Massachusetts Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your Massachusetts take-home pay after federal tax, FICA, and Massachusetts state income tax. Enter your gross pay, filing status, and pre-tax deductions to see your net pay per paycheck.
2026 rate, standard deduction, and personal exemption verified against Tax Foundation 2026 data.
- Take-home$51,078.50 · 78.58%
- Federal tax$5,620.00 · 8.65%
- Social Security + Medicare$4,972.50 · 7.65%
- Massachusetts tax$3,030.00 · 4.66%
- MA PFML$299.00 · 0.46%
| Item | Per bi-week | % of gross |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,500.00 | 100% |
| Federal withholding | $216.15 | 8.65% |
| Social Security | $155.00 | 6.20% |
| Medicare | $36.25 | 1.45% |
| Massachusetts income tax | $116.54 | 4.66% |
| MA PFML | $11.50 | 0.46% |
| Take-home pay | $1,964.56 | 78.58% |
Massachusetts is flat until it isn't
Massachusetts charges 5% on taxable income, which is why it is grouped with flat-tax states. But voters added a surtax of an additional 4% on income above a high threshold — around the million-dollar mark, indexed — so the state has two rates, not one.
For the overwhelming majority of workers only the 5% applies. For anyone with a large equity vest, a business sale, or a one-off windfall, the surtax can apply in a single year even if their normal salary is far below the threshold, because it keys off total annual income rather than salary.
PFML premiums come out of your wages
Massachusetts funds Paid Family and Medical Leave through a premium split between employer and employee. The employee share is withheld up to the Social Security wage cap, so it stops for the year once your wages pass that ceiling.
It is not an income tax — it purchases a defined leave entitlement — but it does reduce take-home pay, and the estimate above includes it rather than treating Massachusetts as a single-deduction state.
Exemptions rather than a standard deduction
Massachusetts applies personal exemptions instead of a standard deduction, and the amounts are modest against a 5% rate. The result is that Massachusetts taxes a fairly high share of a middle income, even before the surtax enters the picture.
Your stub also carries federal income tax, Social Security to the annual cap, and Medicare with the high-earner surcharge. Massachusetts has no local income tax on wages.
If you commute in from New Hampshire
A large number of Massachusetts workers live in New Hampshire, which taxes no income at all. Income tax generally follows where the work is performed, so wages earned at a Massachusetts workplace are subject to Massachusetts withholding regardless of where you sleep — and New Hampshire offers no credit to offset it, because it levies nothing.
For hybrid workers the position depends on where the work is actually done, and can be apportioned. If your schedule changed, check your stubs: withholding configured for a full office week will not match a mostly-remote one.
How Massachusetts taxes your paycheck
Massachusetts has a flat 5% state income tax. Use the calculator above to estimate your take-home pay after all withholdings.
Every US paycheck also has federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to the annual wage base), and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% on high earners) withheld. Your taxable income is your gross pay minus pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) and pre-tax health premiums.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is taken out of a paycheck in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts paychecks have federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) withheld, plus a flat 5% state income tax, plus MA PFML. The exact amount depends on your pay, filing status, and pre-tax deductions.
Does Massachusetts have a state income tax?
Yes. Massachusetts levies a flat 5% state income tax in addition to federal taxes.
How is this take-home estimate calculated?
It applies 2026 estimated federal brackets, FICA rates, state income-tax rates, local taxes where configured, and employee payroll-program rates to your annual pay minus pre-tax deductions, then divides by your pay frequency. It is a simplified estimate, not official payroll withholding.
Is Massachusetts really a flat tax state?
Only up to a point. The 5% rate applies to most income, but voters added a further 4% surtax on income above a high threshold near the million-dollar mark. A large one-off event such as an equity vest or business sale can trigger it even for someone whose salary is well below the threshold.
What is the PFML deduction on my Massachusetts pay stub?
Your share of the premium funding Paid Family and Medical Leave, withheld up to the Social Security wage cap. It stops for the year once your wages pass that ceiling. It buys a defined leave entitlement rather than being an income tax.
I live in New Hampshire and work in Massachusetts. Who taxes me?
Massachusetts. Income tax follows where the work is performed, and New Hampshire levies nothing, so there is no home-state credit to offset it. For hybrid schedules, income may be apportioned by where the work was actually done.