What salary do I need to take home a specific amount, like $80,000?

It depends on your filing status and, for a full picture, your state — but at the federal level, the calculation adds back FICA (7.65% up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base) and federal income tax under the 2026 brackets to your target take-home figure to find the gross salary required. This calculator runs that math for any target amount you enter.

How is a net-to-gross salary calculator different from a regular salary calculator?

A standard salary calculator starts from a gross figure and calculates net take-home pay. A net-to-gross (or gross-up) calculator runs the same math in reverse — starting from the take-home amount you want and solving for the gross salary that would produce it, which is useful when you know your target budget but not the salary that gets you there.

Does this reverse tax calculator include state taxes?

No — this figure is federal income tax and FICA only. If you live in a state with income tax, the actual gross salary you'd need to hit your take-home target is higher than the federal-only figure shown here, since state tax comes out of the same paycheck.

Why would I use a gross-up calculator instead of just negotiating a gross salary?

A gross-up calculation is useful when you're planning around a specific net budget number — for example, needing $6,000 a month after tax to cover expenses — rather than a headline salary figure. It's also commonly used by employers issuing one-time bonus payments where they want the recipient to net a specific amount after withholding.

Required Salary Calculator 2026 | Gross-Up

Finding the Gross Salary You Need to Hit a Take-Home Target

Whether you're negotiating a job offer or just planning a budget, it's often easier to think in terms of take-home pay than gross salary. This calculator reverses the usual direction — starting from the net amount you want and grossing it up through 2026 federal income tax and FICA to find the salary that gets you there.

How the gross-up works

Enter the take-home pay you want, monthly or annually
The calculator adds back FICA (6.2% Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base, plus 1.45% Medicare) and federal income tax under the 2026 brackets to find the required gross salary
The result is a federal-only figure — if you have state income tax where you live, your actual required gross salary will be somewhat higher than shown here

Required Salary (Gross-Up) Calculator

Finding the Gross Salary You Need to Hit a Take-Home Target

How the gross-up works

Frequently asked questions