How the take-home pay calculator works
Gross to net: the five cuts
Between salary and deposit sit federal income tax (marginal brackets minus your standard deduction), FICA (a flat 7.65% up to the Social Security wage base), state income tax (0–13% by state), your pre-tax elections (401(k), medical premiums), and post-tax deductions. The calculator models the first four; your real paystub adds the local details.
Why "I'm in the 22% bracket" is wrong
Brackets are marginal: only dollars inside each band pay that band's rate. A $78,000 single filer pays 10% on the first slice, 12% on the next, 22% only on the top slice — an effective rate near 15% before FICA. This is the single most misunderstood fact in personal finance, and it changes how raises and bonuses feel.
Getting the estimate tighter
Two levers refine it: your actual state rate (search "your state + income tax rate" — some cities add more) and your W-4 settings, which shift withholding (the cash-flow timing) without changing the annual tax. If the calculator says one number and your stub says another, the W-4 is the usual suspect.