Texas Paycheck Calculator 2026
Enter your pay to see what lands in your bank account. Texas has no state income tax, so only federal taxes come out — and we show each one.
| Per paycheck | Amount | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,115.38 | $55,000.00 |
| Federal income tax · withheld | −$170.00 | −$4,420.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$131.15 | −$3,410.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$30.67 | −$797.50 |
| Texas income tax · Texas has none | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Take-home pay | $1,783.56 | $46,372.50 |
How the federal income tax was worked out
| Pay subject to income tax, for the year · $2,115.38 × 26 paychecks | $55,000.00 |
| Minus the IRS withholding allowance · Pub 15-T Worksheet 1A, line 1g | −$8,600.00 |
| Adjusted yearly wage | $46,400.00 |
| Tax from the IRS yearly table · standard table | $4,420.00 |
| Federal income tax per paycheck · divided by 26 | $170.00 |
IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A — the percentage method payroll software uses for a Form W-4 from 2020 or later. Your employer's figure can differ by a few cents because of rounding.
What comes out of a Texas paycheck
- Federal income tax withholding — worked out from your pay and your Form W-4, using the IRS tables for 2026.
- Social Security — 6.2% of your pay, up to $184,500 of pay in 2026. Above that, it stops for the rest of the year.
- Medicare — 1.45% of all your pay, plus 0.9% on pay above $200,000 in the year.
Texas has no state income tax, no state disability or paid-leave deduction, and no city or county income tax. So a Texas paycheck has only the federal deductions above taken out, plus whatever you chose, such as a 401(k), health insurance or union dues.
Texas unemployment tax is paid by your employer on the first $9,000 of your pay each year. The Texas Workforce Commission is clear that it is not deducted from your wages.
What's different about Texas
No income tax — written into the constitution
Since voters approved it on November 5, 2019, the Texas Constitution says the legislature may not tax the net incomes of individuals. So there is no Texas withholding form to fill in when you start a job — only the federal Form W-4 — and a Texas income tax could not appear on your pay stub without another constitutional amendment.
When you must be paid
Under the Texas Payday Law, employees who get overtime must be paid at least twice a month, and salaried employees exempt from overtime at least once a month. Your employer has to post its paydays; if it never set any, the law treats the 1st and 15th of each month as paydays.
What your employer can take out
A Texas employer may only deduct from your pay what a court orders (such as child support), what a law requires (such as federal tax withholding), or what you have authorized in writing for a lawful purpose. If money is missing from your paycheck, you can file a wage claim with the Texas Workforce Commission — but it must arrive within 180 days of the date the wages were due.
Your last paycheck
If you are fired or laid off, your final pay is due within 6 calendar days. If you quit, it is due on the next regular payday.
Moving to Texas
If you move to Texas from a state with an income tax, your take-home pay rises by roughly what that state was withholding. If you live in Texas but work in a state that taxes wages, that state may still withhold its tax from your pay; this calculator covers work done in Texas.
Why your paycheck might differ from this
- Your W-4. Credits for children (Step 3), a checked Step 2 box, or extra withholding (Step 4c) change the federal amount a lot. Open "Tips, 401(k), health insurance and W-4 details" above to enter them.
- Benefits taken before tax. Health insurance through work usually lowers income tax and Social Security and Medicare. A traditional 401(k) lowers income tax only.
- Rounding. Payroll software may round each step, so a few cents of difference is normal.
Tips and overtime in 2026
New federal deductions apply for 2025 through 2028: up to $25,000 for qualified tips, and up to $12,500 ($25,000 for joint filers) for the extra "half" of time-and-a-half overtime. Both phase out above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint).
These are deductions on your tax return. Your employer still takes Social Security and Medicare out of tips and overtime, and still withholds income tax unless you tell it otherwise. If you expect to claim them, you can put the expected amount in Step 4(b) of your W-4 (and in the Step 4(b) box above) so less income tax is withheld during the year.
Other Texas calculators
Paycheck calculator · Hourly paycheck calculator · Salary paycheck calculator · What changed for 2026
Other states: Alaska · Florida · Nevada · New Hampshire · South Dakota · Tennessee · Washington · Wyoming
Sources
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Worksheet 1A and the annual percentage-method tables
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide — Social Security and Medicare rates
- Social Security Administration — 2026 wage base of $184,500
- IRS — tips and overtime deductions
- Texas Constitution, Article 8, Section 24-a — the legislature may not tax the net incomes of individuals (adopted November 5, 2019)
- Texas Workforce Commission — Unemployment Tax Basics — unemployment taxes are not deducted from employee wages; first $9,000 of pay is taxable
- Texas Workforce Commission — Texas Minimum Wage Law — Texas adopts the federal $7.25 minimum wage
- Texas Guidebook for Employers — Allowable Deductions Under the FLSA — $2.13 cash wage for tipped employees
- Texas Workforce Commission — Texas Payday Law — paydays, allowed deductions, 180-day wage claims
- Texas Guidebook for Employers — Final Pay — Labor Code § 61.014
- Texas Guidebook for Employers — What the FLSA does and does not do — overtime after 40 hours in a workweek
Questions
Does Texas take state tax out of my paycheck?
No. Texas has no personal income tax — the state constitution forbids one — so there is no state income tax withholding. Only federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare are taken out, plus any benefits you signed up for.
How much is taken out of a $1,000 paycheck in Texas?
For a single filer paid every two weeks with nothing else on the W-4, a $1,000 paycheck has about $38.08 of federal income tax, $62.00 of Social Security and $14.50 of Medicare taken out, leaving $885.42. Enter your own details in the calculator for your exact figure.
What is $20 an hour after taxes in Texas?
Working 40 hours a week and paid every two weeks, $20 an hour is $1,600.00 before tax and about $1,369.45 after tax per paycheck — $35,605.60 a year — for a single filer with a standard W-4.
Is overtime taxed more in Texas?
No. Overtime is added to your paycheck and taxed at the same rates; a bigger paycheck can simply fall into a higher withholding bracket for that pay period. From 2025 to 2028 you may be able to deduct part of your overtime on your federal return.
When do I get my last paycheck in Texas?
If you are fired or laid off, within 6 calendar days. If you quit, on the next regular payday.
What is the minimum wage in Texas?
$7.25 an hour, the federal minimum wage, which Texas adopts. Tipped employees can be paid $2.13 an hour in cash as long as tips bring them up to $7.25.