Alabama Paycheck Calculator

How the Alabama paycheck calculator works

Your Alabama take-home pay depends on federal income tax, FICA payroll taxes, and Alabama state income tax. This calculator estimates net pay per paycheck using 2026 federal brackets, 2026 FICA limits, and Alabama's graduated state rates from 2% to 5%. All math runs in your browser.

Enter your annual salary, pay frequency, filing status, dependents, and pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions or health premiums. Results update as you type and show gross pay, federal tax, FICA, Alabama state tax, and net pay each period. To compare your full federal liability across brackets, use the income tax calculator. To see how Social Security and Medicare are split, try the FICA tax calculator.

What gets withheld from an Alabama paycheck

A typical W-2 paycheck in Alabama includes four main withholding categories:

• Federal income tax: Progressive brackets on taxable income after the 2026 federal standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household).
• FICA: 6.2% Social Security on wages up to $184,500, plus 1.45% Medicare on all wages, with an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly).
• Alabama state income tax: Graduated rates of 2%, 4%, and 5% after Alabama standard deductions and personal exemptions.
• Pre-tax deductions: Traditional 401(k), HSA, and health insurance premiums reduce taxable income before federal and Alabama taxes are calculated.

Alabama state income tax formula

Alabama taxes wages using a base-plus-rate bracket system. First, compute Alabama taxable income:

For 2026, Alabama standard deductions are $3,000 (single), $8,500 (married filing jointly), and $4,500 (head of household). Personal exemptions are $1,500 (single), $3,000 (joint), and $1,500 (head of household). State tax then applies within these brackets for single filers:

• $0 to $500: 2%
• $500 to $3,000: 4%
• Over $3,000: 5%

Net annual pay is gross salary minus all pre-tax deductions and total taxes. Divide by pay periods for per-check amounts. The biweekly pay calculator converts any salary into a 26-paycheck schedule, and the salary calculator helps you compare hourly and annual compensation.

Worked example: $65,000 salary, single, bi-weekly

Consider a single Alabama filer earning $65,000 per year, paid bi-weekly (26 paychecks), with 5% contributed to a traditional 401(k) and no dependents:

1. Gross per paycheck: $65,000 / 26 = $2,500.00.
2. 401(k) contribution: 5% of $65,000 = $3,250.00 annually ($125.00 per paycheck).
3. Federal taxable income: $61,750 after 401(k) minus $16,100 standard deduction = $45,650. Federal income tax: $5,230.00.
4. FICA: Social Security $4,030.00 plus Medicare $942.50 = $4,972.50 total.
5. Alabama taxable income: $61,750 minus $3,000 standard deduction minus $1,500 personal exemption = $57,250. Alabama state tax at the 5% top bracket: $2,822.50.
6. Net bi-weekly paycheck: $1,874.04 ($48,725.00 per year after all deductions and taxes). Effective tax rate: about 20.0%.

If you receive a year-end bonus on top of base salary, the bonus calculator estimates supplemental withholding. To work backward from a target net paycheck to required gross wages, use the gross pay calculator.

Frequently asked questions