Massachusetts Paycheck Calculator
Massachusetts taxes wages at a flat 5% after a modest personal exemption. (Income over $1 million pays an extra 4% surtax — not modeled here.)
Worked example
Single filer earning $60,000 in Massachusetts, paid biweekly: federal tax is $5,020.00/yr (after the $16,100 standard deduction). Massachusetts taxable income is $60,000 − the $4,400 personal exemption = $55,600.00, so state tax is $2,780.00/yr. Social Security is $3,720 and Medicare is $870. Take-home: $47,610.00/yr — $1,831.15 per biweekly paycheck. Change the salary above and try your own.
How Massachusetts paycheck tax works
Federal first: your employer annualizes each paycheck. Federal taxable income is your gross minus the IRS standard deduction for 2026 — $16,100 if you file single, $32,200 married filing jointly (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32) — then taxed through the 2026 federal brackets (10% up to 22% across most middle incomes). Social Security takes 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, and Medicare takes 1.45% of all wages (plus 0.9% over $200,000 single / $250,000 joint).
Massachusetts tax uses its 2025 tables — the latest published when this page was built (the federal figures on this page are 2026): a flat 5% on wages (plus a 4% surtax on income over $1 million, which this calculator does not model). Massachusetts gives a personal exemption of $4,400 single / $8,800 joint instead of a standard deduction. This calculator annualizes your salary; your employer's per-paycheck withholding may differ slightly.
Massachusetts paycheck FAQ
What is the Massachusetts income tax rate in 2025?
For 2025, Massachusetts taxes wages at a flat 5% on wages (plus a 4% surtax on income over $1 million, which this calculator does not model), after the $4,400 personal exemption. Enter your salary above to see the dollar amount on your income.
My real Massachusetts paycheck is different. Why?
Pre-tax 401(k) or HSA contributions, health premiums, garnishments, bonuses (often withheld at a flat 22% federal), and your W-4 elections all move the real number. Many states also withhold a little differently per paycheck than this annualized estimate. Treat this as a close, honest estimate — not payroll software.
What about overtime or a bonus?
Overtime hours are taxed at the same rates — a higher paycheck just annualizes higher. Try our time and a half calculator and bonus tax calculator for those.