Wisconsin Paycheck Calculator
Figure basis: Official Wisconsin Department of RevenueThis Wisconsin paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay after the taxes withheld from a typical wage. Enter your gross pay, choose how often you are paid (weekly, every two weeks, twice a month or monthly) and select your filing status to see a full breakdown of every deduction and your net pay. The estimate combines four withholdings: federal income tax, calculated with the 2026 Internal Revenue Service annualised percentage method; Social Security at 6.2% up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500.00; Medicare at 1.45% on all wages; and Wisconsin state income tax withholding, applied with the brackets published by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for tax year 2026. Results update as you type and the page link captures your inputs so you can save or share a calculation. This estimate covers federal withholding, FICA and state income tax only; State Disability Insurance where a state levies it, and any city or county local income tax, are not included and are noted separately. Use it to check a payslip, compare an offer, or plan a pre-tax contribution.
A $5,000 biweekly paycheck (single filer) in Wisconsin is about $3,637.48 take-home, after federal income tax $766.69, Social Security $310.00, Medicare $72.50 and Wisconsin income tax $213.33.
How the Wisconsin paycheck calculation works
annual gross = gross per period x pay periods per year
federal withholding = IRS Pub 15-T annualised percentage method, de-annualised
Social Security = min(annual gross, $184,500.00) x 6.2% / periods
Medicare = annual gross x 1.45% / periods
state withholding = Wisconsin income tax on annual gross / periods
take-home = gross per period - federal - Social Security - Medicare - state
Worked example
A single filer paid $5,000.00 every two weeks (26 pay periods a year) in Wisconsin, for 2026:
- Annual gross = $5,000.00 x 26 = $130,000.00
- Federal income tax withheld this period = $766.69
- Social Security = $310.00; Medicare = $72.50
- Wisconsin income tax withheld = $213.33
- Take-home = $5,000.00 - $766.69 - $310.00 - $72.50 - $213.33 = $3,637.48
The Wisconsin bracket that shapes most take-home pay
Wisconsin withholds state income tax on top of your federal withholding and FICA, through four brackets that for 2026 run 3.5 percent, 4.4 percent, 5.3 percent and a top rate of 7.65 percent. The rate that governs most paychecks is the 5.3 percent band, which for single filers stretches from $51,951 all the way to $332,720. The large majority of full-time workers sit inside it and never approach the 7.65 percent top rate, which does not begin until income tops $332,720 for singles or $443,630 for joint filers.
The feature that quietly raises the state bite is the standard deduction. Wisconsin does not use a flat figure; it uses a sliding scale that shrinks as income rises. A single filer's maximum deduction of $13,960 starts phasing out at $20,119 of income and disappears entirely above $136,453. Because the deduction falls as you earn more, each additional dollar is taxed a little harder than the posted bracket rate alone implies, nudging the effective state rate up across the middle class.
Two things to keep in view when you read a Wisconsin stub. Withholding is set by Form WT-4, the state's own certificate, separate from the federal W-4, so completing it deliberately keeps your net pay on track. And Wisconsin calculates its own taxable income rather than following every federal change, so the amount the state taxes can differ from your federal figure even on the same salary.
Wisconsin paycheck calculator: frequently asked questions
How much is take-home pay on a $5,000 biweekly paycheck in Wisconsin?
A single filer earning $5,000 every two weeks in Wisconsin keeps about $3,637.48 after federal income tax withholding ($766.69), Social Security ($310.00), Medicare ($72.50) and Wisconsin state income tax withholding ($213.33). Enter your own gross pay, pay frequency and filing status above for your figure.
Does Wisconsin have a state income tax withheld from paychecks?
Yes. Wisconsin income tax is withheld from wages in addition to federal income tax and FICA. This calculator applies the Wisconsin brackets published by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (tax year 2026) using the annualised method.
What FICA taxes are withheld from a Wisconsin paycheck?
Social Security is withheld at 6.2% on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500.00, and Medicare at 1.45% on all wages, with an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on wages above the filing-status threshold. These are federal taxes that apply to wages in every state.
Does this Wisconsin paycheck estimate include SDI or local taxes?
No. This estimate covers federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare and Wisconsin state income tax withholding. State Disability Insurance (SDI), where a state levies it, and any city or county local income taxes are not included; check your state and local authorities for those.
Official sources
- Federal income tax withholding and standard deduction (tax year 2026): US Internal Revenue Service, as at Jun 12, 2026.
- Social Security wage base and FICA rates (2026): US Social Security Administration and IRS Topic 751, as at Jun 12, 2026.
- Wisconsin income tax brackets (tax year 2026): Wisconsin Department of Revenue, as at Jul 16, 2026.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 25 June 2026. See our methodology. General information, not financial or tax advice. State Disability Insurance and local income taxes are not included.