Your take-home pay depends on federal income tax, FICA (Social Security and Medicare), state income tax, and sometimes local wage taxes.
Federal tax is progressive: higher earners pay a higher percentage. State tax rates vary dramatically—from 0% in Alaska to over 13% in California.
FICA is always 15.3% (split employer/employee), meaning 7.65% comes from your paycheck regardless of state or income level.
Employees in high-tax states like New York, California, and Massachusetts can see 35%+ of gross income withheld when combined with federal and FICA.
Use detailed state comparisons to evaluate relocation offers or remote work across state lines.