Guides

How payroll actually works, without the jargon.

How the W-4 Actually Controls Your PaycheckThe W-4 has no allowances any more, and Step 2 is the one that catches people out. Here is what each step does to your withholding, and how to fix it if it is wrong.Why Your Bonus Got Taxed at 22%Bonuses are withheld at a flat 22% federally, not taxed at 22%. Here is the difference, the $1 million rule, and why most people get some of it back.Pre-Tax vs Post-Tax DeductionsTwo deductions of the same size can cost you very different amounts. Here is which deductions come out before tax, which do not, and what each one saves.Overtime Pay: What You Are Actually OwedOvertime is 1.5x your regular rate, but the regular rate is not just your hourly wage. Here is what must be included, and why salaried does not mean exempt.Hourly to Salary: Full Conversion TableConvert any hourly wage to annual, monthly and biweekly pay — with what you actually keep after tax in a no-tax state versus a flat-rate state.Salary to Hourly: Full Conversion TableConvert any annual salary to hourly, monthly and biweekly pay, with your real rate after paid leave and after-tax figures by state.$25 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$25 an hour is $52,000 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$30 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$30 an hour is $62,400 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$35 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$35 an hour is $72,800 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$20 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$20 an hour is $41,600 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$40 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$40 an hour is $83,200 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$22 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$22 an hour is $45,760 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$23 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$23 an hour is $47,840 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$28 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$28 an hour is $58,240 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$26 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$26 an hour is $54,080 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$27 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$27 an hour is $56,160 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$24 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$24 an hour is $49,920 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$32 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$32 an hour is $66,560 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$45 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$45 an hour is $93,600 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$50 an Hour Is How Much a Year?$50 an hour is $104,000 a year before tax. See what you actually keep after federal, FICA and state tax in five states, plus monthly and biweekly figures.$60,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?$60,000 a year is $28.85 an hour. See the after-tax figure in five states, monthly and biweekly equivalents, and your real rate after paid leave.$50,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?$50,000 a year is $24.04 an hour. See the after-tax figure in five states, monthly and biweekly equivalents, and your real rate after paid leave.$70,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?$70,000 a year is $33.65 an hour. See the after-tax figure in five states, monthly and biweekly equivalents, and your real rate after paid leave.$55,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?$55,000 a year is $26.44 an hour. See the after-tax figure in five states, monthly and biweekly equivalents, and your real rate after paid leave.$80,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?$80,000 a year is $38.46 an hour. See the after-tax figure in five states, monthly and biweekly equivalents, and your real rate after paid leave.$65,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?$65,000 a year is $31.25 an hour. See the after-tax figure in five states, monthly and biweekly equivalents, and your real rate after paid leave.$75,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?$75,000 a year is $36.06 an hour. See the after-tax figure in five states, monthly and biweekly equivalents, and your real rate after paid leave.$45,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?$45,000 a year is $21.63 an hour. See the after-tax figure in five states, monthly and biweekly equivalents, and your real rate after paid leave.$90,000 a Year Is How Much an Hour?$90,000 a year is $43.27 an hour. See the after-tax figure in five states, monthly and biweekly equivalents, and your real rate after paid leave.Most Paycheck Calculators Are Showing 2025 Tax RatesThree states cut or changed their income tax for 2026. Major calculators including SmartAsset still show the old figures. Here is what changed, with sources.Pay Stub Abbreviations: What Every Code MeansOASDI, FED MED/EE, GTL, IMP INC, S125. Every abbreviation on a US pay stub, what it deducts, and whether it comes out before or after tax.How to Read Your Pay StubOASDI, FED MED/EE, YTD, imputed income. A plain-language guide to every abbreviation on a US pay stub and what it is taking from you.Why Your Paycheck Got SmallerYour pay dropped but your salary did not change. Here are the eight reasons that actually explain it, from benefit renewals to supplemental withholding.Salary to Hourly: How to Convert Either WayConverting salary to an hourly rate is not just dividing by 2,080. Here is how to do it properly, including benefits, PTO and the contractor adjustment.