This NJ paycheck calculator estimates take-home pay for a New Jersey employee in 2026 and, in the same view, what that paycheck costs the employer. It is meant for employees checking a job offer and for small business owners pricing a new hire.
How to use the calculator
- Gross pay per paycheck: pay before any taxes or deductions.
- Pay frequency: weekly (52), every two weeks (26), twice a month (24) or monthly (12).
- Federal W-4 filing status (Step 1c): single or married filing separately, married filing jointly, or head of household.
- W-4 Step 3 dependents amount (yearly): the dollar amount on the employee’s W-4, for example $2,200 per qualifying child under 17.
- W-4 Step 2 box checked (two jobs): turn on if the employee checked the box.
- NJ-W4 withholding rate: the default picks Rate A or B from the filing status; choose C, D or E if the employee did.
- NJ-W4 allowances: the number claimed on the NJ-W4.
How it is calculated
The calculator turns the paycheck into a yearly wage, applies each yearly rule, then divides by the number of pay periods.
- Federal income tax: Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A, annual percentage method for a 2020-or-later W-4. Subtract $8,600 ($12,900 if married filing jointly) unless the Step 2 box is checked, apply the 2026 table, then subtract the Step 3 amount.
- Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500 of wages and Medicare 1.45%, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000 (IRS Topic 751).
- New Jersey income tax: yearly wages minus $1,000 per allowance, run through the percentage-method table for the chosen rate (NJ-WT).
- NJ worker contributions: unemployment 0.3825% and workforce 0.0425% on the first $44,800; disability 0.19% and family leave 0.23% on the first $171,100 (NJ Labor rate information).
- Employer side: 7.65% FICA, FUTA of 0.6% on the first $7,000 (Form 940 instructions), and the 2026 New Jersey new-employer rates.
Worked example with the default inputs
$2,500 every two weeks ($65,000 a year), single, no Step 3 amount, Step 2 not checked, Rate A, one allowance:
| Line | Per paycheck | How |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,500.00 | |
| Federal income tax | $216.15 | $65,000 − $8,600 = $56,400 → $5,620 a year ÷ 26 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | $155.00 | |
| Medicare (1.45%) | $36.25 | |
| NJ income tax (Rate A) | $86.88 | $64,000 → $795 + 6.1% × $24,000 = $2,259 ÷ 26 |
| NJ unemployment + workforce | $7.32 | $44,800 × 0.425% ÷ 26 |
| NJ disability + family leave | $10.50 | $65,000 × 0.42% ÷ 26 |
| Take-home pay | $1,987.90 | |
| Employer taxes on top | $249.73 | FICA $191.25, FUTA $1.62, NJ $56.86 |
| Total cost to the employer | $2,749.73 |
What this calculator leaves out
- Pre-tax deductions such as 401(k), health insurance or commuter benefits, which lower taxable wages.
- W-4 Step 4 (other income, deductions, extra withholding) and pre-2020 W-4 forms.
- Timing of the caps. It shows an average paycheck. Real payroll takes the full rate until a wage base is reached and then stops, so early paychecks are smaller and later ones larger.
- Bonuses and other supplemental pay, which follow their own withholding rules.
- Your employer’s own NJ rates. Established employers receive a rate notice each July; the calculator uses new-employer rates.
- FUTA credit reduction. The 2026 list of credit-reduction states is published after November 10, 2026. New Jersey was not on the 2025 list.
NJ payroll taxes employers pay in 2026
This is the part most paycheck calculators skip. For each employee, a New Jersey employer pays:
| Tax | Rate | Wage base |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security (employer share) | 6.2% | $184,500 |
| Medicare (employer share) | 1.45% | No cap |
| FUTA, after the state credit | 0.6% | $7,000 (up to $42) |
| NJ unemployment, new employer | 2.6825% | $44,800 |
| NJ workforce development, new employer | 0.1175% | $44,800 |
| NJ disability, new employer | 0.50% | $44,800 |
| NJ family leave | 0% for the employer |
In the example, those taxes add almost 10% to gross pay. The employer also withholds the employee’s own share and sends everything in on time, which is why the setup of the payroll system matters as much as the rates.
Running payroll with the right setup
We set up and support payroll in QuickBooks Payroll or Gusto, with federal and New Jersey tax accounts, W-4 and NJ-W4 details and payroll posted correctly to your books; payroll processing and filings are available on request. See our payroll setup and support service, and the monthly bookkeeping that keeps wages and payroll taxes reconciled. Other numbers you may need are in our free tax calculators. If you are about to make a first hire, book a free 15 to 30 minute consultation.