FICA (Social Security & Medicare) Tax Calculator
Break down Social Security and Medicare withholding from any paycheck.
This is an estimate for the 2026 tax year, not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures are simplified and don't include every credit or deduction. Talk to a tax professional before making decisions.
Filing status only matters here for the Additional Medicare Tax threshold — Social Security and the base Medicare rate don't depend on it.
$4,960
$1,160
$6,120
$73,880
Where your wages go
FICA tax breakdown
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Social Security (6.2%)up to the annual wage cap | $4,960 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | $1,160 |
| Additional Medicare (0.9%)only above the high-earner threshold for your filing status | $0 |
| Total FICA tax | $6,120 |
How this is calculated
FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act — it funds Social Security and Medicare and is withheld from every paycheck separately from federal income tax. Social Security is a flat 6.2% of your wages, but only up to an annual wage cap — earnings above that cap owe no additional Social Security tax.
Medicare is a flat 1.45% of all wages, with no cap. Once your wages pass a threshold that depends on your filing status, an extra Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% kicks in on the amount above that threshold — this is why the Medicare figure below can look higher for high earners.
Unlike federal income tax, FICA is not progressive and doesn't use brackets: it applies as a flat percentage to your wages (subject to the cap and threshold rules above), and pre-tax retirement contributions like a traditional 401(k) don't reduce it.