Paycheck API

Take-home pay for any state in JSON, free and with no key. The same math as this site, also as an MCP server for AI assistants.

Endpoint	What it does	Parameters (? = optional)
GET /api/v1/paycheck	Take-home pay per paycheck and per year, every tax line	state, salary?, hourly_rate?, hours_per_week?, pay_frequency?, filing_status?, k401_percent?, health_per_paycheck?, residency?
GET /api/v1/compare-states	The same salary in the 50 states and DC, best first	salary, filing_status?, pay_frequency?, k401_percent?
GET /api/v1/bonus	A bonus check after the 22% withholding, and what comes back	state, bonus, salary, filing_status?

Example: a paycheck

https://estimatemypaycheck.com/api/v1/paycheck?state=CA&salary=60000&pay_frequency=biweekly

{
  "state": "California",
  "tax_year": 2026,
  "state_rules_year": 2025,
  "pay_frequency": "biweekly",
  "gross": {
    "per_paycheck": 2307.69,
    "annual": 60000
  },
  "take_home": {
    "per_paycheck": 1845.01,
    "annual": 47970.47
  },
  "tax_rate": 0.2005,
  "deductions": [
    {
      "name": "Federal income tax",
      "per_paycheck": 193.08,
      "annual": 5020
    },
    {
      "name": "Social Security",
      "per_paycheck": 143.08,
      "annual": 3720
    },
    {
      "name": "Medicare",
      "per_paycheck": 33.46,
      "annual": 870
    },
    {
      "name": "California income tax",
      "per_paycheck": 63.06,
      "annual": 1639.53
    },
    {
      "name": "State disability insurance (SDI)",
      "per_paycheck": 30,
      "annual": 780
    }
  ],
  "local_taxes_not_included": null,
  "sources": [
    "https://estimatemypaycheck.com/method-and-sources/",
    "https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2025/2025-540-tax-rate-schedules.pdf",
    "https://www.ftb.ca.gov/about-ftb/newsroom/tax-news/2025/10.html",
    "https://hrcalifornia.calchamber.com/articles/2026-social-security-taxable-wage-base-california-sdi-withholding-rate-increase"
  ],
  "docs": "https://estimatemypaycheck.com/california/"
}

Example: the same salary in every state

https://estimatemypaycheck.com/api/v1/compare-states?salary=60000

{
  "salary": 60000,
  "tax_year": 2026,
  "states": [
    {
      "state": "Florida",
      "code": "FL",
      "take_home_annual": 50390,
      "take_home_per_paycheck": 1938.07,
      "tax_rate": 0.1602,
      "state_income_tax": false,
      "docs": "https://estimatemypaycheck.com/florida/"
    },
    {
      "state": "Nevada",
      "code": "NV",
      "take_home_annual": 50390,
      "take_home_per_paycheck": 1938.07,
      "tax_rate": 0.1602,
      "state_income_tax": false,
      "docs": "https://estimatemypaycheck.com/nevada/"
    },
    {
      "state": "New Hampshire",
      "code": "NH",
      "take_home_annual": 50390,
      "take_home_per_paycheck": 1938.07,
      "tax_rate": 0.1602,
      "state_income_tax": false,
      "docs": "https://estimatemypaycheck.com/new-hampshire/"
    }
  ],
  "note": "48 more states in the full answer"
}

MCP server

Address https://estimatemypaycheck.com/api/mcp, streamable HTTP, no authentication. In an MCP config file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paycheck": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://estimatemypaycheck.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Tools: calculate_paycheck, compare_states, calculate_bonus_tax. Same parameters as the API.

Usage rules


Key	None
Limit	60 requests a minute per IP (429 past it)
Methods	GET with a query string, or POST with a JSON body
CORS	Open to every domain
Errors	400 with error and message
Spec	OpenAPI 3.1: https://estimatemypaycheck.com/api/openapi.json
Personal data	Nothing stored: each request is computed and forgotten

Rules and sources: method and sources. A bug or an idea? Write to contact@estimatemypaycheck.com.

Frequently asked questions

Is the paycheck API free?

Yes: no key, no sign-up, CORS open, so it works from a browser too. The limit is 60 requests a minute per IP address; past it the answer is 429.

How do I get take-home pay from the API?

GET https://estimatemypaycheck.com/api/v1/paycheck with state and salary (or hourly_rate). For $60,000 a year in California, paid every two weeks, single, the answer is $1,845.01 per paycheck, with each tax line.

Which taxes does it include?

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare (with the additional 0.9%), state income tax and state payroll levies such as California SDI or paid family leave, for 2026. City and county income taxes are not included; the answer names them for the states where they matter.

How do I use it in Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor?

Add the MCP server https://estimatemypaycheck.com/api/mcp (HTTP, no authentication) in the app's connector settings or MCP config file. Three tools: calculate_paycheck, compare_states and calculate_bonus_tax.

Is it tax advice?

No. It is an estimate from published rates and withholding rules, the same as the calculators on this site. The payroll of an employer or a tax professional has the final word.