 biweekly, $41.60 semimonthly and $83.30 monthly. Multiply by the allowances, subtract from the pay for the period, then read the withholding from the table. Line 5 is an extra flat amount withheld each pay, and this calculator adds it to the New Jersey line. Employees who expect little income can write EXEMPT on line 6, which stops withholding; that is not modelled here.
Four contributions besides income tax
New Jersey employees pay four small contributions in 2026. Unemployment insurance is 0.3825% and the workforce development fund is 0.0425%, both on the first $44,800 of wages, so they stop after $171.36 and $19.04. Temporary disability insurance is 0.19% and family leave insurance is 0.23%, both on the first $171,100, which caps them at $325.09 and $393.53. Together they take 0.845% of pay on the first $44,800 and 0.42% from there until $171,100.
Why the wage chart matters
Rate B assumes one income. When both spouses work, Rate B withholds too little, which is why the NJ-W4 wage chart points to Rate C, D or E. A married employee paid $4,200 biweekly, with no deferral and two allowances, withholds $133.82 on Rate B and $186.02 on Rate E in this calculator, a difference of $52.20 on every check. Choosing the letter, together with the extra amount on line 5, is how an employee adjusts New Jersey withholding, and the New Jersey paycheck calculator shows the effect of each.
Worked example: single, biweekly
A single employee earns $2,800 every two weeks and defers $140 into a 401(k), which New Jersey does not tax. Wages for withholding are $2,660. One allowance is worth $38.40, leaving $2,621.60. In the Rate A biweekly table the bracket from $1,538 to $2,885 is $31.00 plus 6.1% of the excess over $1,538. The excess is $1,083.60 and 6.1% of it is $66.10, so New Jersey withholds $97.10, the figure the New Jersey paycheck calculator shows for this check.
Method and sources
State rule: New Jersey Division of Taxation, "Tables for Percentage Method of Withholding" (Rate A to E for weekly, biweekly, semimonthly and monthly pay, applicable to wages paid on and after October 1, 2020), the tables the NJ-WT employer guide of September 2025 refers to, with the allowance values from that guide. Form NJ-W4 (1-21) gives the rate letter for each filing status and the wage chart. The six worked examples on page 25 of the NJ-WT guide come out within three cents of this calculator, the difference being that the guide rounds table edges to $384 and $961 where the table prints $385 and $962. The NJ-WT guide lists 401(k) contributions up to the federal limit and qualifying cafeteria plan amounts as not subject to New Jersey withholding. Contributions: New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, "Rate information, contributions, and due dates", worker rates and taxable wage bases for 2026. Federal income tax follows IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A, annual percentage method. Social Security is 6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base and Medicare is 1.45% plus 0.9% over $200,000 of wages.
What this does not cover
This page does not model the EXEMPT claim, supplemental wage withholding for bonuses, or withholding for a resident who works in another state. This is a withholding estimate for one paycheck, not a payroll quote or tax advice. Your employer's payroll system and your final tax return decide the real figures.
Worked examples
| Example | Input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey example | Gross pay this period ($): 2800; Pay frequency: biweekly; Federal filing status (W-4 Step 1c): single; Filing status on Form NJ-W4 (line 2): single; NJ-W4 allowances (line 4): 1; Additional amount withheld each pay (NJ-W4 line 5): 0; Pre-tax 401(k) per pay period ($): 140; Health and other section 125 premiums per period ($): 0; W-4 Step 2 box checked (two jobs)?: no; W-4 Step 3 credits, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(a) other income, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(b) deductions, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(c) extra withholding per period ($): 0; Wages already paid this year ($): 0 | Gross pay this period: $2,800.00; Pre-tax deductions: $140.00; Federal income tax withholding: $245.58; Social Security (6.2%): $173.60; Medicare (1.45%): $40.60; New Jersey income tax: $97.10; NJ unemployment insurance (0.3825%): $10.71; NJ workforce development fund (0.0425%): $1.19; NJ temporary disability insurance (0.19%): $5.32; NJ family leave insurance (0.23%): $6.44; Net pay this period: $2,079.46; Net pay per year: $54,065.96; Total withheld as % of gross: 20.73% |
