Why are only 24 states given exact figures?

Because in those states one number is genuinely the whole answer — nine tax wages not at all, and fifteen apply a single flat rate to everyone. The other 27 jurisdictions tax income in bands, each with its own thresholds, standard deduction and credits. Publishing a single figure for those would mean inventing an effective rate, and a plausible wrong number about someone's pay is worse than an honest gap.

Is the top marginal rate what I would pay in a graduated state?

No, and this is the most common misreading of a tax table. A marginal rate applies only to the portion of income above its threshold. California's 13.3% starts above a million dollars; someone on an ordinary salary there pays an effective rate a fraction of that. Using the top rate as though it were the effective rate can overstate the tax by three or four times.

Does this include local income taxes?

No, and in several states that omission is large. Maryland counties add roughly 2.25% to 3.2%, Philadelphia charges about 3.75% on residents' wages against a state rate of 3.07%, and all 92 Indiana counties levy their own. States where this applies are marked “+local” in the table — treat their figures as an upper bound on take-home.

Why is my actual paycheck different from this?

Withholding is not the same as tax owed. Your employer withholds according to the W-4 you filed, which is an estimate the IRS trues up when you file. Post-tax deductions — Roth contributions, garnishments, some insurance — also come out after this calculation. Treat the figure as annual tax liability rather than the number on any one payslip.

Does a state with no income tax mean a lower tax burden overall?

Not necessarily, and the table cannot show this. States without a wage tax raise the money elsewhere: Tennessee has the highest combined sales tax in the country, Texas leans heavily on property tax, and Washington taxes capital gains at 7% while declining to call it an income tax. For a relocation decision, income tax is one line of several.

Take-home pay by state

The same salary is not the same money. Enter one and see what each state leaves you after tax.

Updated August 2026 · Published by Novpix LLC

Annual salary

Filing status

Pre-tax deductions per year

401(k), HSA, pre-tax premiums.

Federal tax + FICA, everywhere

$13,408

$61,593 before any state tax

Highest take-home

$61,593

Alaska

Spread across these states

$3,975

$331 a month between AK and ID

Exact figures — 24 states where one rate is the whole answer

The 9 states with no wage tax and the 15 with a flat rate. Ranked by what lands in your account.

State	State rate	State tax	Take-home	Per month
Alaska	—	—	$61,593	$5,133
Florida	—	—	$61,593	$5,133
Nevada	—	—	$61,593	$5,133
New Hampshire	—	—	$61,593	$5,133
South Dakota	—	—	$61,593	$5,133
Tennessee	—	—	$61,593	$5,133
Texas	—	—	$61,593	$5,133
Washington	—	—	$61,593	$5,133
Wyoming	—	—	$61,593	$5,133
Arizona	2.5%	$1,875	$59,718	$4,976
Ohio+local	2.75%	$2,063	$59,530	$4,961
Indiana+local	2.95%	$2,213	$59,380	$4,948
Louisiana	3%	$2,250	$59,343	$4,945
Pennsylvania+local	3.07%	$2,303	$59,290	$4,941
Kentucky+local	3.5%	$2,625	$58,968	$4,914
Iowa+local	3.8%	$2,850	$58,743	$4,895
North Carolina	3.99%	$2,993	$58,600	$4,883
Mississippi	4%	$3,000	$58,593	$4,883
Michigan+local	4.25%	$3,188	$58,405	$4,867
Colorado+local	4.4%	$3,300	$58,293	$4,858
Utah	4.5%	$3,375	$58,218	$4,851
Illinois	4.95%	$3,713	$57,880	$4,823
Georgia	5.19%	$3,893	$57,700	$4,808
Idaho	5.3%	$3,975	$57,618	$4,801

The other 27 — graduated brackets

These states tax income in bands, so there is no single rate to apply and this tool will not invent one. Their top marginal rate is not what you would pay — it applies only to the last dollar, and in most of these states it starts well above $75,000. Use your own effective rate in the paycheck calculator for a figure you can rely on.

