Net to Gross Calculator 2026
Free calculator: enter your desired annual take-home pay and get the gross salary needed after federal income tax, state tax, and FICA (Social Security & Medicare). By state and filing status.
Gross annual salary needed
$60,117
To take home $50,000/year after federal, state, and FICA
Total tax
$10,117
Effective tax rate
16.8%
What does net to gross mean?
Gross pay is your salary or wages before any taxes or deductions. Net pay (take-home pay) is what you receive after federal income tax, state income tax (if applicable), and FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) are withheld. A net-to-gross calculator does the reverse: you enter the annual take-home amount you want, and it tells you the gross salary you need so that after all withholdings you end up with that net. This is useful for budgeting ("I need $4,000/month after tax—what salary?"), comparing job offers, or planning a side income. Our calculator above uses current federal brackets, state tax rates by state, and FICA rules to solve for gross.
Federal income tax and your gross salary
Federal income tax is progressive: higher income is taxed at higher rates (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 37%). Your filing status (single, married filing jointly, head of household, etc.) and the standard deduction determine your taxable income and which brackets apply. When going from net to gross, the calculator must account for the fact that as gross goes up, you move into higher brackets, so the average tax rate increases. We use the current tax year brackets and standard deduction so the gross we compute matches real withholding. For a detailed breakdown of federal tax on any gross amount, use our US Tax Calculator or 2026 Federal Tax Calculator.
FICA taxes: Social Security and Medicare
FICA stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act and covers Social Security (6.2% of wages up to the wage base, e.g. $168,600 in 2024) and Medicare (1.45% on all wages; an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax on wages above a threshold for high earners). Unlike federal income tax, FICA is a flat percentage up to the wage base, so it is predictable. When calculating the gross needed for a desired net, FICA is included: the gross must be high enough that after federal tax, state tax, and FICA you land on your target take-home. For a FICA-only view, use our FICA Tax Calculator.
State income tax and net to gross by state
State income tax varies by state: nine states have no state income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming), while others use flat or progressive rates. When you choose your state in the net-to-gross calculator, we apply that state’s tax so the gross we compute is accurate for your location. Moving from a no-tax state to a high-tax state (e.g. California, New York) means you need a higher gross to achieve the same take-home—our Relocation Salary Calculator compares cost of living and taxes between cities. For state-by-state take-home from a given gross, use our US Tax Calculator and select your state.
When to use a net-to-gross calculator
Use a net-to-gross (or reverse tax) calculator when you know the take-home you need and want to know the salary to ask for or budget from: e.g. "I need $60,000 after tax—what gross do I need in California as a single filer?" It’s also useful for checking job offers (comparing gross offers in different states), planning freelance or side income (how much to earn to net a target), and setting a salary ask in negotiations. Your actual paycheck may differ slightly due to other deductions (health insurance, 401(k), etc.); for gross-to-net (forward) calculations with optional deductions, use our US Paycheck Calculator and W-4 Assistant to tune withholding.