What drives the difference between two states
For a single salary, federal income tax and FICA are identical no matter where you live — the federal brackets and the 6.2% Social Security / 1.45% Medicare rates don't change by state. That means the entire gap in take-home pay between two states comes down to one line: state income tax.
States fall into three groups:
- No income tax — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming tax no wage income, so their state-tax line is $0.
- Flat rate — states like Colorado, Illinois, and North Carolina apply one rate to all wages, so the gap versus a no-tax state is roughly that flat rate times your salary.
- Progressive — states like California, New York, and Hawaii stack rising rates across income brackets, so the higher your salary, the wider the gap tends to grow.
The side-by-side above uses the same 2026 federal and FICA math as our national State Paycheck Calculator and applies each state's 2026 income-tax schedule, so the difference you see is a clean, apples-to-apples state comparison.
How this is calculated
- Federal income tax — gross minus the 2026 standard deduction
(
$16,100single,$32,200married filing jointly) run through the 2026 federal brackets (10%/12%/22%/24%/32%/35%/37%), identical for both states. - FICA —
6.2%Social Security on wages up to the$184,5002026 wage base,1.45%Medicare on all wages, plus the0.9%Additional Medicare Tax above $200,000 (single) / $250,000 (MFJ). - State income tax — each state's published 2026 rate(s) applied to gross wages. No-tax states show $0; flat states apply one rate; progressive states apply their full 2026 bracket ladder. Married-filing-jointly thresholds are approximated by doubling the single-filer thresholds where official MFJ schedules weren't in the source data.
- Take-home pay —
net = gross − federal − state − FICA, and the per-paycheck figure divides that by 52 (weekly), 26 (biweekly), 24 (semimonthly), or 12 (monthly).
What this doesn't model: local/city income taxes, pre-tax deductions (401(k)/HSA/health premiums), extra withholding, dependents, credits, or non-wage income — so the gap is a clean state-tax comparison, not a payroll-exact difference.
Data as of July 2026 (tax year 2026). Federal brackets & standard deduction: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. FICA rates & the $184,500 wage base: SSA 2026. State brackets: Tax Foundation 2026 state individual income tax tables. This tool shares one verified engine with the national State Paycheck Calculator.
Two-state paycheck FAQ
Why does one state keep more of my paycheck than another?
Federal income tax and FICA are the same in every state, so for one salary those amounts are identical on both sides. The whole difference in take-home pay comes from state income tax — a no-income-tax state (Texas, Florida, and seven others) keeps more than a flat- or progressive-tax state, all else equal. Local city taxes, not modeled here, can widen the gap.
Does this include local or city income taxes?
No. It compares federal, state, and FICA only. Cities and counties in states such as New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and the Portland area levy extra local income taxes of roughly 0.5%–4%+. Check your local rates before relying on the gap shown.
Are the married-filing-jointly state brackets exact?
Federal MFJ brackets are exact. For state MFJ, this tool approximates each state's thresholds by doubling the single-filer thresholds, because official state MFJ schedules weren't in the source dataset. Flat and no-tax states are unaffected; treat progressive-state MFJ results as a close estimate.
Will this match my real paycheck?
It's a comparison estimate, not a payroll-exact figure. Real checks vary with pre-tax deductions, extra withholding, local taxes, dependents, and rounding. Use it to compare two states, not to reconcile a pay stub to the penny.
This calculator is an educational estimate, not tax advice or a payroll statement. It does not account for pre-tax deductions, local/city taxes, additional withholding, dependents, or other income. Verify important figures with a tax professional. Data as of July 2026.