2025 Tax Brackets
🔒 No Data Stored
Instant Results
📱 Mobile Friendly
🆓 Free to Use
Advertisement728×90 Leaderboard AdSense Unit
📅 Updated for 2025 Tax Year

Payroll Tax Calculator for Hourly Workers — 2025

Calculate FICA payroll taxes (Social Security + Medicare) for hourly workers using 2025 rates. See both employee and employer contributions with a full paycheck breakdown.

🧮

Hourly Tax Calculator

📊 Your Tax Breakdown

Monthly Take-Home
Weekly Take-Home
Hourly After Tax
Tax Breakdown
Gross Annual Income
Federal Income Tax
Social Security (6.2%)
Medicare (1.45%)
Total Tax Withheld
Effective Tax Rate
Marginal Tax Rate
Advertisement300×600 Sidebar AdSense Unit

2025 Payroll Tax Rates for Hourly Workers

TaxEmployee RateEmployer RateWage Limit
Social Security6.2%6.2%First $176,100
Medicare1.45%1.45%All wages
Additional Medicare0.9%NoneOver $200,000 single
FUTA (Federal Unemployment)None0.6%*First $7,000
Total FICA7.65%7.65%

*FUTA rate after typical state credit; gross rate is 6% on first $7,000 per employee.

Employer vs. Employee Payroll Tax Split

For every hour you work, payroll taxes are split between you and your employer. On a $20/hour wage:

You Pay Per Hour

Social Security: $1.24
Medicare: $0.29
Total: $1.53/hr

Employer Pays Per Hour

Social Security: $1.24
Medicare: $0.29
Total: $1.53/hr

Combined Cost

Total payroll tax cost to hire you at $20/hr is $21.53/hr when including employer-side FICA alone.

Annual FICA (Employee)

At $20/hr, 40hrs/week: $3,182 SS + $744 Medicare = $3,926/year from your paycheck.

Frequently Asked Questions

The 2025 payroll tax rate for employees is 7.65% total: 6.2% for Social Security (on wages up to $176,100) and 1.45% for Medicare (on all wages). Employers pay an equal matching 7.65%. Self-employed individuals pay the full 15.3% as self-employment tax.
The Social Security taxable wage base for 2025 is $176,100. Only the first $176,100 of your annual wages are subject to the 6.2% Social Security tax. Earnings above this threshold are still subject to Medicare tax but not Social Security tax.
Payroll tax for hourly employees is calculated each pay period on gross wages. Social Security = gross wages × 6.2% (until you hit $176,100 annually). Medicare = gross wages × 1.45% (with an extra 0.9% over $200,000 for single filers). These are flat-rate taxes with no deductions applied.
Yes. Employers match the employee Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) contributions, paying an additional 7.65% on top of your wages. Employers also pay Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) at 6% on the first $7,000 of annual wages per employee (credit may reduce this to 0.6%).
High-income earners pay an Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% on wages above $200,000 for single filers ($250,000 for married filing jointly). Employers are required to withhold this additional 0.9% once an employee's wages exceed $200,000 in a calendar year, regardless of filing status.
FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) refers specifically to Social Security and Medicare taxes — the 6.2% + 1.45% = 7.65% combined rate. 'Payroll tax' is a broader term that can include FICA plus federal income tax withholding. In common usage, people often use the terms interchangeably.
Generally, no. FICA taxes are mandatory for most employees and self-employed individuals. Some exemptions exist for certain religious organizations, student workers in specific programs, and foreign visa holders. Most workers cannot opt out of Social Security and Medicare tax withholding.
On $50,000 annual income: Social Security tax = $3,100 (6.2% × $50,000); Medicare tax = $725 (1.45% × $50,000). Total FICA = $3,825. Your employer pays an equal $3,825 on your behalf, bringing the total payroll tax cost to $7,650 — though you only see $3,825 deducted from your check.

More Free Tax Calculators