Payroll Tax Calculator
Estimate employee and employer payroll (FICA) taxes on gross wages, kept clearly separate, plus the total cost of employment. Uses the Social Security wage base and Medicare rates for the selected year.
Written and reviewed by the CalcBundle editorial team. Transparent formulas · results are estimates, not advice.
Total employment cost
Enter gross wages greater than zero.
Employee taxes
Withheld from each paycheck: 6.2% Social Security up to the annual wage base, 1.45% Medicare on all wages, and a 0.9% additional Medicare surtax on wages above the filing-status threshold.
Employer taxes
The employer matches Social Security and Medicare (the additional Medicare surtax is employee-only). These are a cost on top of the salary.
Total employment cost
Add the employer share to gross wages to see the full cost of a role. For net pay from the employee side, use the take-home pay calculator; for financing a business, the business loan calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What are payroll taxes?
In the US, payroll (FICA) taxes fund Social Security and Medicare. Employees and employers each pay 6.2% Social Security (up to the wage base) and 1.45% Medicare; employees also pay a 0.9% additional Medicare surtax above high-income thresholds.
What is the difference between employee and employer payroll tax?
Employees have their share withheld from pay; employers pay a matching share as a cost of employment on top of wages. This calculator shows both separately and the total employment cost.
What is total employment cost?
Gross wages plus the employer's payroll taxes — the real cost to the business of employing someone at that salary (before benefits).
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Disclaimer. This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. Results are based on the information you enter and the assumptions used by the calculator. Actual financial, tax, business valuation, lending, marketplace or investment outcomes may differ. Consider consulting a qualified professional for decisions involving significant amounts of money. Estimates based on the selected tax year. State/local payroll taxes and unemployment insurance are not included. Not tax advice.