How to use the texas paycheck calculator
- Enter your gross pay for one pay period and choose how often you are paid.
- Choose your filing status as it appears on your W-4 (Step 1c).
- Add pre-tax items: 401(k) deferrals and health premiums per period.
- Use your W-4 steps (two jobs box, credits, other income, deductions, extra withholding) if you filled them in.
- Read the net pay and the line-by-line deductions for this check.
Texas has no state income tax on wages
Texas does not tax wages at the state level. Article VIII, Section 24-a of the Texas Constitution bars the legislature from imposing a tax on the net incomes of individuals, so there is no Texas withholding line on a pay stub. That leaves two deductions on every Texas paycheck: federal income tax withholding and FICA (Social Security and Medicare). This texas paycheck calculator applies the rules for 2026.
A worked Texas paycheck
Take $2,500 gross every two weeks, single, with no pre-tax deductions: that is $65,000 a year. Federal withholding from the IRS 2026 percentage method is $216.15, Social Security is $155.00, Medicare is $36.25, and Texas income tax is $0.00. Net pay is $2,092.60, or $54,407.60 over 26 checks.
Add $150 of pre-tax 401(k) and $75 of health premiums to the same check and take-home becomes $1,900.34, a drop of only $192.26 because the tax saved cushions the deduction.
Unemployment tax in Texas is an employer cost
The Texas Workforce Commission collects state unemployment tax from employers only. For 2026 its tax rate page lists a taxable wage base of $9,000 per employee, so an employer pays on the first $9,000 of each worker's pay in the year and nothing above it. None of that is withheld from your check, which is why this page has no unemployment line.
The $9,000 figure is the employer's cap, not yours. Your own Social Security tax runs to $184,500 of wages, a different limit that this calculator does apply.
Sales and property tax are not paycheck items
Texas raises most of its revenue through sales tax and local property tax, and homeowners often notice property tax most. Neither is taken from a paycheck. If you are comparing a Texas job with one in a state that withholds income tax, compare take-home pay first and then add your own property and sales tax estimate for the place you plan to live.
How the federal part is worked out
The federal line follows IRS Publication 15-T for 2026. For this example, federal wages are $2,500.00 a period, which annualises to $65,000.00 over 26 pay periods. Step 1(g) takes off $8,600.00 for single filers, leaving $56,400.00. That amount is looked up in the single schedule of annual percentage method tables, the resulting annual tentative tax is divided by 26, and W-4 credits and extra withholding are applied. The result is $216.15 for the period.
Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to $184,500 for the year and Medicare is 1.45% with no cap, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000. Only section 125 premiums reduce those wages.
Method and sources
Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T (2026) Worksheet 1A for the federal figure and IRS Publication 15 (2026) for the Social Security wage base of $184,500, the 1.45% Medicare rate and the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax over $200,000. Texas: Texas Constitution Article VIII, Section 24-a (no personal income tax) and the Texas Workforce Commission unemployment tax rate page (2026 taxable wage base $9,000, employer-paid). The shared engine is covered by hand-worked Publication 15-T cases in the test suite (for example $2,700 a period, single, biweekly: $254.38). Figures change each January, so this page is refreshed every year. Estimate only, not tax advice.
Worked examples
| Example | Input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Texas example | Gross pay this period ($): 2500; Pay frequency: biweekly; Federal filing status (W-4 Step 1c): single; 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: $2,500.00; Pre-tax deductions: $0.00; Federal income tax withholding: $216.15; Social Security (6.2%): $155.00; Medicare (1.45%): $36.25; Texas income tax: $0.00; Net pay this period: $2,092.60; Net pay per year: $54,407.60; Total withheld as % of gross: 16.30% |
| Monthly salary, head of household | Gross pay this period ($): 6000; Pay frequency: monthly; Federal filing status (W-4 Step 1c): hoh; Pre-tax 401(k) per pay period ($): 300; Health and other section 125 premiums per period ($): 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: $6,000.00; Pre-tax deductions: $300.00; Federal income tax withholding: $413.00; Social Security (6.2%): $372.00; Medicare (1.45%): $87.00; Texas income tax: $0.00; Net pay this period: $4,828.00; Net pay per year: $57,936.00; Total withheld as % of gross: 14.53% |
| Weekly pay with a 401(k) | Gross pay this period ($): 1200; Pay frequency: weekly; Federal filing status (W-4 Step 1c): single; Pre-tax 401(k) per pay period ($): 60; Health and other section 125 premiums per period ($): 40; 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: $1,200.00; Pre-tax deductions: $100.00; Federal income tax withholding: $90.08; Social Security (6.2%): $71.92; Medicare (1.45%): $16.82; Texas income tax: $0.00; Net pay this period: $921.18; Net pay per year: $47,901.36; Total withheld as % of gross: 14.90% |
FAQ
Does Texas have a state income tax?
No. Texas does not tax wages, and Article VIII, Section 24-a of its constitution bars a tax on the net incomes of individuals.
Why is my Texas paycheck still smaller than I expect?
Federal income tax and FICA still apply. FICA alone is 7.65% of gross pay up to the Social Security wage base, and federal withholding depends on your W-4 and filing status.
Is Texas unemployment tax taken from my paycheck?
No. The Texas Workforce Commission collects it from employers, on the first $9,000 of each employee's wages in 2026.
Is there a local income tax in Texas cities?
No. Texas cities and counties do not tax wages, so nothing local is withheld. Local property tax is billed separately.
How do I calculate Texas take-home pay on an hourly wage?
Multiply your hourly rate by the hours in the pay period for the gross figure, pick the pay frequency, and read the net pay row.
Why does the Social Security line stop partway through the year?
Social Security tax applies only to the first $184,500 of wages in 2026. Enter wages already paid this year to see the check where it stops.