# Tennessee Paycheck Calculator

Last updated October 22, 2026FreeNo signupFormula shown

Enter your pay, how often you are paid and your Form W-4 choices, and this Tennessee paycheck calculator shows your 2026 take-home pay. Tennessee withholds no state income tax from wages, so only federal tax, Social Security and Medicare come out, and the employer's side of the bill is worked out right under it.

State

TennesseeNo wage taxTennessee taxes no wages, so nothing is withheld for the state.

Another state? [Pick any of the 50 states and DC](https://www.teampredict.ai/tools/paycheck-calculator).

I'm paid

SalaryHourly

Yearly salary (USD)

Pay frequencyWeekly (52 paychecks a year)Every two weeks (26 a year)Twice a month (24 a year)Monthly (12 a year)

Filing status on Form W-4Single or married filing separatelyMarried filing jointlyHead of household

Form W-4 steps 2 to 4

Step 2 box is checked

Two jobs with similar pay, or both spouses work.

Children under 17

Step 3: $2,200 each.

Other dependents

Step 3: $500 each.

Other income per year

Step 4(a).

Deductions per year

Step 4(b).

Extra withholding each paycheck (USD)

Step 4(c).

401(k), % of pay

2026 limit $24,500.

Health premiums per paycheck

Pre-tax.

HSA per paycheck

2026 limit $8,750.

Take-home pay per paycheck

$1,938.07

$2,307.69 gross · $369.62 withheld (16%)

teampredict.ai/tools/paycheck-calculator/tennessee

Where this paycheck goes

Gross pay

$2,307.69

Federal income taxW-4 methodIRS Publication 15-T (2026) percentage method, worked from your Form W-4 entries.

\- $193.08

Social Security6.2%To $184,500Social Security tax stops once your pay for the year reaches the $184,500 wage base.

\- $143.08

Medicare1.45%

\- $33.46

Additional Medicare0.9%Over $200,000Withheld on pay above $200,000 in a calendar year, whatever your filing status.

\- $0.00

Tennessee income taxNo wage taxTennessee taxes no wages, so nothing is withheld for the state.

\- $0.00

401(k)Pre-taxSkips federal income tax, but Social Security and Medicare still apply.

\- $0.00

Health premiumsPre-taxThrough a cafeteria plan, these skip income tax, Social Security and Medicare.

\- $0.00

HSA

\- $0.00

Take-home pay$1,938.07

Over the year, 26 paychecks

Gross pay

$60,000

Taxes

\- $9,610

Pre-tax deductions

\- $0

Share kept

84%

Take-home pay$50,390

Copy resultsCopy link

_Figure: Bar chart of the year's gross pay of $60,000. Federal income tax: $5,020; Social Security: $3,720; Medicare: $870; Tennessee income tax: $0; Take-home pay: $50,390._

_Figure: Line chart of yearly take-home pay against gross pay, from $0 to $100,000, with the same filing status and deductions as the calculator. The dashed line is gross pay. At $60,000 gross, take-home is $50,390._

## This pay costs the employer $64,821 a year, $2,493.12 each pay period.

What the employer adds, per year

Employer Social Security6.2% to $184,500

$3,720

Employer Medicare1.45%

$870

Federal unemployment (FUTA)0.6% of the first $7,000No credit cut6.0% less a 5.4% credit. The Labor Department's September 2026 list of states that may lose part of that credit names only California and the Virgin Islands.

$42

Tennessee unemployment2.7% of the first $7,000New employer rateA new Tennessee employer pays 2.70% in 2026 on the first $7,000 of each employee's pay.

$189

Employer taxes$4,821

Total cost of the employee

Gross pay

$60,000

Employer taxes

\+ $4,821

Per pay periodYearly averageUnemployment taxes stop at their wage bases, so the first paychecks of the year cost more than the last.

$2,493.12

Per year$64,821

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## Tennessee takes no income tax out of your wages, and its Hall tax is gone.

Tennessee's one income tax, the Hall tax, was enacted in 1929 and applied only to interest on bonds and notes and dividends on stock, never to wages. The Department of Revenue says it was repealed for tax periods that begin on January 1, 2021 or later. What is left on a Tennessee pay stub is federal income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare, then whatever you set aside before tax.

## A $60,000 Tennessee salary takes home $1,938.07 every two weeks.

The calculator opens on this case: a single employee on a standard Form W-4, paid every two weeks, with no pre-tax deductions.

-   Gross pay: $60,000 ÷ 26 = $2,307.69
-   Federal income tax: $193.08 ($60,000 less the $8,600 of IRS Worksheet 1A is $51,400; $1,240 plus 12% of everything over $19,900 is $5,020 a year)
-   Social Security: 6.2% × $2,307.69 = $143.08; Medicare: 1.45% = $33.46
-   Tennessee income tax: $0.00
-   Take-home pay: $1,938.07 a paycheck, $50,389.88 a year

_Figure: Bar chart for a single employee on a $60,000 salary, paid every two weeks, paid 26 times a year. Federal income tax: $5,020 · 8.4%; Social Security: $3,720 · 6.2%; Medicare: $870 · 1.4%; Tennessee income tax: $0 · 0%; Take-home pay: $50,390 · 84%._

A single employee on a $60,000 salary, paid every two weeks. Invented example. Each tax is rounded to the cent in every paycheck, as payroll does.

