Quick answer
Texas paycheck basics
Texas is one of nine states that collects no state income tax on wages, salaries, tips, or any other form of personal income. Unlike states where the legislature could add an income tax on its own, Texas voters wrote the ban directly into the state constitution: Article 8, Section 24-a bars the legislature from imposing a tax on the net incomes of individuals unless voters approve one in a statewide referendum. For a Texas paycheck, that means no state withholding line ever appears next to the federal one, at any income level or filing status.
That does not make a Texas paycheck simple to predict, though. Federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare are still withheld exactly as they would be in any other state, and the size of those federal amounts depends on filing status, Form W-4 elections, pay frequency, and any pre-tax deductions taken out first. This calculator applies the current federal withholding tables to a Texas paycheck so hourly and salaried workers in Texas can see take-home pay without state tax complicating the math.
How Texas taxes your paycheck
Texas does not tax personal income at all, so there is no rate, bracket, or standard deduction to apply to wages — the state income tax line on a Texas paycheck is always $0. No Texas Form W-4 equivalent exists, no state withholding tables are published, and no state income tax return is ever filed on wage income, because there is nothing to report. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the state's tax-collecting agency, administers sales tax, the franchise tax on businesses, and property-tax-related programs, but no individual income tax. This is a permanent, constitutionally protected arrangement rather than a policy a future legislature could reverse on its own: Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2019 requiring any future personal income tax to be approved in a statewide referendum before it could take effect. For payroll purposes, the practical effect is that every dollar withheld from a Texas paycheck is federal: federal income tax under IRS Publication 15-T, Social Security, and Medicare. Texas also has no state disability insurance, paid family leave, or other mandatory employee-paid payroll tax program.
Worked example
A $60,000 salary in Texas, single, paid biweekly
- Annual salary:
- $60,000
- Filing status:
- Single
- Pay frequency:
- Biweekly (26 paychecks/year)
- Deductions:
- None
- State:
- Texas
- Salary: +$2,307.69
- Federal income tax: −$193.08
- Social Security: −$143.08
- Medicare: −$33.46
Net pay per paycheck: $1,938.07
Computed with Texas's default withholding certificate (no allowances, no extra withholding) and no pre-tax or post-tax deductions. Your own paycheck will differ with different elections.
Take-home pay by salary in Texas
Net pay at five common salaries, biweekly, with no bonus, tips or deductions — computed the same way as the worked example above, for Single and Married Filing Jointly.
| Annual salary | Single — per paycheck | Single — annual | MFJ — per paycheck | MFJ — annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,320.00 | $34,320.00 | $1,390.77 | $36,160.02 |
| $60,000 | $1,938.07 | $50,389.82 | $2,021.92 | $52,569.92 |
| $80,000 | $2,504.22 | $65,109.72 | $2,639.99 | $68,639.74 |
| $100,000 | $3,045.38 | $79,179.88 | $3,258.07 | $84,709.82 |
| $150,000 | $4,376.58 | $113,791.08 | $4,737.89 | $123,185.14 |
How to use this calculator
- Enter your pay. Choose salary or hourly, fill in the amount and hours, and pick how often you are paid.
- Fill in your federal Form W-4. Filing status, the Step 2 checkbox, and Steps 3 and 4 if they apply to you.
- Add any deductions. Traditional or Roth 401(k), health premiums, HSA, FSA, or other pre-tax and post-tax amounts taken from your pay.
- Read your results. Net pay per paycheck, the full breakdown by category, and any warnings about your specific numbers.
Formulas used
Net pay = gross pay − pre-tax deductions − federal tax − FICA − state tax ($0) − state payroll programs − local tax − post-tax deductions.
Texas vs. neighboring states
Net pay on a $75,000 salary, single, paid biweekly, in Texas compared with its bordering states.
| State | Net pay per paycheck | Net pay annual | Difference vs. Texas (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $2,368.94 | $61,592.44 | — |
| New Mexico | $2,263.60 | $58,853.60 | −$2,738.84 |
| Oklahoma | $2,257.94 | $58,706.44 | −$2,886.00 |
| Arkansas | $2,276.29 | $59,183.54 | −$2,408.90 |
| Louisiana | $2,295.11 | $59,672.86 | −$1,919.58 |
Frequently asked questions
How is federal income tax withheld from my paycheck calculated?+
Employers use the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method with the elections on your Form W-4: filing status, whether Step 2 is checked, Step 3 credits, and any Step 4 adjustments. That produces an amount to withhold each pay period before Social Security, Medicare, and any state or local tax are applied.
What is FICA and why is it withheld on every paycheck?+
FICA is Social Security tax (6.2% of wages up to the annual Social Security wage base) plus Medicare tax (1.45% of all wages, with an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 in a year). Both are withheld on every US paycheck regardless of which state you work in, because they fund federal programs rather than a state one.
Is the result on this calculator the same as my actual paycheck?+
It is an estimate for planning, not a substitute for your pay stub. Your actual withholding depends on the exact elections on file with your employer, your specific pay dates, and any mid-year changes to your deductions — the calculator applies the published federal and state formulas to the numbers you enter.
Does Texas have a state income tax on paychecks?+
No. Texas is one of nine states with no state income tax on wages, and the ban is written into the Texas Constitution. A Texas paycheck has no state income tax withholding line, at any income level or filing status.
Why does my Texas paycheck still show federal tax withheld?+
Texas not taxing income only removes the state withholding line — it has no effect on federal taxes. Every paycheck in every state, including Texas, still has federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare withheld under the same IRS rules.
Do Texas employees pay for unemployment insurance out of their paycheck?+
No. Texas unemployment insurance tax is paid entirely by employers to the Texas Workforce Commission on the first $9,000 of each employee's annual wages. It is never deducted from an employee's paycheck.
Is there a Texas state W-4 form?+
No. Because Texas has no state income tax, there is no state withholding certificate. Only the federal Form W-4 affects the withholding shown on a Texas paycheck.
Do any cities in Texas charge a local income tax?+
No. Texas has no local income taxes at the city, county, or school-district level. Some Texas cities do levy sales tax and property tax, but none tax wages.
What is the minimum wage in Texas in 2026?+
Texas's minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, the same as the federal minimum wage. Texas has adopted the federal rate by reference since it last changed on July 24, 2009, and no state increase is scheduled.
If Texas has no income tax, how does the state pay for schools and roads?+
Texas relies more heavily on sales tax and local property tax than states that also collect an income tax. Property tax bills and the state sales tax rate in Texas are often cited as comparatively high partly for this reason, though the exact trade-off varies by household.
Can Texas start collecting a state income tax in the future?+
Only with voter approval. Texas voters added a constitutional amendment in 2019 requiring any future personal income tax to be approved in a statewide referendum, so the legislature cannot create one on its own.
Does living in Texas but working in another state change my state withholding?+
It can. Whether tax is withheld depends on the state where the work is performed and that state's rules for nonresidents, not on Texas having no income tax. Check the other state's withholding requirements separately.
Are bonuses and commissions taxed differently in Texas?+
Not at the state level — Texas has no state tax on any wage income, including bonuses and commissions. Federally, supplemental wages like bonuses are still withheld at the flat federal supplemental rate.
Sources
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts — Taxes
- Texas Workforce Commission — Unemployment Tax Basics
- Texas Workforce Commission — Texas Minimum Wage Law
- U.S. Department of Labor — Minimum Wage Laws by State (Texas)
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide
- Social Security Administration — 2026 COLA Fact Sheet