The average rate you pay on your income, compared with your tax bracket.
In the 2026 modes, all income is treated as wages.
Example Result
Your result will appear here
The calculated result will appear here after you press Calculate.
Estimates for planning only; not financial, tax or investment advice. See our Disclaimer.
Your effective tax rate is your total tax divided by your income: the average rate across every dollar you earned. Your marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar. Enter your income and total tax to see the first, and your bracket to see the gap between them. Or use a 2026 mode to estimate US federal tax from your income. The formula works in any country.
Choose whether you know your tax, or want a 2026 US federal estimate.
Enter your gross income for the year.
Enter the total tax, or leave the deduction empty to use the 2026 standard deduction.
Press Calculate and compare the effective rate with your bracket.
By O.E. — Partner, chairman of the board and CEO of a metal products manufacturer for 21 years; the company exports to 45 countries.
Drafted with AI assistance; calculations checked against primary sources and tested with the site's own code. About FlowUtil
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Effective rate = total tax ÷ total income × 100
The answer depends on what you count, so compare like with like:
| Tax counted | Divided by | Tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | Gross income | The rate usually quoted |
| Federal income tax | Taxable income | A higher rate, since the base is smaller |
| Income tax + payroll tax | Gross income | Your federal burden on wages |
| All taxes, including state | Gross income | Your whole burden |
Find federal income tax on Form 1040, on the "total tax" line.
| Rate | Single, taxable income | Married filing jointly, taxable income |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | up to $12,400 | up to $24,800 |
| 12% | $12,400–$50,400 | $24,800–$100,800 |
| 22% | $50,400–$105,700 | $100,800–$211,400 |
| 24% | $105,700–$201,775 | $211,400–$403,550 |
| 32% | $201,775–$256,225 | $403,550–$512,450 |
| 35% | $256,225–$640,600 | $512,450–$768,700 |
| 37% | above $640,600 | above $768,700 |
For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 for a single filer and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly.
Assume wages only and the standard deduction.
The gap is 9.29 points, because the first dollars are taxed at 0%, 10% and 12%. Now add payroll tax. Employees pay 6.2% Social Security tax on wages up to $184,500 in 2026, and 1.45% Medicare tax on all wages. An extra 0.9% Medicare tax applies to wages above $200,000, or $250,000 on a joint return.
Assume joint filing, wages split between them, and the standard deduction.
Single filer, standard deduction, income tax only:
| Gross income | Federal income tax | Effective rate | Marginal rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $55,000 | $4,420 | 8.04% | 12% |
| $95,000 | $12,070 | 12.71% | 22% |
| $220,000 | $41,704 | 18.96% | 32% |
Federal income tax alone stays below the top bracket you reach. With payroll and state tax added, the total can pass your federal bracket, and the gap shown here turns negative. That is expected.
Only the income above a threshold pays the higher rate. A $1,000 raise in the 22% bracket costs $220 in income tax and $76.50 in payroll tax, so you keep $703.50.
Real cliffs do exist, but they come from benefits, not brackets. Some benefits and credits stop at a set income, so check them when you judge extra income.
Long-term gains have their own rates, so see the capital gains tax calculator. After-tax income feeds the monthly budget calculator. Pre-tax saving lowers your taxable income, and the pension calculator shows what it builds to.
This is an estimate for education, not tax advice. Real returns include credits, other deductions and state rules.