North Carolina paycheck calculator for 2026
Type your pay before tax and how often it lands. See what federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and North Carolina take, and what's left, per paycheck and for the year.
Checked October 27, 2026
North Carolina taxes wages at a flat 3.99%. On $60,000 a year, single, paid every two weeks, take-home in North Carolina comes to about $1,866 a paycheck, after $73 of North Carolina income tax. The calculator below works it out for your pay.
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Take-home pay
$2,012per paycheck
| Line | Per paycheck | A year |
|---|---|---|
| Pay before tax | $2,500 | $65,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$216 | −$5,620 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$155 | −$4,030 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$36 | −$943 |
| North Carolina income tax | −$80 | −$2,085 |
| Take-home | $2,012 | $52,323 |
An estimate for 2026: the year's income tax spread evenly over your paychecks, using the standard deduction. Your employer uses the IRS withholding tables and your W-4, so a real paycheck can be a little different. Credits (like the child tax credit), other income and local taxes aren't included.
How North Carolina taxes a paycheck
- North Carolina taxes wages at a flat 3.99% for tax years after 2025, down from 4.25% in 2025.
- The standard deduction is $12,750 for a single filer, $25,500 for joint filers and $19,125 for a head of household.
- Further rate cuts may apply from tax year 2027 if certain revenue triggers in the state's law are met.
- The Department of Revenue's 2026 withholding formulas use 4.09%, which is the 3.99% rate plus 0.1%, so a paycheck can have slightly more withheld than the tax owed.
North Carolina has a flat income tax of 3.99%. A single filer gets a standard deduction of $12,750. Traditional 401(k) contributions come out of North Carolina taxable pay.
| Rate | Taxable income, single |
|---|---|
| 3.99% | $0 and up |
What else comes out of a North Carolina paycheck
Beyond federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and North Carolina income tax, the calculator takes nothing else out of a North Carolina paycheck, other than what you choose, like a 401(k) or health insurance.
How often North Carolina employers pay
North Carolina doesn't set one schedule. Its Wage and Hour Act (G.S. 95-25.6) says every employer pays all wages and tips owed on the regular payday. Whether that is weekly, every two weeks or monthly is the employer's call.
More about North Carolina pay
North Carolina's rate fell to 3.99% for 2026, and the law allows further cuts from tax year 2027 if certain revenue triggers are met.
The Department of Revenue's withholding formulas use 4.09%, a little above the 3.99% rate. A paycheck can have slightly more taken out than the tax owed, and the difference comes back as a refund when you file.
A worked example
$60,000 a year, single, paid every two weeks (26 paychecks of $2,307.69), with nothing taken out before tax:
| Line | Per paycheck | A year |
|---|---|---|
| Pay before tax | $2,308 | $60,000 |
| Federal income tax | $193 | $5,020 |
| Social Security | $143 | $3,720 |
| Medicare | $33 | $870 |
| North Carolina income tax | $73 | $1,885 |
| Take-home | $1,866 | $48,505 |
Other states
50 other states are in the paycheck tax calculator.
Questions people ask
How much is $60,000 a year after taxes in North Carolina?
About $48,505 a year, or $1,866 a paycheck paid every two weeks, for a single filer with no 401(k) or health insurance through work. Federal income tax is $5,020, Social Security $3,720, Medicare $870, and North Carolina income tax $1,885.
Does North Carolina have a state income tax?
Yes. North Carolina taxes wages at a flat 3.99%.
Does a 401(k) lower North Carolina income tax?
Yes. North Carolina leaves traditional 401(k) contributions out of taxable wages, like the federal tax does. Putting $3,600 a year in (6% of $60,000) lowers North Carolina tax by about $144.
Why is my North Carolina withholding a little higher than 3.99%?
The state's 2026 withholding formulas use 4.09%, which is the 3.99% rate plus 0.1%. The extra is a cushion, and anything over what you owe is refunded when you file.
How often must a North Carolina employer pay me?
The law requires pay on the regular payday but doesn't name a frequency. Your employer picks the schedule and should tell you the paydays.
Sources
10 sources · read October 27, 2026
Every number on this page comes from ncdor.gov, ncleg.gov and irs.gov. If a source has changed since, the source is right.
- 1North Carolina Department of Revenue: tax rate schedulesncdor.gov
- 2North Carolina Department of Revenue: NC-30, 2026 income tax withholding tables and instructionsncdor.gov
- 3North Carolina Department of Revenue: NC-4P, standard deduction amountsncdor.gov
- 4North Carolina General Statutes 95-25.6, wage paymentncleg.gov
- 5IRS: Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax brackets and standard deduction)irs.gov
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- 6IRS: Topic 751, Social Security and Medicare withholding rates (2026 wage base $184,500)irs.gov
- 7IRS: Topic 560, Additional Medicare Taxirs.gov
- 8IRS: Topic 424, 401(k) plans (deferrals still owe Social Security and Medicare)irs.gov
- 9IRS: Publication 15-B, Table 2-1 (health benefits through work are exempt)irs.gov
- 10IRS: Publication 15-T, Table 3 (pay periods per year)irs.gov
Wonderful gives general information. It isn't a financial or tax advisor.