## A 401(k) takes $138.46 of a paycheck and costs $121.84 of take-home pay.

With no state tax to lower, the whole saving is federal: a 6% deferral on the $60,000 example cuts federal withholding by $16.62 a paycheck. Social Security and Medicare are still taken on the full $2,307.69, which is why a 401(k) deferral never lowers them. Health premiums and an HSA contribution made through a cafeteria plan do skip Social Security and Medicare.

_Figure: Bar chart of the tax withheld from one biweekly paycheck on a $60,000 salary, single: Federal tax, no 401(k): $193.08; Federal tax, 6% 401(k): $176.46; Tennessee tax, no 401(k): $0.00; Tennessee tax, 6% 401(k): $0.00._

Invented example: a $60,000 salary, single, paid every two weeks. 6% of pay is $138.46 a paycheck.

## Social Security tax stops at $184,500, so a bigger salary pays a smaller share.

A $250,000 salary paid every two weeks reaches the 2026 wage base in paycheck 20, so the last 6 paychecks of the year carry no Social Security tax, while the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax starts in paycheck 21 and adds $450 over the year.

_Figure: Bar chart of the payroll taxes taken from pay as a share of pay at four salaries. $60,000 a year: 7.65% of pay; $150,000 a year: 7.65% of pay; $250,000 a year: 6.21% of pay; $500,000 a year: 4.28% of pay._

Invented salaries, single, paid every two weeks. Additional Medicare Tax is 0.9% of pay above $200,000.

## Hiring that employee costs $64,821 a year in Tennessee.

On top of the $60,000, the employer matches Social Security and Medicare at 6.2% and 1.45%, which is $4,590. It pays federal unemployment tax of 0.6% on the first $7,000, which is $42. And a new Tennessee employer pays state unemployment tax at 2.7% on the first $7,000 of pay, which is $189.00 a year per employee. Tennessee's wage base has been $7,000 since 2018, and the Department says it varies with the balance of the Unemployment Trust Fund.

_Figure: Bar chart of the employer's taxes on an employee on a $60,000 salary: Employer Social Security $3,720; Employer Medicare $870; Tennessee unemployment $189; Federal unemployment (FUTA) $42. Together $4,821, for a total cost of $64,821 a year._

An employee on a $60,000 salary. Tennessee unemployment is the 2026 new-employer rate of 2.7% on the first $7,000.

## Tennessee sets how often you are paid, when your last paycheck is due and a 30-minute meal break.

Wages must be paid at least once a month: by the fifth of the next month for a monthly payroll, and by the fifth or the twentieth of the following month for a payroll with two or more periods a month. A worker who quits or is fired is owed final pay by the next regular payday or 21 days after leaving, whichever comes last. A shift of six consecutive hours carries a 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period, which comes off the paid hours: the [hourly paycheck calculator](https://www.teampredict.ai/tools/hourly-paycheck-calculator) works that out from your days and shift length, and the [overtime calculator](https://www.teampredict.ai/tools/overtime-calculator) adds what the extra hours earn before any of this tax comes out.

## Take-home pay in Tennessee runs from $34,320 on $40,000 to $113,791 on $150,000.

Take-home pay in Tennessee for a single employee on a standard Form W-4, paid every two weeks, with no pre-tax deductions.

Salary

Federal tax

Social Security and Medicare

Take-home a year

Every two weeks

$40,000

$2,620

$3,060

$34,320

$1,320.00

$50,000

$3,820

$3,825

$42,355

$1,629.05

$60,000

$5,020

$4,590

$50,390

$1,938.07

$75,000

$7,670

$5,738

$61,592

$2,368.94

$100,000

$13,170

$7,650

$79,180

$3,045.38

$150,000

$24,734

$11,475

$113,791

$4,376.58

## Methodology & sources

The formula this calculator uses is shown in full above, and every assumption is an input you control. There are no hidden industry presets. All math runs in your browser; nothing you enter is stored or sent to a server. For the reasoning behind the formula and its edge cases, see:

