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Calculate employee payroll - Select your industry for customized results
Payroll is one of the most complex and consequential aspects of business operations. Get it wrong, and you face employee dissatisfaction, legal penalties, tax compliance issues, and financial surprises that disrupt cash flow. Get it right, and you ensure fair compensation, regulatory compliance, accurate budgeting, and employee trust. Our Payroll Calculator helps you navigate this complexity with industry-specific formulas that account for the unique aspects of compensation in your sector.
The true cost of an employee extends far beyond their salary or hourly wage. Federal income tax withholding, state income taxes, Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes, federal and state unemployment insurance, workers' compensation insurance, health insurance contributions, retirement plan contributions, and other benefits typically add 20-35% to base compensation. Many businesses underestimate these costs when budgeting for new hires, leading to painful realizations when payroll comes due. Our calculator shows both employee take-home pay and total employer cost, giving you the complete financial picture before you make hiring decisions.
Industry-specific payroll calculations account for the unique compensation structures in different sectors. Construction payroll includes prevailing wage requirements on public projects, union wage scales, and multiple pay classifications for different trades. Healthcare payroll handles shift differentials for nights and weekends, on-call pay, continuing education reimbursements, and complex credentialing costs. Hospitality payroll manages tipped wages, varying minimum wages by jurisdiction, and dramatic seasonal staffing changes. SaaS company payroll often includes equity compensation, performance bonuses tied to metrics like MRR growth, and multi-state tax considerations for distributed teams. Our calculators handle all these variables automatically.
Beyond basic calculation, our payroll tools help you model different staffing scenarios and compensation structures. Compare the cost of salaried versus hourly employees. Evaluate how overtime policies impact total compensation. Model the cost of different benefits packages. Analyze how pay frequency affects employee take-home and cash flow. Plan seasonal workforce changes and their financial impact. Whether you're hiring your first employee, expanding your team, restructuring compensation, or simply ensuring your payroll budget is accurate, our calculator provides the detailed analysis you need.
Software as a Service and technology companies
Online retail and e-commerce businesses
Healthcare providers and medical services
Marketing agencies and advertising firms
Business consulting and professional services
Real estate agencies and property management
Construction companies and contractors
Manufacturing and production facilities
Law firms and legal services
Hotels, restaurants, and hospitality services
Business owners planning to hire employees should use payroll calculators before making offers to understand total costs. HR managers and CFOs use them for budget planning and compensation structuring. Accountants and bookkeepers use them for payroll processing verification. Employees can even use them to understand their paychecks and evaluate job offers with different structures.
Our payroll calculator computes gross pay, federal and state tax withholdings, Social Security and Medicare (FICA) contributions, state disability insurance, unemployment insurance, and net take-home pay. Industry-specific versions account for factors like union dues in construction, commission structures in sales, or shift differentials in healthcare.
Our calculators use current IRS tax brackets and rates, updated annually. However, tax situations can be complex and vary by location, employee classification, and individual circumstances. Results should be used as estimates for planning purposes. Always consult with a payroll specialist or CPA for final payroll processing and tax compliance.
Yes! You can calculate payroll for individual employees or run bulk calculations. Free users can save 5 employee profiles, while Pro users get unlimited employee storage. This is especially useful for small businesses managing their own payroll or for budgeting new hires across different salary levels.
Absolutely! Our calculator supports weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly pay periods. The tax calculations automatically adjust based on the pay frequency you select, ensuring accurate withholdings regardless of how often you pay employees. This is important because tax withholding formulas vary by pay period.
The calculator includes fields for regular hours, overtime hours (at time-and-a-half or double-time), and bonuses. Overtime is calculated according to FLSA standards, and bonuses can be included as supplemental wages with appropriate tax withholding. Industry-specific calculators account for sector norms like guaranteed overtime in some construction roles.
Yes! Beyond employee take-home pay, our calculator shows total employer costs including FICA employer match, federal and state unemployment insurance (FUTA/SUTA), and workers' compensation estimates. This helps with accurate budgeting and understanding the true cost of each employee, typically 20-30% above gross wages.
Yes, you can calculate payroll for salaried employees, hourly workers, contractors, and commission-based staff. The calculator adjusts tax treatment and calculations based on employee classification. Note that independent contractors (1099) have different tax requirements than W-2 employees, and our calculator accounts for these differences.
The calculator includes fields for common pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, HSA/FSA contributions, and transit benefits. These reduce taxable income and are subtracted before calculating income tax withholding, which can significantly lower both employee and employer tax obligations.
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