Know what you want to take home? Work backwards to the gross salary you need to ask for, after 2026 federal, state, and FICA taxes.
Add this free net to gross salary calculator to your own website — just copy and paste the code below.
Most calculators go one way: you enter a salary and see what's left after taxes. A net to gross (or "gross-up") calculation runs in reverse — you start with the take-home pay you actually need, and it finds the gross salary that produces it.
This is the number that matters when you're negotiating a salary, setting a freelance rate, or checking whether a job offer covers your rent and bills. Asking for "$60,000" is not the same as taking home $60,000 — in a high-tax state the difference can be $15,000 or more a year.
How do you calculate gross pay from net pay?
You cannot simply add the tax rate back, because tax brackets are progressive — the extra gross is taxed at your top rate. This calculator solves it by testing gross amounts until the after-tax result matches your target take-home.
Why is the gross so much higher than the net I asked for?
Federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and state income tax all come out of gross pay. Combined, they commonly take 20–35% of a salary, so the gross needs to be meaningfully higher than your target take-home.
Does this include pre-tax deductions like 401(k) or health insurance?
No. Those lower your taxable income, so if you have them you would need slightly less gross than shown. Use the paycheck calculator to model them exactly.
Is this the same as a bonus gross-up?
It is the same idea. Employers "gross up" a bonus or relocation payment so the employee receives a specific amount after tax. Note that bonuses are often withheld at the flat 22% supplemental rate — see our bonus tax calculator.