Employer Payroll Tax Calculator
Calculate the employer-side cost of a paycheck: FICA match, FUTA/SUTA unemployment, workers comp — the salary-to-loaded-cost bridge. Free, instant.
A $60,000 salary costs an employer meaningfully more than $60,000: the 7.65% FICA match, federal and state unemployment insurance, and often workers compensation. Whether you're budgeting your first hire or pricing a contractor conversion, the loaded cost is the number that matters.
Enter the wage and your state, and see per-paycheck and annual employer contributions broken out line by line — the part of payroll that never appears on the employee's stub.
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Payroll Tax Calculator
Calculate net pay including federal tax, FICA, state tax, and pre-tax deductions.
Estimates use 2026 federal progressive brackets and state progressive tax brackets where available. Your actual paycheck may differ due to local taxes, W-4 adjustments, benefits, and other factors. This is not tax advice — consult a CPA.
Where your paycheck actually goes — illustrated
Gross pay is never what lands in your bank account. Your employer first subtracts pre-tax items — a 401(k) contribution and health insurance premiums — which shrink your taxable income. Then come three layers of tax: federal income tax at the progressive 2026 brackets, FICA split into Social Security (6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base) and Medicare (1.45%, plus an extra 0.9% above $200,000), and state income tax where one exists. State rates range from zero (TX, FL, NV) to a 13.3% top bracket in California. The 2026 401(k) limit is $24,500 ($32,500 if you're 50+), and pre-tax deductions can't push your balance past it.
Sample: single filer in Texas earning $6,000/month (no state income tax), contributing 6% to a 401(k) and $250/month to health insurance. The green slice is what actually reaches the bank.
Rafael is a single product manager in Texas earning $6,000/month. He defers 6% to his 401(k) and pays $250/month for health insurance. Texas has no state income tax.
- Gross annual:$6,000 × 12 = $72,000
- Pre-tax deductions:401(k) $4,320 + health $3,000 = $7,320 → taxable income $48,580
- Federal income tax:Progressive 2026 brackets on $48,580 ≈ $5,582
- FICA + net pay:SS $4,464 + Medicare $1,044 → net ≈ $53,590/yr ≈ $4,466/month
About this employer payroll tax calculator
This page covers cost of employment calculator, employer fica match amount, true cost of an employee, payroll tax burden employer — all the same underlying task as employer payroll tax calculator. The tool above is FreeToolHub's payroll tax calculator embedded in full: every feature works right here, and nothing you process is uploaded to any server.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an employer pay in taxes per employee?
Federal obligations add roughly 8–10% on top of wages: 6.2% Social Security match (up to the wage base), 1.45% Medicare match (no cap), FUTA unemployment (0.6% effective on the first $7,000), and state unemployment (SUTA) typically 0.5–6% on a state-defined wage base. Add workers compensation by class code for the full loaded cost.
What is the difference between employee and employer payroll taxes?
Employees see 7.65% FICA plus income tax withheld on their stub; employers pay a matching 7.65% FICA plus unemployment taxes that are never shown to the employee. Independent contractors receive neither withholding nor the match — which is exactly why a 1099 rate must be ~7.65% higher just to break even on payroll tax alone.