North Carolina Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your North Carolina take-home pay after federal withholding and FICA. Nothing leaves your browser.
Showing a $60,000/year, single-filer example for North Carolina: $48,457.47 take-home pay after taxes. Enter your own numbers above for your result.
| Gross pay | $60,000.00 |
| Federal income tax | -$5,020.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | -$3,720.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | -$870.00 |
| North Carolina state income tax | -$1,932.53 |
| Net take-home pay | $48,457.47 |
Estimate only, not tax advice — see the full disclaimer. Tax data last verified: 2026-08-08.
How North Carolina paycheck taxes work
North Carolina's income tax rate keeps dropping year over year under a state law that steps it down as revenue targets are hit: 2026's statutory rate is 3.99%, but the state's own paycheck-withholding tables actually use 4.09%, a full 0.1 percentage points higher, built in deliberately by the Department of Revenue so employers don't underwithhold over the course of the year. Before that rate applies, North Carolina subtracts a standard deduction ($12,750 for single or married-filing-separately filers, $19,125 for head of household, or $25,500 for a married couple filing jointly), plus a separate $2,500-per-allowance credit for anyone claiming withholding allowances on Form NC-4, which this calculator doesn't collect, so real take-home pay for someone claiming allowances will run a bit higher than this estimate. North Carolina doesn't allow any city or county to levy its own income tax, so the flat state rate on top of federal tax and FICA is the whole picture no matter where you work in the state, and there's currently no state disability insurance or paid-family-leave payroll deduction either; a bill to create one has been introduced in the legislature but hadn't passed as of this calculator's last verification.
Federal income tax is calculated using the 2026 IRS tax brackets after subtracting your standard deduction, based on your filing status. FICA is a flat 6.2% Social Security tax (up to the annual wage base) plus 1.45% Medicare tax, with an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on income above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly).
Tax data last verified: 2026-08-08.
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Frequently asked questions
Does North Carolina have a state income tax?
Yes. North Carolina taxes wage income at a flat 4.09% rate. See the state-specific section above for exactly how that applies to your filing status.
How is federal income tax calculated on a North Carolina paycheck?
Federal tax is calculated on taxable income (gross pay minus your standard deduction) using the 2026 IRS marginal tax brackets, which apply the same way in every state, including North Carolina. See "How Paycheck Withholding Works" for the full breakdown.
What is FICA and how much is withheld?
FICA is 6.2% Social Security (up to the annual wage base) plus 1.45% Medicare, with an additional 0.9% Medicare tax above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly). It applies the same way in every state, including North Carolina.
Is this calculator exact?
No, it's an estimate based on standard 2026 tax tables and common assumptions. It doesn't account for every possible deduction, credit, filing situation, or local tax. For North Carolina specifically, it doesn't include the $2,500-per-allowance credit available on Form NC-4. See the disclaimer above the breakdown for details.