Washington Paycheck Calculator 2026
Enter your pay to see what lands in your bank account. Washington has no state income tax, but two state premiums — paid family leave and long-term care — come out of every paycheck. We show both.
| 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 |
| Washington income tax · Washington has none | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| WA Paid Family & Medical Leave · your share | −$17.07 | −$443.94 |
| WA Cares Fund (long-term care) · no cap | −$12.27 | −$319.00 |
| Take-home pay | $1,754.22 | $45,609.56 |
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 Washington 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.
Washington has no individual income tax. But unlike most no-income-tax states, two Washington programs are paid for by payroll deductions:
- Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) — the 1.13% premium for 2026 is split between you and your employer; you pay 71.43% of it, about 0.81% of your gross wages ($8.07 per $1,000). It stops once your pay for the year passes $184,500.
- WA Cares Fund (long-term care) — 0.58% of your gross wages ($5.80 per $1,000), paid only by you, with no yearly cap.
Both are worked out on gross wages, following the Employment Security Department's own formula, and both come out after tax — they don't lower your federal income tax.
What's different about Washington
Who doesn't pay WA Cares
Some workers can get an exemption from the WA Cares premium, including people who live outside Washington, active-duty service members' spouses or registered domestic partners, veterans with a 70% or higher service-connected disability rating, and — automatically since January 1, 2026 — holders of nonimmigrant work visas. If you have an approved exemption, your employer won't take WA Cares out, and your take-home will be higher than shown here.
Workers' comp comes out of pay too
In Washington, workers pay part of the state workers' compensation premium: half of the medical aid, Stay at Work and supplemental pension premiums, charged per hour worked. The amount depends on your job's risk class, so we can't include it automatically — look for "L&I" on your pay stub and enter it under after-tax deductions.
Small employers
If your employer has fewer than 50 workers, it doesn't have to pay its own share of the PFML premium — but your share is the same and is still taken from your pay.
City minimum wages
Some cities set a higher minimum wage than the state's $17.13: in 2026, Seattle $21.30, Tukwila $21.65. Several other cities have their own rates too.
Paydays and your last paycheck
Washington employers must pay on regular, established paydays at least once a month. When you leave a job, for any reason, your final wages are due on the next regularly scheduled payday.
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 Washington calculators
Paycheck calculator · Hourly paycheck calculator · Salary paycheck calculator · What changed for 2026
Other states: Alaska · California · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Michigan · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Pennsylvania · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Virginia · 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
- Washington Department of Revenue — Income tax — Washington does not currently have an individual income tax
- Washington ESD — PFML premium rate for 2026 — 1.13%; employees pay 71.43%
- Washington ESD — Paid Leave employer wage reporting and premiums toolkit (2026) — PFML 1.13% × 71.43% employee share up to $184,500; WA Cares 0.58% of gross wages, no cap
- WA Cares Fund — Exemptions
- Washington L&I — Workers' compensation rates notice — workers pay half of medical aid, Stay at Work and supplemental pension premiums
- Washington L&I — 2026 minimum wage — $17.13 from January 1, 2026
- Washington L&I — Overtime — 1.5× after 40 hours in a week; no daily overtime
- Washington L&I — Minimum wage and tips poster (F700-150-000) — no tip credit; paydays at least monthly; final wages on the next regular payday
- Seattle Office of Labor Standards — Minimum wage
- City of Tukwila — Minimum wage
Questions
Does Washington take state tax out of my paycheck?
Not income tax — Washington has none. But two state premiums do come out: paid family leave (your share is about 0.81% of gross wages) and WA Cares (0.58%). Many workers also pay a small workers' comp (L&I) amount per hour.
How much is taken out of a $1,000 paycheck in Washington?
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 $871.55. Enter your own details in the calculator for your exact figure.
What is $20 an hour after taxes in Washington?
Working 40 hours a week and paid every two weeks, $20 an hour is $1,600.00 before tax and about $1,347.26 after tax per paycheck — $35,028.54 a year — for a single filer with a standard W-4.
What is WA Cares on my pay stub?
It's Washington's long-term care insurance program: 0.58% of your gross wages, with no cap. Some workers can be exempt, such as people who live outside Washington or veterans with a 70%+ service-connected disability.
What is the minimum wage in Washington in 2026?
$17.13 an hour statewide from January 1, 2026, with no tip credit. Some cities are higher: Seattle $21.30, Tukwila $21.65.
When do I get my last paycheck in Washington?
On the next regularly scheduled payday, whether you quit or were let go.