United States · North Carolina · Updated for 2026
North Carolina paycheck calculator 2026
On North Carolina’s median pay of $47,970 in 2026, a single filer in North Carolina takes home $39,318.62 a year ($1,512.25 every two weeks), after $3,576.40 federal income tax, $3,669.71 Social Security and Medicare, and $1,405.28 of North Carolina tax.
Change the pay, schedule, filing status or deductions below to see your own paycheck. It works as a North Carolina salary calculator too: type a yearly salary or an hourly rate.
Take-home pay, 2026 · North Carolina · single · paid every two weeks
$1,512.25 a paycheck
$39,318.62 a year · $3,276.55 a month · $18.90 an hour
| Per paycheck | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay before tax | $1,845.00 | $47,970.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$137.55 | −$3,576.40 |
| Social Security | −$114.39 | −$2,974.14 |
| Medicare | −$26.75 | −$695.57 |
| North Carolina income tax | −$54.05 | −$1,405.28 |
| Take-home pay | $1,512.25 | $39,318.62 |
An estimate of the year’s tax divided evenly across your 26 paychecks, not your employer’s exact withholding table. An hour assumes 40 hours a week for 52 weeks.
Federal income tax
Taxable income: $47,970 of pay after pre-tax deductions, less the $16,100 standard deduction for single = $31,870.
| Income in bracket | Tax | |
|---|---|---|
| 10% bracket | $12,400 | $1,240.00 |
| 12% bracket | $19,470 | $2,336.40 |
| Federal income tax for the year | $3,576.40 |
Social Security and Medicare
- Social Security: 6.2% = $2,974.14 a year.
- Medicare: 1.45% of all pay = $695.57 a year.
North Carolina tax
North Carolina taxes $47,970 of your pay, less the $12,750 standard deduction: $35,220 of taxable income.
North Carolina income tax: $1,405.28 a year.
Your tax rates
- Effective rate: 18.0%. That share of your pay goes in federal, state and payroll taxes.
- Marginal rate: 23.6%. Of your next dollar of pay, about 24 cents goes in tax, so you keep about 76 cents.
What are North Carolina’s income tax rates for 2026?
North Carolina has one flat rate, 3.99%, after the standard deduction: $12,750 single, $25,500 married filing jointly and $19,125 head of household.
How much tax do I pay on $47,970 in North Carolina?
$47,970 is the median yearly pay for all jobs in North Carolina (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). A single filer paid every two weeks, with nothing taken before tax:
| Year | Per paycheck | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay before tax | $47,970.00 | $1,845.00 |
| Federal income tax | $3,576.40 | $137.55 |
| Social Security | $2,974.14 | $114.39 |
| Medicare | $695.57 | $26.75 |
| North Carolina income tax | $1,405.28 | $54.05 |
| Take-home pay | $39,318.62 | $1,512.25 |
Effective rate: 18.0% of pay in tax. Of the next dollar, about 24 cents goes in tax. Open this example in the paycheck calculator.
What is different about paychecks in North Carolina?
North Carolina has one flat rate, 3.99% in 2026, after a run of yearly cuts.
The standard deduction is $12,750 for a single filer, $25,500 for a joint return and $19,125 for a head of household.
How does North Carolina compare with Virginia and Georgia?
The same $47,970 salary, single, paid every two weeks:
| State tax and contributions a year | Take-home a year | Per paycheck | |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $1,405.28 | $39,318.62 | $1,512.25 |
| Virginia | $1,944.18 | $38,779.72 | $1,491.53 |
| Georgia | $1,645.20 | $39,078.69 | $1,503.03 |
You take home $538.90 a year more in North Carolina than in Virginia.
You take home $239.92 a year more in North Carolina than in Georgia.
What does this calculator leave out in North Carolina?
- Dependents, and credits such as the child tax credit.
- One job for the whole calendar year, with the same pay every paycheck, no bonus and no overtime.
- A married couple filing jointly is one earner: the whole household income is this pay.
- The year’s tax is divided evenly across your paychecks. Your employer withholds from each paycheck using your W-4 and the IRS tables, so a paycheck can differ a little.
The full list is on the sources page, and the method on how we calculate.
Which other states can I check?
- Alaska no income tax
- California state income tax
- Florida no income tax
- Georgia state income tax
- Illinois state income tax
- Michigan state income tax
- Nevada no income tax
- New Hampshire no income tax
- New Jersey state income tax
- New York state income tax
- Ohio state income tax
- Pennsylvania state income tax
- South Dakota no income tax
- Tennessee no income tax
- Texas no income tax
- Virginia state income tax
- Washington no income tax
- Wyoming no income tax
Every state on one page: the US paycheck calculator. How the taxes work: US paycheck guides.
Questions about paychecks in North Carolina
How much is taken out of a paycheck in North Carolina?
On $47,970 a year, single, paid every two weeks: $137.55 federal income tax, $141.14 Social Security and Medicare and $54.05 for North Carolina (income tax) a paycheck, leaving $1,512.25.
What is the take-home pay on $100,000 in North Carolina?
$75,698.73 a year, or $2,911.49 every two weeks, for a single filer with nothing taken before tax.
Is North Carolina state tax taken out of every paycheck?
Yes. Employers in North Carolina withhold state income tax from each paycheck along with federal tax. This calculator spreads the year’s tax evenly across your paychecks, so a single paycheck can differ a little.
What is the North Carolina income tax rate for 2026?
3.99%, one flat rate, after the standard deduction.
Does North Carolina have local income taxes?
No. North Carolina cities and counties do not tax wages, so the state tax is the only one on your paycheck besides federal tax and FICA.