Alabama+local2% – 5%
Arkansas+local2% – 3.9%
California+local1% – 13.3%
Connecticut2% – 6.99%
Delaware+local2.2% – 6.6%
District of Columbia4% – 10.75%
Hawaii1.4% – 11%
Kansas+local5.2% – 5.58%
Maine5.8% – 7.15%
Maryland+local2% – 6.5%
Massachusetts5% – 9%
Minnesota5.35% – 9.85%
Missouri+local2% – 4.7%
Montana4.7% – 5.65%
Nebraska2.46% – 4.55%
New Jersey1.4% – 10.75%
New Mexico1.5% – 5.9%
New York+local3.9% – 10.9%
North Dakota1.95% – 2.5%
Oklahoma2.5% – 4.5%
Oregon+local4.75% – 9.9%
Rhode Island3.75% – 5.99%
South Carolina0% – 6%
Vermont3.35% – 8.75%
Virginia2% – 5.75%
West Virginia+local2.22% – 4.82%
Wisconsin3.5% – 7.65%

2026 federal brackets and a $16,100 standard deduction, plus Social Security and Medicare. State rates are 2026. Pay periods: 26 biweekly cheques a year, if that is how you are paid.

Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded

How it works

1Enter your annual salary and filing status. Add any pre-tax deductions — 401(k), HSA, insurance premiums — since those come off before income tax.
2The table ranks the states where a single rate gives an exact answer: the nine with no wage tax and the fifteen with a flat one.
3States with graduated brackets are listed separately with their rate range, because no single number describes them honestly.

Frequently asked questions

Why are only 24 states given exact figures?: Because in those states one number is genuinely the whole answer — nine tax wages not at all, and fifteen apply a single flat rate to everyone. The other 27 jurisdictions tax income in bands, each with its own thresholds, standard deduction and credits. Publishing a single figure for those would mean inventing an effective rate, and a plausible wrong number about someone's pay is worse than an honest gap.
Is the top marginal rate what I would pay in a graduated state?: No, and this is the most common misreading of a tax table. A marginal rate applies only to the portion of income above its threshold. California's 13.3% starts above a million dollars; someone on an ordinary salary there pays an effective rate a fraction of that. Using the top rate as though it were the effective rate can overstate the tax by three or four times.
Does this include local income taxes?: No, and in several states that omission is large. Maryland counties add roughly 2.25% to 3.2%, Philadelphia charges about 3.75% on residents' wages against a state rate of 3.07%, and all 92 Indiana counties levy their own. States where this applies are marked “+local” in the table — treat their figures as an upper bound on take-home.
Why is my actual paycheck different from this?: Withholding is not the same as tax owed. Your employer withholds according to the W-4 you filed, which is an estimate the IRS trues up when you file. Post-tax deductions — Roth contributions, garnishments, some insurance — also come out after this calculation. Treat the figure as annual tax liability rather than the number on any one payslip.
Does a state with no income tax mean a lower tax burden overall?: Not necessarily, and the table cannot show this. States without a wage tax raise the money elsewhere: Tennessee has the highest combined sales tax in the country, Texas leans heavily on property tax, and Washington taxes capital gains at 7% while declining to call it an income tax. For a relocation decision, income tax is one line of several.

About this tool

A salary offer means something different in Seattle than in Sacramento, and the gap is larger than most people assume. Federal tax and FICA are the same wherever you live — they are the bulk of what comes out — but the state layer runs from nothing at all to double digits, and on a normal salary that difference is measured in thousands of dollars a year.

This tool computes the whole stack for a salary you enter: 2026 federal brackets against the standard deduction for your filing status, Social Security up to the wage base, Medicare with no cap, and then each state's own rate. It ranks the result by what actually lands in your account rather than by tax rate, because a rate is not a number you can spend.

Where it stops is deliberate. Twenty-four jurisdictions get exact figures, because in those states one rate genuinely is the answer. The remaining twenty-seven run graduated brackets with their own thresholds, deductions and credits, and no honest single number exists for them — so they are listed with their range and pointed at the paycheck calculator, where you can enter an effective rate you have worked out or been quoted. Inventing a figure for those states would make the table look more complete and make it wrong.

Two limits worth carrying into any comparison. Local income taxes are not included, and in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana and New York City they are substantial enough to change the ranking — those states are marked. And a low income tax is not a low tax burden: the states that take nothing from wages collect it through sales or property tax instead. This is one line of the bill, not the bill.

Where these figures come from

Source: Federal brackets, FICA rates and state income tax rates, from the Tax Foundation.
Effective: January 1, 2026. Reviewed annually, and whenever a rate change is announced.
Maintained by: Novpix LLC. Corrections are welcome — the contact page reaches the people who maintain this data, and the changelog records what has been fixed.
Limitations: Local income taxes are not included, and in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana and New York City they are large enough to change the answer. Withholding is not the same as tax owed — your employer withholds against the W-4 you filed, and the return trues it up. Credits, itemised deductions and post-tax deductions are not modelled.
Not advice: This is a calculator and a reference table, not tax advice. For anything you are filing, remitting or relying on, confirm the figure with the relevant revenue department or a qualified tax professional.