| Married, two allowances | Gross pay this period ($): 4200; Pay frequency: biweekly; Federal filing status (W-4 Step 1c): mfj; Filing status on Form NJ-W4 (line 2): joint; NJ-W4 allowances (line 4): 2; Additional amount withheld each pay (NJ-W4 line 5): 0; Pre-tax 401(k) per pay period ($): 0; Health and other section 125 premiums per period ($): 0; W-4 Step 2 box checked (two jobs)?: no; W-4 Step 3 credits, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(a) other income, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(b) deductions, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(c) extra withholding per period ($): 0; Wages already paid this year ($): 0 | Gross pay this period: $4,200.00; Pre-tax deductions: $0.00; Federal income tax withholding: $336.31; Social Security (6.2%): $260.40; Medicare (1.45%): $60.90; New Jersey income tax: $133.82; NJ unemployment insurance (0.3825%): $16.07; NJ workforce development fund (0.0425%): $1.79; NJ temporary disability insurance (0.19%): $7.98; NJ family leave insurance (0.23%): $9.66; Net pay this period: $3,373.07; Net pay per year: $87,699.82; Total withheld as % of gross: 19.69% |
| Same couple on Rate E (both spouses work) | Gross pay this period ($): 4200; Pay frequency: biweekly; Federal filing status (W-4 Step 1c): mfj; Filing status on Form NJ-W4 (line 2): joint; Rate table letter on NJ-W4 line 3: E; NJ-W4 allowances (line 4): 2; Additional amount withheld each pay (NJ-W4 line 5): 0; Pre-tax 401(k) per pay period ($): 0; Health and other section 125 premiums per period ($): 0; W-4 Step 2 box checked (two jobs)?: no; W-4 Step 3 credits, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(a) other income, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(b) deductions, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(c) extra withholding per period ($): 0; Wages already paid this year ($): 0 | Gross pay this period: $4,200.00; Pre-tax deductions: $0.00; Federal income tax withholding: $336.31; Social Security (6.2%): $260.40; Medicare (1.45%): $60.90; New Jersey income tax: $186.02; NJ unemployment insurance (0.3825%): $16.07; NJ workforce development fund (0.0425%): $1.79; NJ temporary disability insurance (0.19%): $7.98; NJ family leave insurance (0.23%): $9.66; Net pay this period: $3,320.87; Net pay per year: $86,342.62; Total withheld as % of gross: 20.93% |
| Weekly pay, no allowances | Gross pay this period ($): 900; Pay frequency: weekly; Federal filing status (W-4 Step 1c): single; Filing status on Form NJ-W4 (line 2): single; NJ-W4 allowances (line 4): 0; Additional amount withheld each pay (NJ-W4 line 5): 0; Pre-tax 401(k) per pay period ($): 0; Health and other section 125 premiums per period ($): 0; W-4 Step 2 box checked (two jobs)?: no; W-4 Step 3 credits, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(a) other income, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(b) deductions, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(c) extra withholding per period ($): 0; Wages already paid this year ($): 0 | Gross pay this period: $900.00; Pre-tax deductions: $0.00; Federal income tax withholding: $66.08; Social Security (6.2%): $55.80; Medicare (1.45%): $13.05; New Jersey income tax: $23.28; NJ unemployment insurance (0.3825%): $3.44; NJ workforce development fund (0.0425%): $0.38; NJ temporary disability insurance (0.19%): $1.71; NJ family leave insurance (0.23%): $2.07; Net pay this period: $734.19; Net pay per year: $38,177.88; Total withheld as % of gross: 18.42% |
FAQ
Which New Jersey withholding table applies to me?
Single filers and married partners filing separately use Rate A. Joint, head of household and qualifying widow(er) filers use Rate B unless they enter Rate C, D or E on line 3 of the NJ-W4 after using its wage chart.
How much is a New Jersey withholding allowance worth?
$1,000 of annual wages, which is $19.20 weekly, $38.40 biweekly, $41.60 semimonthly or $83.30 monthly.
What are the New Jersey SDI and FLI rates for 2026?
Employees pay 0.19% for temporary disability insurance and 0.23% for family leave insurance on the first $171,100 of wages.
Do New Jersey employees pay unemployment tax?
Yes. Workers pay 0.3825% for unemployment insurance and 0.0425% for the workforce development fund on the first $44,800 of wages in 2026.
Does New Jersey tax my 401(k) deferral?
Not for withholding. The state guide lists 401(k) contributions up to the federal limit as not subject to New Jersey withholding, so this calculator takes them out first.
Why does the New Jersey line differ from the federal line?
New Jersey uses its own NJ-W4, its own allowances and its own tables, so the federal W-4 does not change it.