New Jersey Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your New Jersey take-home pay after federal tax, FICA, and New Jersey state income tax. Enter your gross pay, filing status, and pre-tax deductions to see your net pay per paycheck.
2026 standard deduction and personal exemption verified against Tax Foundation 2026 data; bracket thresholds are approximate — verify before launch.
- Take-home$51,900.60 · 79.85%
- Federal tax$5,620.00 · 8.65%
- Social Security + Medicare$4,972.50 · 7.65%
- New Jersey tax$2,043.50 · 3.14%
- NJ TDI$123.50 · 0.19%
- NJ FLI$149.50 · 0.23%
- NJ UI/WF/SWF$190.40 · 0.29%
| 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% |
| New Jersey income tax | $78.60 | 3.14% |
| NJ TDI | $4.75 | 0.19% |
| NJ FLI | $5.75 | 0.23% |
| NJ UI/WF/SWF | $7.32 | 0.29% |
| Take-home pay | $1,996.18 | 79.85% |
Genuinely progressive, unlike most bracket states
New Jersey runs seven brackets from 1.4% to 10.75%, and unlike most graduated states the range is real rather than decorative. The lower brackets cover meaningful amounts of income, and the top rate does not arrive until a million dollars, so a New Jersey worker's effective rate genuinely tracks their income.
That makes New Jersey unusually cheap at the bottom and unusually expensive at the top. A modest salary faces one of the lower effective state rates in the Northeast; a very high one faces among the highest in the country.
New Jersey withholds several employee payroll contributions
Beyond income tax, New Jersey withholds employee contributions for unemployment insurance, workforce development, and supplemental workforce funds, and separately funds temporary disability and family leave insurance. Few states withhold this many separate employee-paid programme lines.
Each is a small percentage and several are capped at a wage base, so they diminish or stop as the year progresses for higher earners. Collectively they are large enough that ignoring them materially overstates New Jersey take-home pay.
The Pennsylvania reciprocity agreement
New Jersey and Pennsylvania have a reciprocal income tax agreement, which is genuinely unusual. A New Jersey resident working in Pennsylvania pays New Jersey income tax rather than Pennsylvania's, and vice versa — you are taxed by your home state, not your work state.
This is the opposite of the normal rule and it catches people out in both directions. Filing the correct exemption certificate with your employer is what makes it work; without it, the wrong state withholds and you spend the following spring reclaiming it.
New York commuters
No such agreement exists with New York. A New Jersey resident working in New York City pays New York State tax on those wages, and New Jersey grants a credit for tax paid to New York — so you generally do not pay twice, but the higher New York rate effectively binds.
New York City's own resident income tax does not apply to non-residents, so a New Jersey commuter avoids that layer. The calculator above models a New Jersey-based job; treat a New York-based one as New York withholding with a New Jersey credit behind it.
How New Jersey taxes your paycheck
New Jersey has progressive state income tax rates ranging from 1.4% to 10.75%. 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 New Jersey?
New Jersey paychecks have federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) withheld, plus progressive (up to 10.75%) state income tax, plus NJ TDI and NJ FLI and NJ UI/WF/SWF. The exact amount depends on your pay, filing status, and pre-tax deductions.
Does New Jersey have a state income tax?
Yes. New Jersey levies progressive (up to 10.75%) 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.
What are all the extra deductions on my New Jersey paycheck?
New Jersey withholds employee contributions for unemployment insurance, workforce development, supplemental workforce funds, temporary disability, and family leave insurance. Few states withhold this many separate employee-paid programme lines, and several are capped at a wage base so they stop partway through the year.
I live in New Jersey and work in Pennsylvania. Which state taxes me?
New Jersey. The two states have a reciprocal agreement, so you are taxed by your home state rather than your work state — the opposite of the normal rule. File the correct exemption certificate with your employer or the wrong state will withhold all year.
Does the same reciprocity apply to New York?
No. A New Jersey resident working in New York pays New York State tax on those wages, with New Jersey granting a credit for it. New York City's resident income tax does not apply to non-residents, so a commuter avoids that layer.