How to use the Wisconsin paycheck calculator
- 1 Enter your pay and choose whether it is a yearly salary or an hourly wage (with hours a week).
- 2 Choose how often you are paid and your filing status.
- 3 Enter your children under 17 and your 401(k) contribution.
- 4 Read your take-home pay per paycheck and every deduction.
Worked example
A single Wisconsin worker earning $60,000 a year, paid every two weeks, with 5% to a 401(k). Wages after 401(k) are $57,000, the sliding standard deduction is $9,534 and the exemption $700, so Wisconsin tax is $1,921.70 a year, $73.91 a paycheck. With $179.23 of federal tax and $176.54 of Social Security and Medicare, take-home pay is $1,762.63.
Getting more from a Wisconsin paycheck
- Check your pay stub against the calculator once a year.
- Raise your 401(k) to cut federal and state tax.
- Update your W-4 after marriage, a child or a raise.
- Mind the sliding deduction: it shrinks as your pay rises.
Compare with the Illinois Paycheck Calculator, convert hourly pay with the Hourly to Salary Calculator and see your 401(k) growth with the 401(k) Calculator.
Features
2026 brackets
3.5%, 4.4%, 5.3% and 7.65%.
Sliding standard deduction
Shrinks with income, as Wisconsin's does.
Salary or hourly
Enter a yearly salary or an hourly wage.
When to use it
Milwaukee and Madison jobs
Compare offers by take-home pay. Convert hourly pay with the Hourly to Salary Calculator.
Working in Illinois
Compare with the Illinois Paycheck Calculator.
Overtime
Work out time and a half with the Overtime Calculator.
Retirement
See your 401(k) growth with the 401(k) Calculator.
Related Pay and Salary tasks
Frequently asked questions
How much is taken out of a Wisconsin paycheck?
On a $60,000 salary paid every two weeks with 5% to a 401(k), about $74 of Wisconsin tax comes out of each check, plus $179 of federal tax and $177 of Social Security and Medicare.
What are the Wisconsin tax brackets for 2026?
For single and head of household filers: 3.5% up to $15,110, 4.4% to $51,950, 5.3% to $332,720 and 7.65% above. For joint filers: 3.5% to $20,150, 4.4% to $69,260, 5.3% to $443,630 and 7.65% above.
How does the Wisconsin standard deduction work?
It is largest at low incomes, $13,960 single or $25,840 joint for 2026, and shrinks as income rises, reaching zero at about $136,450 single or $159,690 joint. At $57,000 of wages a single filer's deduction is about $9,534.
What is the Wisconsin personal exemption?
$700 for you, your spouse and each dependent, plus $250 for each filer 65 or older.
Does Wisconsin have local income taxes?
No. Wisconsin cities and counties do not tax income.
Do I pay Wisconsin tax if I work in Illinois?
Wisconsin and Illinois have a reciprocal agreement: Wisconsin residents working in Illinois pay income tax only to Wisconsin. Wisconsin also has reciprocity with Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan.
What is Form WT-4?
Wisconsin's withholding exemption certificate, which sets your Wisconsin withholding separately from the federal W-4.
Does Wisconsin tax Social Security?
No. Social Security benefits are fully exempt, and from 2025 people 67 or older can subtract up to $24,000 of other retirement income.
Do 401(k) contributions lower Wisconsin tax?
Yes. Traditional 401(k) contributions are excluded from Wisconsin wages.
How do I lower my Wisconsin tax?
Contribute more to a traditional 401(k) and pre-tax benefits. Because the standard deduction shrinks as income rises, lowering your wages also raises your deduction, so each pre-tax dollar can save more than your bracket rate.
Head of household: which deduction is used?
Wisconsin has its own head of household deduction table. The calculator uses the single amounts for head of household, which can slightly overstate the tax.
Results are estimates based on the official rates linked above. Confirm important figures with the issuing authority or a qualified adviser before you act on them.
Built and reviewed by Hamza Farooq, founder and lead developer
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