Virginia Paycheck Calculator

How to estimate your Virginia take-home pay in 2026

Virginia uses a four-bracket progressive state income tax with rates from 2% to 5.75%, applied to gross wages after pre-tax deductions and the Virginia standard deduction. This calculator estimates your 2026 net pay after federal withholding, FICA payroll taxes, and Virginia state tax so you can plan monthly expenses and compare job offers with confidence.

Enter your annual salary or build it from hourly wages using our gross pay calculator. If you receive 26 paychecks per year, the biweekly pay calculator shows how gross and net amounts spread across the calendar. For federal tax details and dependent credits, see the income tax calculator and salary calculator.

What gets deducted from a Virginia paycheck

A typical Virginia W-2 paycheck includes three layers of mandatory withholding plus any voluntary deductions you elect through your employer:

• Federal income tax: Calculated from 2026 IRS brackets, your W-4 filing status, and qualifying child tax credits.
• FICA taxes: Social Security at 6.2% (capped at the 2026 wage base of $184,500) and Medicare at 1.45%, with an additional 0.9% on wages above $200,000 for single filers. Use our FICA tax calculator to isolate these amounts.
• Virginia state income tax: Progressive rates of 2%, 3%, 5%, and 5.75% applied to Virginia taxable income after the state standard deduction.

Virginia does not levy a separate state disability insurance tax on wages. Pre-tax 401(k) contributions and HSA deposits reduce gross wages before Virginia taxable income is calculated.

How Virginia state tax is calculated

Virginia taxable income starts with gross wages after pre-tax 401(k) contributions, then subtracts the Virginia standard deduction:

For 2026, Virginia standard deductions are $8,750 (single and head of household) and $17,500 (married filing jointly). State tax then applies within four brackets:

• $0 to $3,000: 2%
• $3,000 to $5,000: 3%
• $5,000 to $17,000: 5%
• Over $17,000: 5.75%

Virginia taxable income in this calculator

Virginia taxable income is based on gross wages after pre-tax contributions minus the Virginia standard deduction. This differs from states like Maryland that also apply a separate personal exemption on top of the standard deduction.

Worked example: $65,000 salary, single, biweekly, 5% 401(k)

Consider a single Virginia employee earning $65,000 per year, paid biweekly, contributing 5% to a traditional 401(k), with no dependents or health premium deductions:

1. Pre-tax 401(k): $65,000 x 5% = $3,250 per year
2. Gross after pre-tax: $65,000 - $3,250 = $61,750
3. Virginia taxable income: $61,750 - $8,750 (VA standard deduction) = $53,000
4. Virginia state tax: $60 + $60 + $600 + $2,070 = $2,790 per year (progressive brackets on $53,000)
5. Federal taxable income: $61,750 - $16,100 (federal standard deduction) = $45,650. Federal income tax: $5,230
6. FICA: Social Security $4,030 plus Medicare $942.50 = $4,972.50 total on the full $65,000 gross
7. Estimated net per paycheck: About $1,875.29 biweekly after all withholdings

If you expect a performance bonus on top of base salary, estimate the gross amount with our bonus calculator and add it to your annual salary before running this tool.

Virginia vs. neighboring state tax burdens

Virginia sits in a region with varied tax policies across the Mid-Atlantic. Compare your salary against Maryland (progressive rates with local county taxes), West Virginia (progressive rates with personal exemption), and North Carolina (flat rate). Running the same inputs through each state calculator reveals how relocation affects your monthly budget.

Frequently asked questions