How to use the washington 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.
Worked example: $90,000 a year, married filing jointly
$3,750 gross twice a month, no deductions. Federal withholding is $268.33, Social Security $232.50, Medicare $54.38. The PFML line is $30.27 and WA Cares $21.75. Net pay is $3,142.77, which is $75,426.48 over 24 checks. The two state premiums together take $52.02 per check, about 1.39% of gross.
How the federal part is worked out
The federal line follows IRS Publication 15-T for 2026. For this example, federal wages are $3,750.00 a period, which annualises to $90,000.00 over 24 pay periods. Step 1(g) takes off $12,900.00 for married filing jointly filers, leaving $77,100.00. That amount is looked up in the married filing jointly schedule of annual percentage method tables, the resulting annual tentative tax is divided by 24, and W-4 credits and extra withholding are applied. The result is $268.33 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.
How the PFML cap works
PFML premiums stop once wages reach the Social Security wage base ($184,500 for 2026), while WA Cares keeps going on every dollar. Use the wages-already-paid field to see a check late in the year: with $184,000 already paid, only $500 of a $3,750 check is subject to PFML, and the Social Security line shrinks to match.
Not covered
The estimate does not include voluntary plans, workers' compensation hourly premiums some employers deduct, or any local items. It is a 2026 withholding estimate, not a payroll quote. For flat-rate modelling use the paycheck calculator.
Method and sources
Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A, and IRS Publication 15 (2026) for the $184,500 Social Security wage base. Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave: the 2026 premium of 1.13% of gross wages up to the Social Security wage base, of which the employee pays 71.43%, is from the Washington Employment Security Department (esd.wa.gov) PFML premium rate release for 2026 and the paidleave.wa.gov premium page. The 2027 PFML rate of 1.2% (employees 70.7%, employers 29.3%) is from the Employment Security Department news release of October 16, 2026 and is shown as an upcoming change only. WA Cares Fund: 0.58% of all wages paid by the employee, from paidleave.wa.gov and wacaresfund.wa.gov. The shared engine is covered by hand-worked Publication 15-T cases in the test suite. Refresh every January. Estimate only, not tax advice.
Worked examples
| Example | Input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Washington example | Gross pay this period ($): 3750; Pay frequency: semimonthly; Federal filing status (W-4 Step 1c): mfj; 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: $3,750.00; Pre-tax deductions: $0.00; Federal income tax withholding: $268.33; Social Security (6.2%): $232.50; Medicare (1.45%): $54.38; Washington income tax: $0.00; WA Paid Family and Medical Leave (employee share): $30.27; WA Cares Fund (long-term care): $21.75; Net pay this period: $3,142.77; Net pay per year: $75,426.48; Total withheld as % of gross: 16.19% |
| Monthly salary, head of household | Gross pay this period ($): 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; Washington income tax: $0.00; WA Paid Family and Medical Leave (employee share): $48.43; WA Cares Fund (long-term care): $34.80; Net pay this period: $4,744.77; Net pay per year: $56,937.24; Total withheld as % of gross: 15.92% |
| Weekly pay with a 401(k) | Gross pay this period ($): 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; Washington income tax: $0.00; WA Paid Family and Medical Leave (employee share): $9.69; WA Cares Fund (long-term care): $6.96; Net pay this period: $904.53; Net pay per year: $47,035.56; Total withheld as % of gross: 16.29% |
FAQ
Does Washington have a state income tax on wages?
No. Washington does not tax wages, but it does collect PFML and WA Cares premiums from employees.
How much is the Washington PFML employee premium in 2026?
The total premium is 1.13% of wages up to the Social Security wage base. Employees pay 71.43% of that, about 0.807%. Employers with 50 or more employees pay the rest.
Who pays WA Cares?
The employee pays all of the 0.58% on every dollar of wages. Certain employees, such as temporary-visa workers, are exempt.
What will the Washington PFML premium be in 2027?
The Employment Security Department says the total premium rises to 1.2% in 2027. Employees pay 70.7% of it, about 0.848% of wages, and employers pay 29.3%. This calculator still applies the 2026 rate of 1.13%.
Why is my Washington net pay lower than a Texas worker's on the same salary?
About 1.39% of gross goes to PFML and WA Cares. On $90,000 that is roughly $1,250 a year.
Are WA premiums deducted before federal tax?
No. They are deducted after federal tax and FICA are figured, and they do not reduce federal taxable wages here.
Does the PFML employee share come from my gross pay?
Yes. The 71.43% employee share (about 0.807% of gross wages in 2026, up to the Social Security wage base) is deducted from your pay. This page uses 2026 figures only.