Social Security tax calculator 2026 and 2027
Work out Social Security and Medicare tax on your pay for 2026 or 2027, the $192,300 wage base for 2027, and which paycheck stops Social Security.
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Social Security wage base for 2027: $192,300
Social Security tax is 6.2% of your wages up to the wage base, and your employer pays another 6.2%. The Social Security Administration raised the wage base to $192,300 for 2027, from $184,500 in 2026, in line with average wage growth. Any pay above it is free of Social Security tax for the rest of the year.
- Most an employee pays in 2027: $192,300 × 6.2% = $11,922.60, up $483.60 from $11,439 in 2026.
- Most an employer pays per employee: the same $11,922.60.
- Most a self-employed person pays: 12.4% of $192,300 = $23,845.20, reached at about $208,230 of net profit, because self-employment tax applies to 92.35% of profit.
Social Security wage base by year
| Year | Wage base | Most an employee pays |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | $192,300 | $11,922.60 |
| 2026 | $184,500 | $11,439.00 |
| 2025 | $176,100 | $10,918.20 |
| 2024 | $168,600 | $10,453.20 |
| 2023 | $160,200 | $9,932.40 |
| 2022 | $147,000 | $9,114.00 |
| 2021 | $142,800 | $8,853.60 |
| 2020 | $137,700 | $8,537.40 |
When you hit the cap
Employers stop taking Social Security once your wages for the year reach the wage base, so high earners see their take-home pay jump late in the year. On a $250,000 salary paid every two weeks, each paycheck is $9,615.38, and the 2027 wage base is reached with the 20th paycheck, in late September. The last six paychecks of the year are each $596.15 bigger. Bonuses count as wages, so a big bonus early in the year brings the date forward.
Medicare has no cap
Medicare tax is 1.45% of all wages, with no limit, and your employer matches it. On wages over $200,000, your employer also withholds the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax, which employers don’t match. Married couples filing jointly owe it on combined wages over $250,000 (or over $125,000 if married filing separately) and settle any difference on their tax return. Self-employed people pay 2.9% Medicare on 92.35% of profit, plus the same 0.9% above the threshold.
Two jobs? You may get money back
Each employer withholds Social Security up to the wage base without knowing about your other jobs. If your total wages from two or more employers were more than $192,300 in 2027, you paid too much: claim the excess back as a credit on your 2027 tax return (Schedule 3, line 11). Employers don’t get their extra share back. If one employer took too much, ask that employer to correct it instead.
See your full take-home pay with the US paycheck calculator, or work out self-employment tax and quarterly payments with the self-employment tax calculator. Employers can work out unemployment taxes with the FUTA tax calculator. Sources: Social Security Administration 2027 cost-of-living adjustment fact sheet; IRS Topic 751 and Publication 15.
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