-   [IRS Publication 15-T (2026): Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods, Percentage Method Tables for Automated Payroll Systems](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf)
-   [IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide: Social Security wage base of $184,500, Medicare, FUTA, 401(k) and cafeteria plan treatment](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15.pdf)
-   [IRS Form W-4 (2026): Step 3 credits of $2,200 and $500](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf)
-   [IRS Topic 751: Social Security and Medicare withholding rates, Additional Medicare Tax over $200,000](https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc751)
-   [IRS Instructions for Form 940: FUTA tax of 6.0% less a credit of up to 5.4%, on the first $7,000](https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i940)
-   [U.S. Department of Labor: FUTA credit reductions, potential 2026 list (California and the Virgin Islands)](https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/futa_credit.asp)
-   [IRS: 401(k) limit of $24,500 for 2026](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/401k-limit-increases-to-24500-for-2026-ira-limit-increases-to-7500)
-   [IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19: 2026 HSA limits of $4,400 and $8,750](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-19.pdf)
-   [U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #23: overtime at time and one-half over 40 hours in a workweek](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/23-flsa-overtime-pay)
-   [Tennessee Department of Revenue: the Hall income tax, a tax only on interest and dividends, is repealed for tax periods beginning January 1, 2021 or later](https://www.tn.gov/revenue/taxes/hall-income-tax.html)
-   [Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development: Unemployment Insurance Tax Rates (taxable wage base $7,000)](https://www.tn.gov/workforce/employers/tax-and-insurance-redirect/unemployment-insurance-tax/ui-tax-rates.html)
-   [Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development: how a premium rate is determined (a new employer's rate is 2.7% for all other industries)](https://lwdsupport.tn.gov/hc/en-us/articles/202843724-How-is-my-premium-rate-determined)
-   [U.S. Department of Labor: Significant Provisions of State Unemployment Insurance Laws, effective January 2026 (taxable wage base and new employer rate by state)](https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/content/sigpros/2020-2029/January2026.pdf)
-   [Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development: Wages, Fringe Benefits, Paychecks and Breaks (paydays, final pay, the 30-minute meal period)](https://www.tn.gov/workforce/employees/labor-laws/labor-laws-redirect/wages-breaks.html)

## Frequently asked questions

Does Tennessee have a state income tax?

Not on wages. Tennessee's Hall income tax applied only to interest from bonds and notes and dividends from stock, and the Department of Revenue says it was repealed for tax periods beginning January 1, 2021 or later. Nothing is withheld for the state, so your paycheck loses only federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, plus anything you choose to set aside, such as a 401(k) or health premiums.

How much is $60,000 a year after tax in Tennessee?

For a single employee on a standard Form W-4 who is paid every two weeks, a $60,000 salary takes home $1,938.07 a paycheck, or $50,389.88 a year. The year's taxes are $5,020.08 of federal income tax, $3,720.08 of Social Security and $869.96 of Medicare.

How much is $20 an hour after tax in Tennessee?

At 40 hours a week and weekly pay, $20 an hour is $800.00 gross and $684.72 take-home a week for a single employee with a standard Form W-4. That is $54.08 of federal income tax, $49.60 of Social Security and $11.60 of Medicare. Switch the calculator to hourly and type your own hours, including overtime.

What does a 401(k) do to my Tennessee paycheck?

It lowers take-home pay by less than you put in. Putting 6% of a $60,000 salary into a 401(k) is $138.46 a paycheck, but take-home pay falls by only $121.84, because federal income tax withholding drops by $16.62. Tennessee has no income tax to lower, and Social Security and Medicare are still taken on the full pay.

How often must a Tennessee employer pay me?

Not less often than once a month, under Tennessee Code § 50-2-103 as the Department of Labor and Workforce Development reads it. An employer that pays once a month owes all wages earned before the first of a month by the fifth of the next. One that pays in two or more periods owes wages earned before the 16th by the fifth of the next month, and the rest by the twentieth. Private employers with five or more employees must also keep regular paydays.

When is my last paycheck due in Tennessee?

If you quit or are fired, the employer has until the next regular payday after you left or 21 days after you left, whichever comes last, and the Department says there is no exemption. It does not have to pay on your last day. Unused vacation, sick pay and other fringe benefits are owed only if the employer's policy or a labor agreement says so.

Does Tennessee require a lunch break?

Yes, a 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period if you are scheduled for six consecutive hours, except in workplaces that by their nature give ample chance to rest, such as food service or security work. The state requires no other breaks. An unpaid half hour comes off your paid hours, and the planner in the hourly paycheck calculator does that sum for a shift pattern.

Who pays unemployment tax in Tennessee?

It is an employer tax, collected by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The Department says the new employer rate for industries other than construction, mining and three manufacturing sectors is 2.7%, and the 2026 taxable wage base is $7,000 of each employee's pay, which is $189 a year per employee at that wage. A new employer keeps the rate until its account has been charged and has paid premiums for 36 consecutive months ending on December 31; then its own reserve experience sets it.

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## Keep reading

[Texas Paycheck Calculator The same 2026 paycheck math for Texas, which writes its ban on a personal income tax into its constitution. Read more](https://www.teampredict.ai/tools/paycheck-calculator/texas)

[Hourly Paycheck Calculator Take-home pay from an hourly rate, with overtime, unpaid meal breaks and shift patterns worked into the hours. Read more](https://www.teampredict.ai/tools/hourly-paycheck-calculator)

[Overtime Calculator Time and a half on every hour over 40, worked out from your hourly rate. Read more](https://www.teampredict.ai/tools/overtime-calculator)